Today, the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a press conference at the Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Zhou Huilin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, introduced the schedule of major activities in Shanghai to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, as well as how to advance the publicity and education on the centenary, and the protection and inheritance of the red culture, among others. Joining him at the event were Sun Ganlin, deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Fang Jiansen, deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, and Yan Aiyun, director of the Party History Research Office of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, all of whom also met with reporters and answered their questions.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, which has grown from a party with only 50-plus members when it was founded at the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China to the world’s largest, century-old Marxist governing political party with more than 91 million members today. Shanghai is the birthplace of the Party and the place where the Party’s original aspirations originated. After its founding, the Party’s central body was long based in Shanghai. As an important base for socialist construction and at the frontier of China’s reform and opening-up, Shanghai is abound with a wealth of red resources harboring the lofty ideals and firm beliefs of revolutionary ancestors and embodying the fine tradition and great spirit of the Party.

Warmly celebrating the centenary of the CPC’s founding is an important move to put fully into effect Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It is a major event within the Party and in the political life of the country. At this moment when the country is celebrating the centenary of the CPC’s founding, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, Shanghai is uniting and leading the people from all walks of life to strive for an unprecedented historic leap and make alive the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics by staying true to the mission, living up to their responsibility, and making unremitting efforts. According to the plans of the central government and closely combining with the actual conditions of Shanghai, the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee has made careful arrangements for the celebrations that mainly consist of the eleven activities as below.

1. Holding a celebration meeting

With the approval of the CPC Central Committee, a meeting celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China will be held in Shanghai in the name of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

2. Launching the Inauguration of the Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China & the Opening Ceremony of the Theme Exhibition

The Inauguration of the Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China & the Opening Ceremony of the Exhibition titled “Great Beginning – An Exhibition of the Founding History of the Communist Party of China” will be held before July 1.

3. Carrying out Party history learning and education and promoting the education on the history of the Party, the new China, reform and opening-up, and socialist development

Closely centering around the main task of studying, publicizing and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, and in combination with the consolidation and deepening of educational achievements on the theme of “staying true to our original aspiration and keeping our mission firmly in mind”, we should make further progress in Party history learning and education and promote the education on the history of the Party, the new China, reform and opening-up, and socialist development; implement the people-oriented programs; drive the development of the cause to make new advances; and guide Party members and the masses across the city to learn the Party’s history, so as to gain experience and draw lessons, boost confidence, and honor virtues as we continue the quest.

4. Driving action on the protection and utilization of red resources

Prior to July 1, the Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on the Inheritance, Promotion, Protection and Utilization of Red Resources will be enacted to better protect red resources and pass down the red gene by stepping up legal protection. And the construction or facelift of “one hall and five sties” and other important halls and old sites will be completed.

“One hall” refers to the above-mentioned Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It has been completed and the move-in efforts are under way. The hall will officially open by July 1.

“Five sites” stands for five important revolutionary sites, namely, the former site of the Preparation Office of the First National Congress of the CPC (Editorial Department of New Youth magazine), the former site of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (1928-1931), the former site of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee (File Review Division), and the former site of the Special Operations Division of the CPC Central Committee, all of which have been renovated (among which the first two have been reopened), as well as the former site and memorial of the CPC Central Military Commission, which has been completed and opened.

In addition, “The Communist Manifesto” exhibition hall has been completed and opened, the Memorial of the Second National Congress of the Communist Party of China has been renovated and reopened, and the renovations of the Memorial of the Fourth National Congress of the Communist Party of China are in progress smoothly. The work of having tablets or plates erected outside the buildings of the first 48 historic sites is about to complete.

In the near future, the following launches are about to start: the Shanghai Red Cultural Map (2021 Edition); and “Hongtu”, an information application platform concerning red cultural resources in Shanghai on the “Xuexi Qiangguo” (literally ‘Study and strengthen the nation’ or ‘Study the powerful nation’) app, where nearly 400 red resources and 147 patriotic education bases across the city will be presented in a panoramic view, enabling the unified management of red cultural resources via one website, access to red cultural applications via one website, one-stop service for red cultural carriers, and one-stop sharing of red cultural information.

5. Convening theoretical seminars and symposiums

Concurrent with the Third “Forum on Staying True to the Mission”, a seminar aiming to learn, publicize and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a new era and a high-level forum on Party history learning and education have been launched in collaboration with the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China. Alongside these events, a theoretical seminar on the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, the fifth academic seminar on “the founding of the Communist Party of China and Shanghai” and other events have been held.

6. Doing a good job at selections and commendations as well as learning from and publicity of advanced models

Under the uniform deployment of the central government, we cooperate with the awarding of the “July 1st Medal”, the selection and commendation of excellent Party members or Party workers and advanced grass-roots organizations (both nationwide and in Shanghai), and the awarding of souvenir medals for recognizing excellent Party members who have joined the CPC for 50 years or more. Also, we are carrying out the activities of learning from and publicity of “three 100 luminaries” (i.e. 100 outstanding revolutionary heroes, 100 outstanding construction models, and 100 outstanding vanguards of the times), national moral models, models of the times, and “most beautiful people” throughout the country.

7. Holding theatrical performances

We will launch a theatrical performance in Shanghai to mark the centenary of the CPC’s founding, and organize city-wide art troupes to carry out thematic theatrical performances. In the first half of the year, the “Red Classic Repertoire Performance Season” and “New Stage Literary Works Performance Season” have been launched, with a total of 27 repertoires staged in 54 performances. Throughout this year, the city’s 18 municipal state-owned art troupes and 3 district-level state-owned art troupes will be launching 413 performances around the theme of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party, including 156 in “five new towns” and at the grass-roots. At the same time, guidance is being provided for carrying out wide cross-sections of mass cultural performances at the grass-roots.

8. Creating and launching themed literary works and publications

To mark the centenary of the founding of the Party, Shanghai launched the program of introducing a hundred excellent, original literary works in five years at the time of celebrating the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Party. This year marks the last year for the program. Centering on the themes of “100th anniversary of the founding of the communist party of China” and “finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects”, we plan to launch 52 key literary and artistic creation projects in two batches, including 9 movies such as 1921, Wangdao and Big City, High Buildings; 11 TV plays such as Medal of the Republic, The Glory and the Dream and Responsibility for a Great Power; 20 dramatic productions such as The Deep Love, Ode to a Hundred Years and Morning Bells; 3 literary works such as A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains; 4 documentaries such as Ideal Shines on China; and radio plays, songs, fine arts and other projects, covering various art categories.

Furthermore, for the “Birthplace of the Communist Party of China” themed publishing project, 124 theoretical readings, document compilations and literary works have published. It is expected that 10 series of books about the forging ahead of the Communist Party of China over the past 100 years, Delivering Satisfied Results to the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China, A Record of Outstanding Communist Party Members in Shanghai and other thematic publications will go to market by July 1st.

9. Carrying out visit and condolence activities

Before July 1st, we will organize activities of visit or condolence to Party members who have ever been honored for meritorious deeds within the Party, hard-pressed Party members, veteran Party members, veteran cadres and family members of martyrs, family members of the Party members who died in the line of duty, and various advanced models such as models of the times and national moral models.

10. Carrying out mass publicity and education activities on the theme of “Following the Communist Party of China Forever”

Combining Party history learning and education as well as the promotion of education on the history of the Party, the new China, reform and opening-up, and socialist development, we are deeply implementing the red cultural inheritance and promotion program titled the “Birthplace of the Communist Party of China”. Focusing on the theme of “Following the Communist Party of China Forever”, we are organizing and carrying out seven types of publicity and education activities, that is, the “Party flag flying high at the grassroots level”, taking an oath of admission and reviewing the admission oath of the CPC, broadcast exhibitions of excellent Party classes, learning experience, theme presentations, teenagers’ heart to the Party, and mass cultural activities.

136 key programs of the mass publicity and education activities themed “Following the Communist Party of China Forever” held in Shanghai have been recently released to the public (including the theme activity “Party Classes Start”, the series of publicity activities “Tell the Post-00s Generation about the Communist Party of China”, and Shanghai Workers’ Visits to Red Culture). A strong social atmosphere featuring “the Party’s grand ceremony and the people’s festival” is created through the extensive participation of a broad number of Party members, leaders and the masses.

11. Organizing special exhibitions and red tourism

By pooling together various red resources such as archives, art galleries, museums, memorials and more in the city, we hold an exhibition of 100 precious red archives in 100 years since the founding of the CPC, an exhibition of fine art works celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Party, an joint exhibition of revolutionary cultural relics and red artworks collected in the museum to mark the the centenary of the founding of the Party and other exhibitions. What’s more, we also continue to launch classic red tourism routes, organize the memorials of the first, second, and fourth national congresses of the Communist Party of China to jointly create a national 5A-class tourist attraction, and launch special red tourism routes. At the same time, we are active in promoting the coordinated development of red tourism in the Yangtze River Delta.

In terms of the management and implementation of celebration activities, Shanghai will focus on six work requirements.

First, stick to the right path. In Shanghai, we are firmly on aligning with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and widely sing an ode to the overarching themes of the times around the Communist Party of China, socialism, reform and opening-up, the great motherland, and the people of all ethnic groups.

Secondly, highlight ideological connotation. By combining the celebrations with studying, publicizing and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and with adhering to the spirit of the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspection of Shanghai and the spirit of the important speech made at the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Pudong’s Development and Opening-up, we educate and guide leaders and the public at large to remain confident and determined to follow the Party on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Thirdly, mobilize the public at large extensively. By combining the plans of the central government with the actual situations of Shanghai, we empower the elements of the times and Shanghai’s characteristics, and maximize the enthusiasm of the masses to participate in activities. In response to adolescent needs, we design and carry out educational activities in line with their characteristics.

Fourthly, further improve the people’s wellbeing. We deliver on the important concept that “the people’s city is built by the people and for them”, accelerate the modernization of the urban governance system and governance capabilities, improve basic public services, and keep ensuring a better life for the people.

Fifthly, create a strong atmosphere. Under the uniform deployment of the central government, we take an coordinated approach for domestic and international communication, both online and offline, cover celebrations in a progressive way throughout the year, and make good use of party flags, national flags, theme indexing, catch-phrases and others to carefully decorate the public environment.

Sixthly, strengthen organizational leadership. We put the planning requirements of the central government fully into effect, and strictly implement the eight-point regulation issued by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the spirit of its implementation rules. Efforts are made to prevent formalism, avoid extravagance and waste, firmly establish safety awareness, and orchestrate pandemic prevention and control and celebration activities to ensure secure, orderly, pragmatic and frugal, grand and warm celebrations.