The First National Congress
Situated at No. 76-78 Xingye Road, this is the birth place of the Communist Party of China and is now under the state protection. The two houses with stone gates are typical Shanghai resi- dences in the 1920s. The first national congress of the Party was convened in one of the sitting room on the ground floor on July 23, 1921. Now, the furniture in the sitting room is replica. There are also wax statues of participants in the congress, precious documents and other exhibits, recording the historic period of the beginning of the Party and its activities in the following years.
Nothing sums up this venue than a Chinese travel guide:
As a renowned historical attraction of Shanghai, the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China has received 10 million visitors from home and abroad since its opening 50 years ago, with attendance rising to 1.8 million visitors in recent years after rebuilt in 1999. Situated at No.76 Xingye Road, next to Shanghai Xintiandi, a fashionable pedestrian area, the two-story Shikumen building was completed in 1920 as the residence of two Communist Party members. On July 23, 1921, thirteen members held their first national congress of the Communist Party of China here, marking the birth of the Party.
In the living room on the first floor where the congress was held, everything is placed as it was 84 years ago. The articles copied from the originals create an imposing atmosphere in this 18-square-meter (194 sq. ft) little room. Upstairs is an exhibition hall of 450 square meters (4,860 sq. ft), with more than one hundred revolutionary relics, documents, and photos on display. The exhibits cover the history of the Party's birth, the blooming of nation-wide communist teams, photos of the thirteen members, etc. In addition, a waxworks hall inside vividly reproduces the scene of this significant meeting. The other twelve members listen and smile as Mao Zedong, founder of the PRC, makes his speech. Lifelike, the wax figures seem to make time stand still, bringing people back to that exciting moment.
