Monument to the People's Heroes
(renmin yingxiong jinian bei) 
 
  Monument to the People's Heroes is in the center of Tiananmen Square. Construction began in August 1951 and the monument was finally erected in April 1958 and it was the first large scale memorial built in socialist China. The marble and granite column rises close to 38 meters (125ft) and has gilded calligraphy by Chairman Mao that reads "Eternal glory to the people抯 heroes" on its northern façade. The base of the structure is decorated with bas-relief carvings depicting major revolutionary events and the monument also has calligraphy by Zhou Enlai.