The Site of the First National Communist Party Congress.
If you do not know much about the history of China’s Communist Party, than stop here for an enlightening taste of modern Chinese history. This is the spot where the Chinese Communist Party was founded, and it is now a patriotic educational site for Shanghai students. Although it looks like nothing more than a common residential building, it has become a daily stop for large numbers of out-of-town Chinese tourists. The Chinese Communist Party’s first ever meeting took place here on July 23, 1921. It was held on the first floor inside an 18 square meter living room. Among those present at the meeting included Mao Zedong, Dong Biwu and 13 other party representatives. The meeting was interrupted when the participants realized that they were being monitored by a French police station. They immediately fled the scene. The meeting was eventually reconvened on a boat off of Jiangxi’s JiaxingnanLake, and the central leadership was elected through the Party was born. The memorial hall has an exhibition room filled with artifacts and mementos of the party’s founding period. |
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The Dr. Sun Yat-sen Residence
The former residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen is located on Xiangshan road (originally 29 Moliai road) on the Western side of FuxingPark. This is a quiet and secluded two-storey deep grey European-style garden home. There is a square shaped yard in front surrounded on three sides with holly, magnolia, camphor, and pine. A statue of Sun Yat-sen stands among the pine trees.
History
In 1917, Sun Yat-sen resigned from his presidential duties and organized the government for Army of Law and Protection in Guangzhou. Elected as the army’s commander in chief, he rallied the troops for a Northern Expedition. In only his second year as commander in chief, Sun was forced out of office, and he came to Shanghai with his wife Song Qingling. In Shanghai, Sun was politically helpless and alone, and he found himself facing severe economic problems. This house was given to Sun and SongQingling as a gift by four overseas Chinese who had just returned to Shanghai from Canada. Sun moved here in 1918.
Sun and his wife lived in this house for five years, and the furnishings on display today were arranged according to the recollections of Song Qingling. |
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Residence of Zhou Enlai . |
Residence of Zhou Enlai
Sinan road is a beautiful road that stands just outside the bustle of Shanghai life. The street has a style all its own, feeling neither monotonous nor lifeless, but its quietness makes it a place for silent introspection. The addresses between 51 and 95 on Sinan road were once called Yipin Cun. It was a gather place of celebrities and famous. 73 Sinan road was once the residence of Communist Party representative, Zhou Enlai. The front of the residence is marked with a placard reading “Zhou Residence” in Chinese and in English.
History
Simple and frugal, the Zhou Enlai residence was built between 1912 and 1936. Coming out the front door takes you right out onto the great Sinan road. The residence has a coarse grey stucco over coating that fills the old strong wall is a tangle of naked vines when the ivy leaves fall in the winter.
Tranquil on its surface, the Zhou Residence once served as Chinese Communist Party’s main base of activity in Shanghai, and was witness to a countless number of historical events. On September 16, 1946, Zhou met with reporters from United States, holding a local and international press conference which was attended by over 70 people. Here he met with US Present special envoy, General Marshal, and on October 17 and 19 of that year he met and exchanged views with Kuomingtang and third party representatives. This is also the place where Zhou Enlai met with American reporter, Anna Louise Strong, as she made her way to Yan’an.
The residence’s front entrance is tall because it sits right over the building’s shallow basement. Pushing open the newly painted red door is like watching the unfolding of an old scroll. While the light is dim, it is easy to see everything arranged in perfect order.
Zhou Enlai’s bedroom is on the first floor in a room east of the living room. It is the most highly furnished room in the house. Zhou did not live in this room for long. Because he frequently received guests, he moved into a safer and more convenient room on the eastern end of the third floor. The rooms on the second floor are spacious and receive very good light. An outdoor staircase installed next to the balcony leads into the garden. With its thicket of flowers and trees, the garden is full of vitality. A large pagoda pine tree stands in the middle of the verdant green yard. It is said that in the summer and fall, Zhou liked to stroll around tree every evening after dinner. |
