A Visit to the CPC Memorial Hall: A Window into the CPC’s Epic Journey

The scorching sun over Shanghai on July 20 couldn’t stop visitors from lining up around the memorial hall of the First National Congress of the Community Party of China (CPC). The CPC’s centenary celebrations in Tian’anmen Square at the heart of Beijing were so mesmerizing that they evoked my curiosity about the Party. So, receiving an invitation to visit the memorial hall felt like a dream come true. I joined a group of reporters, editors, and others from various organizations.

I tracked the history of the founding of the CPC through more than 1,000 historical items, photos, videos, and diagrams. The visit was an interesting way to gain a better understanding of the 100-year history of the CPC. As I toured the photo gallery, I realized that visiting the memorial hall could not only enrich my understanding of the Party, but also facilitate engagement with history with greater local contextualization and a visceral connection to the people who witnessed it.

I was impressed by the tour and its usage of multimedia content and hi-tech devices such as holographic projections and 3D displays to enhance the experience. I’ve read a lot about the “Red Boat,” which is considered a symbol of the CPC’s revolutionary spirit. On July 23, 1921, Chinese communists gathered in a French concession building at 76 Xingye Road in Shanghai to hold what would be the CPC’s First National Congress before it was interrupted by police. The congress moved to a touring boat, now known as the “Red Boat,” on South Lake in Jiaxing. However, the 3D visual display of it in the memorial hall still felt abstract.

The lighting effects and background commentary made everything come alive. The visit revived the CPC’s First National Congress like no textbook could. Seeing the collection and reading archival sources such as journal entries and letters available in the memorial hall enabled me to not only imagine the struggles for national survival, but also to reflect on the efforts of the Party to seek happiness for the people.

I closely examined medals commemorating the 1911 Revolution, which ended China’s last imperial dynasty, fliers from the May Fourth Movement of 1919, and a toolkit used by a martyr who died at the age of 39 in 1949 during the fight to liberate the country. Additional documents in Russian, Japanese, and English related to the founding of the CPC are on display. The memorial hall presents an unprecedented display of cultural relics from the Party’s founding period that enables visitors to gain an understanding of the Party’s beginnings and acquire more insight into past events by pondering the reason why the congress happened in Shanghai. I really enjoyed related videos and visuals, which were a treat to the eyes and also made the Party’s history easier to understand.

A visit to the memorial hall is a very different experience than keeping a distant view. The statues, sculptures, pictures, and cultural and historical relics provide insight on the Party’s views and values. Regardless of field of study or interest, visiting the CPC memorial hall will lead to deeper engagement with historical events and an opportunity to develop a fuller appreciation for those who came before us. When taken seriously, such experiences can be invaluable.