Published : 2025-04-22

On April 22, 1958, China's Monument to the People's Heroes in Beijing was completed. It symbolises the great achievements of the revolutionary martyrs and is a national symbol of the people's remembrance of the revolutionary martyrs.

The body of the Monument to the People's Heroes is 37.94 metres high, and the base covers an area of approximately 3,100 square metres. It was built using a total of 17,000 pieces of granite and marble.

The entire monument can be divided into three parts: the stele body, the Xumi pedestal, and the base platform.

The front of the stele body is engraved with the eight large Chinese characters "人民英雄永垂不朽" written by Mao Zedong, which means "the people's heroes are immortal."

The back is inscribed with the epigraph "人民英雄紀念碑" drafted by Mao Zedong and written by Zhou Enlai, meaning "Monument to the People's Heroes."

On the waist section of the lower Xumi pedestal of the monument, eight huge marble bas-reliefs depicting revolutionary history are inlaid.

On September 30, 1949, in order to commemorate the people's heroes who died in the People's Liberation War and the people's revolution, the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) unanimously decided to erect the Monument to the People's Heroes outside Tiananmen in Beijing.

At the foundation laying ceremony held on the same day, Mao Zedong personally read the inscription on the monument: "The people's heroes who sacrificed their lives in the People's Liberation War and the people's revolution over the past three years are immortal! The people's heroes who sacrificed their lives in the People's Liberation War and the people's revolution over the past 30 years are immortal! Dating back to 1840, starting from that time, the people's heroes who sacrificed their lives in various struggles to oppose internal and external enemies and to strive for national independence and the people's freedom and happiness are immortal!"

After reading the inscription, Mao, along with the chief representatives of various units of the CPPCC, laid the cornerstone for the monument.

The construction of the Monument to the People's Heroes officially started on August 1, 1952. The construction committee was chaired by Peng Zhen (彭真), with Zheng Zhenduo (鄭振鐸) and Liang Sicheng (梁思成) as vice-chairmen.

The committee was divided into different departments, including design, construction, quarrying, and art work, and convened the best construction experts and artists from across the country.

A special committee led by Fan Wenlan (范文瀾) was established to research the historical materials needed for the bas-reliefs. At that time, some Soviet experts in Beijing also provided assistance.

In March 1961, the Monument to the People's Heroes was designated by the State Council as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics.