First CPC congress site to reopen after refurbishment

SHANGHAI - The Shanghai building where the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its first national congress has undergone a major refurbishment and expansion for its reopening on July 1, the 95th anniversary of the Party's founding.

On July 23, 1921, the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China was convened at now the 76 Xingye Road, Shanghai, which was attended by 13 people from across China.

The development of the two-story building, turned into a memorial in 1952, has expanded its exhibiting space from 450 square meters to 1,000 square meters. It has also added multimedia facilities and 120 new exhibits, according to curator Zhang Liming.

There are materials related to Russian intelligence agent Vladimir Abramovich Neiman, a representative of the Communist International, who was among two foreigners at the CPC national congress.

An ink slab that belonged to the other foreigner, a Dutch member of the Communist International who went by the alias Maring, will also be put on show.

Zhang said the slab was donated by the daughter of Maring, whose real name was Hendricus Joseph Franeiseus Mavie.

He said the expansion of the memorial allowed enough space to include boards profiling each of the 13 Chinese attendees of the meeting.