Staging History | Icons, Symbols and Official Imagery

Revolutionary Sacred Sites and Monuments

[Introduction]

Tiananmen Square, the geographic locus of power in China, has served as the stage for many critical events in the history of modern China: the founding of the People's Republic of China, the celebrations of the victories of socialism in the 1950s, the massive rallies of the Cultural Revolution, the crushing of the 'Gang of Four,' and the protest movement of 1989, to name but a few.

The Martyr's Monument, or the Monument to the People's Heroes, was built in the late 1950s to commemorate those who had died for change and revolution in China from 1840 on.

Other sites:
Yenan, Shaoshan, Dazhai, Daqing, Ludeng Bridge, etc.