Angang Lei Feng Memorial Hall

In the industrial heart of Anshan, Liaoning Province, the heavy scent of coal dust and iron defines the Coke-making Plant of Angang Steel. Here, within the active factory grounds of the Tiexi District, stands the Angang Lei Feng Memorial Hall. This unique enterprise-run museum traces its origins to 1971, when workers established a modest 280-square-meter exhibition room in the Northern Coal Preparation Workshop. This was the exact site where a young bulldozer operator named Lei Feng labored from 1958 to 1960.

The physical evolution of the hall reflects the deep devotion of the factory community. In 1992, workers pooled 40,000 RMB of their own money to sculpt two bronze statues. Following a major relocation in 1993 and a comprehensive expansion in 2019, the museum now spans 1,600 square meters. Outside, the cold iron of a Stalin-80 bulldozer—the very machine Lei Feng operated—rests permanently on the plaza. Nearby, a 1.16-meter-high bronze statue designed by the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts greets visitors.

Inside, the air carries the quiet resonance of historical voice recordings playing through multimedia speakers. The exhibition rooms house 155 photographs and 80 tangible artifacts. Visitors can view the worn fabric of Lei Feng's cotton work hat, his enamel tea mugs, and a cotton quilt donated by his co-worker, Yi Xiuzhen. Hand-written memoirs by his master and fellow villagers lie alongside copy editions of the books he read, including How the Steel Was Tempered. On the upper floors, three-dimensional recreations transport visitors into the past. One space replicates Lei Feng's sparse dormitory. Another depicts the dramatic night he struggled against a heavy storm to rescue industrial cement.

Today, this site serves as a mandatory first lesson for every new Angang employee, drawing over 10,000 annual visitors. It preserves the memory of a historic worker, anchoring his legacy within the very soil where he labored.