Museum that charts party history becomes new Beijing landmark

Foreign visitors have also been impressed. Konstantin Shepin, a Russian journalist who has been working in China for nearly two decades, visited the museum recently. He said the visit was a lively class to help understand the Party and its history.

"I was cheered up and more confident about the future of China after viewing the exhibition displaying the historical, theoretical and social logic of China's development in the past 100 years," he said, adding that it was wrong for many foreign media outlets to view China's development and the leadership of the Party in isolation.

"There is a popular song among Chinese people, Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China. It shows that the Party plays a crucial role in China's achievements. What is exhibited here is the best proof and more people from abroad should learn about it," he said.

In the museum's post office, Shepin bought a commemorative envelope with the postal code 100100.

"The number marked both the Party's 100th anniversary and also its future targets," he said. "I brought one as a gift to commemorate the Party's birthday."

The CPC was founded in 1921, taking up the mission of "seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation".

With just over 50 members at the time of its founding, the CPC is today the world's largest governing party, with more than 95 million members, and leads a country of more than 1.4 billion people.

Song Fei, a high school student in Beijing, made an online appointment to visit the museum as soon as she saw the notice announcing its imminent opening. Both her parents are Party members.

"For our generation, which has grown up in a peaceful time, it is a bit difficult to be aware of how our happy life came about unless we learn the history," she said. "Without a deep knowledge of the past, it is hard for people today to imagine how many difficulties were faced by heroes of that time to found the CPC."

After seeing the exhibition, Song said she was impressed by the early days of the Party.

"Facing so many challenges and even threats to their lives, the Party members could still bear their belief and mission in mind and sacrificed themselves for the country and its people. It's so touching," she said.

"Seeing how the CPC's leadership has made our country increasingly prosperous, I am even keener to join the Party and make my own contribution. The Party's centenary is an opportunity to commemorate the martyrs. We must pass on their spirit, generation after generation."