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Exterior of the Erqi Memorial Tower, photographed in 2024; does not indicate the interior is open on a given day

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Erqi Memorial Tower

郑州二七纪念塔 · Erqi Square, Erqi District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China

Photo: Windmemories · CC BY-SA 4.0

Use the memorial tower on Erqi Square to understand the 1923 Beijing–Hankou Railway workers' strike and Zhengzhou's memory as a railway city.

Know before you go

  • Do not call the present tower, completed in 1971, an original from the 1923 events, and do not assume the interior is open just because the square and exterior are accessible. Do not step into traffic lanes, block metro entrances or climb the memorial for photos
  • in exhibition spaces, avoid horseplay and do not touch the artefacts.

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Materials from the Zhengzhou Municipal Government and the municipal cultural heritage bureau state that the Erqi Memorial Tower commemorates those who died in the 1923 Beijing–Hankou Railway workers' strike; the present tower was completed in 1971, and a wooden tower had stood on the site before it. The structure is a 20th-century memorial, not an original building left from the 1923 events. When you visit, keep the historical event, the later memorial and today's commercial square distinct, rather than letting the shopping district around Erqi stand in for the history of the labour movement.

Local customs

  • Please follow pedestrian signals and metro entrance signs on Erqi Square, and when you stop to take photos, do not block pedestrians or shop entrances. If the interior of the tower or related exhibitions are open, keep quiet inside and respect the historical account of the railway workers' movement
  • photography, security checks and the routes up and down the stairs follow the management's instructions.

Religion & beliefs

  • The Erqi Memorial Tower commemorates the modern railway workers' movement
  • it is a public historical memorial, not a place of religious worship. When reading the tower's name, inscriptions and exhibits, distinguish the 1923 events, the commemorations that followed and the present tower completed in 1971, and do not take the commercial square's atmosphere today for the event itself.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas

Do

  • Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
  • Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
  • Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
  • Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
  • Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave

Don’t

  • Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
  • Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
  • Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos

During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones

Do

  • Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
  • On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
  • Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
  • Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
  • If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app

Don’t

  • Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
  • Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
  • Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes

If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages

Do

  • Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
  • Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
  • Use headphones for videos and music
  • In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
  • Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings

Don’t

  • Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
  • Don't take someone else's seat
  • Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)

Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks

Do

  • Walk only on open sections and marked routes
  • On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
  • Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
  • Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
  • Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail

Don’t

  • Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
  • Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
  • Don't run or push on steep sections

Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels

Do

  • Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
  • Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
  • Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
  • Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly

Don’t

  • Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
  • Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
  • Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days

Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows

Essential restrictionsEntryCountry-wide guidance · China

China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport

Do

  • Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
  • Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
  • Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
  • Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
  • If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane

Don’t

  • Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
  • Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
  • Don't book with details that differ from your passport

Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites

Do

  • Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
  • On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
  • Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
  • Sort your rubbish into the right bins
  • Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat

Don’t

  • Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
  • Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
  • Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
  • Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
  • Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places

Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not call the present tower, completed in 1971, an original from the 1923 events, and do not assume the interior is open just because the square and exterior are accessible. Do not step into traffic lanes, block metro entrances or climb the memorial for photos
  • in exhibition spaces, avoid horseplay and do not touch the artefacts.

Locals appreciate DO

  • First look at how the square and the tower relate to each other, then read up on the background of the 1923 Beijing–Hankou Railway workers' strike
  • if the interior exhibition is open, set aside extra time for the historical materials and biographies. It fits well with arriving or departing around Zhengzhou Railway Station, after which you can head to the Shang-dynasty site in Guancheng or the Henan Museum.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Allow about 30–60 minutes just for Erqi Square and the tower's exterior
  • if the interior exhibition is actually open, add about 1 hour. The site is on Erqi Square in the city centre, an easy walk from public transport
  • coming from the Henan Museum or the Shang city site, still allow about 30–60 minutes for cross-district travel depending on traffic. Whether the tower interior can be visited, and whether booking or visitor caps apply, should be checked in the memorial's latest notices
  • do not infer it from the exterior being open. You can place Erqi Square in the half-day when you arrive or leave by rail and spend the other half-day at the Shang capital site
  • the site's historical significance comes from the labour movement, not the surrounding shopping streets, so leave enough time in your plans to read the exhibits. The square can be crowded in the evening
  • if you want to read the exhibits and memorial texts, go during the day.
Sources & verification notes

Zhengzhou Municipal Government: History of the Erqi Memorial Tower

Zhengzhou Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau: Construction of the Erqi Tower and city memory

Wikidata: Tower coordinates and heritage status

Wikimedia Commons: 2024 photo of the tower and licence

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