Dongfanghong Square

Dongfanghong Square is the main civic plaza of Lanzhou, a large open space in the eastern part of the city center framed by government buildings and commercial towers. At its center stands a prominent statue of Mao Zedong, one of the larger surviving examples of the revolutionary-era statuary that once populated Chinese city squares. The square itself is pleasant in the evening when locals gather for tai chi, ballroom dancing, and general socializing in the way that Chinese public spaces come alive after dark.

The square is also the starting point for the October 1 National Day celebrations and is decorated with flower displays and flags during major holidays. It is not worth a special journey during the day, but if you are walking in the eastern part of the city center it is worth passing through. The area around the square has Lanzhou's main commercial shopping streets, department stores, and fast food chains.

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The square's name — Dongfanghong, "The East is Red" — comes from the revolutionary song that became the unofficial anthem of the Cultural Revolution. At its center stands a large statue of Mao Zedong in a characteristic pose: one arm raised, greatcoat open. Similar statues were erected in city squares across China in the 1960s and 1970s; many have since been removed, making the Lanzhou example one of the better-preserved survivors.

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