“Carrying Forward the Red Legacy and Upholding Responsibility and Commitment” Thematic Party Day Activity

Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Housing Architectural Design Institute Co., Ltd. First Branch Committee, October 30, 2024

To further implement and advance the Party-building initiatives laid out by the company’s Party Committee and to thoroughly study and apply the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, on the morning of October 30, 2024, the First Party Branch of Shangfang Courtyard organized a themed Party Day activity entitled “Carrying Forward the Red Legacy and Upholding Responsibility and Commitment.” The branch mobilized its members to visit and study at the Historical Exhibition Hall of the Shanghai Western Workers’ Half-Day School and the Gu Zhenghong Memorial Hall. Through this themed Party Day activity, the branch sought to consolidate the outcomes of regular thematic education and ensure that every Party member remains deeply mindful of history, stays true to their original aspirations, and courageously assumes responsibility and fulfills their duties.

The Historical Exhibition Hall of the Shanghai West Workers’ Half-Day School, located on the southern bank of the Suzhou River, is a multifunctional, specialized red-culture venue that integrates collection, research, exhibition, education, and tourism. Our company undertook the restoration and design in 2019; the hall opened on June 21, 2021, was designated as one of the first batch of National Patriotic Education Bases for Employees on November 13 of the same year, and was rated as a National AAA-rated Tourist Attraction on October 9, 2022. The hall comprises four exhibition areas: “A Fiery Prologue,” “A Momentous Beginning,” “A Glorious Journey,” and “The Enduring Spark.” It faithfully recreates the classrooms, offices, dormitories, and other spaces of the original Shanghai West Workers’ Half-Day School. Visitors can not only learn about the school’s founding history but also immerse themselves in the teaching environment and living conditions of that era.

Shanghai was one of the regions in modern China where industrial workers were most concentrated, and Putuo District was among the principal hubs for this workforce, earning the nickname “Red West Shanghai.” In the autumn of 1920, Li Qihan, a member of the founding group of the Communist Party of China, came to Xiaoshadu—now part of Putuo District, the area with the highest concentration of Shanghai’s textile workers—and established a workers’ school. Because classes were held in morning and evening shifts to accommodate the workers’ schedules, the institution was known as the “Half-Day School,” making it the first workers’ school in the country founded by an early CPC organization.

As one steps into the exhibition hall, the very air seems to be imbued with the spirit of history. The precious historical materials on display, along with each room and each building, seem to tell the story of how the working class in the past tirelessly strove to acquire knowledge and to change their fate. Though the classroom facilities were simple and rudimentary, they nonetheless bore witness to the workers’ ardent pursuit of enlightenment. The Historical Exhibition Hall of the Shanghai West Workers’ Half-Day School holds great significance for research into the early workers’ movement of the Communist Party of China, the spread of Marxism in China, and the awakening of the Chinese working class.

The Gu Zhenghong Memorial Hall, located at No. 300 Aomen Road, was designated as one of the first batch of National Patriotic Education Bases for Employees on November 13, 2021, and was rated a National AAA-rated Tourist Attraction on October 9, 2022. The memorial complex comprises a memorial square, a memorial hall, and the site where martyr Gu Zhenghong died in the line of duty. The memorial hall spans two floors and employs a variety of display methods to provide a comprehensive overview of martyr Gu Zhenghong’s life and achievements, as well as the momentous historical event known as the May 30th Movement.

Gu Zhenghong was born in 1905 and was a pioneering fighter in the Chinese workers’ movement. From a young age, he devoted himself to the labor movement, fearlessly confronting the oppression of the enemy and, with unwavering conviction and fearless courage, fighting for the rights and interests of his fellow workers. Tragically, he was martyred in the course of this struggle, igniting the anti-imperialist fury of Shanghai’s workers and serving as the spark that ignited the May 30th Movement.

The exhibition is divided into five sections: “Years of Suffering, Awakening and Growth, Anti-Imperialist Uprising, Blazing Flames, and Eternal Remembrance.” These aged yet powerfully evocative historical relics and photographs bring the heroic deeds of our revolutionary forebears vividly to life. Their unwavering faith and fearless spirit in the face of hardship serve as beacons, guiding us and illuminating the path ahead for countless others.

The Gu Zhenghong Memorial Hall serves as an important venue for people to learn about the history of the Chinese workers’ movement and to commemorate the revolutionary martyrs, playing a significant role in promoting patriotic spirit and carrying forward revolutionary traditions.

This themed Party Day activity enabled Party members to gain a profound appreciation of the hardships and greatness of our working-class forebears, who wrote history with their passion and lives, teaching us that a happy life is hard-won. As Party members, we must not only remember history but also infuse the spirit of our predecessors into our daily work and personal lives. We should earnestly translate the outcomes of our study into a powerful driving force for advancing all our tasks, remain ever vigilant, and proactively address various risks and challenges. Through this activity, we have gained a clearer sense of our mission: to dedicate ourselves with greater enthusiasm and unwavering conviction to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.