1st National Congress of CPC gets a tribute
CONSTRUCTION started on Saturday for the memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, near the site where the congress was held in 1921, in Huangpu District.
The memorial, to open in 2021, is located on Huangpi Road S. and Xingye Road. It will include the existing site of the first National Congress of the CPC, an oath-taking hall and new exhibition halls.
The exhibitions will mainly focus on the original aspirations and missions of the CPC, while displaying the history and spirit of the construction of the Party, according to the city government.
Shanghai is the birthplace of the Communist Party of China, where, apart from the first national congress held in July 1921, many important movements were launched. President Xi Jinping and six other members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee visited the site on October 31, 2017, a week after the closing of the 19th National Congress of the CPC.
The new memorial aims to explore the cultural genes, spiritual souls and historical roots of the CPC, as well as inherit its faith and ideals. The memorial is targeted to become a landmark of the city to showcase the glorious history and great spirit of the Party, the city government said.
Shanghai Party Secretary Li Qiang and Mayor Ying Yong attended the ceremony to mark the beginning of the construction on Saturday.
New structures will be built while some historical buildings will be preserved. The project will highlight the architectural features of Shanghai’s unique shikumen, or stone-gate buildings, and also involve model architectural styles.
A shikumen-style building is a combination of Western architecture and China’s traditional courtyard structures. They were first built in the 1850s and are unique to Shanghai.
The site of the First National Congress of the CPC at 374 Huangpi Road S. was renovated in 1952. The renovation work on the historical site, a row of typical shikumen houses in a complex named Shudeli, was completed in early 1952. The site opened to public in 1968. The name of the site was written by former leader Deng Xiaoping.
An initial expansion work was done in May 1999, with newlybuilt structures resembling the typical shikumen houses in the 1920s. It underwent another major refurbishment and expansion in 2016 to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the Party’s founding.
The current exhibitions at the site contain narrative displays on the founding history of the Party in the main building. Special exhibitions are on in another house on the site. Modern technology enhances visitors’ experience.
Visitors can see how Western invasions wrought disaster to China, turning the country into a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society. They can learn how the Russian Revolution in 1917 gave the Chinese hope, inspiring intellectuals to embrace Marxism and the labor movement. That led to the founding of the CPC.
In addition to Chairman Mao Zedong, the other 12 Chinese delegates and two foreign representatives who attended the 1921 Congress all have their own stories to tell.