This majestic stele in immortal memory of the heroic event that happened on April 21, 1949, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) successfully defeated the Nationalist's forces and victoriously crossed Nanjing section of Yangtze River on this day. This tall stele was erected in 1979 to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the battle, which was among four great liberation wars fought before the founding of the new China on October 1, 1949.

It stands near the southern bank of Yangtze River. The late Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping (1904 - 1997), inscribed seven large Chinese characters "du jiang sheng li ji nian bei" (The Memorial Stele of Cross River Victory), which are bronze engraved on the marble surface. On the granite back, a manuscript of the memorial poem written by the great leader Mao Zedong was engraved too. On both left and right sides, bas-relief images of cross river scenes are lively carved. The stele looks like a shape of a sailing boat that is keep going in bracing the powerful waves and strong wind, which symbolize the heroic spirit of the PLA during the liberation war. On the top, a giant memorial badge is embedded with "1949, 4, 21" which is the date of crossing the Yangtze River successfully, is engraved.

The Memorial Hall of Cross River Victory formally opened to general public in 1984. It collects lots of invaluable materials concerning the true facts of the liberation war with the Kuomintang, including historical documents, old photographs and monumental articles.