The large column in the center of the Tienanmen Square is the Monument to the People’s Heroes, inaugurated on May 1st, 1958. Engraved in glazed letters on one side of the monument are the words of Mao Zedong: "Eternal glory to the People’s Heroes". On the other side is a long, gilded epitaph composed by Mao to commemorate those who laid down their lives for freedom. The other sides are sculpted with five-point stars, pine trees and flags.
On the Buddhist-style base, you can see eight enormous bas-reliefs, depicting the main events of the revolution, arranged clockwise in chronological order.
