A thriving, cosmopolitan metropolis, Shanghai also has glorious revolutionary traditions, a history unknown to many foreigners.

In July 1921, the Communist Party of China was founded in Shanghai, launching a new era for both the country and the city.

In the subsequent 11 and a half years, Shanghai was considered the Communist revolution’s “gray matter,” until the provisional Politburo was relocated in 1933 to the Ruijin revolutionary base in Jiangxi Province.

During that time, the Party placed more than 30 headquarters, committees and other major organs in Shanghai, more than two-thirds of which were situated in Jing’an.

An exhibition chronicling the Party’s activities in Jing’an from 1921 to 1933 kicked off on July 1 at the Museum of the Second National Congress of the Communist Party of China, where the first Party constitution was drafted.

The exhibition is the first of its kind to lead people into the 25 sites related to early Party revolutionary activities. However, some didn’t survive World War II or the wrecking ball of urban renewal.

The exhibition covers Pengpu Town and 13 subdistricts, providing a front-row seat to Party history.

Former 625 Fudeli

(Bldg 30, 7 Laochengdu Rd N.)

This two-story shikumen (stone-gate) house was home to founding Party member Li Da, as well as the Party’s first headquarters, first secret depository of confidential documents and first secret publishing house.

Li and his wife Wang Huiwu moved to Fudeli in April 1921 shortly after they were married.

At that time, there were few remaining secret sites other than 625 Fudeli that survived police raids and were safe for underground meetings of Party members.

Comprised of rows of similar-looking shikumen buildings, it was a wealthy neighborhood near the former international settlement and French concession. Its upmarket veneer shielded the secret meetings.

On July 16, 1922, 12 Party delegates gathered in secret at Li’s house to attend the second national congress. Over eight days, they drafted the first Party constitution, consisting of six chapters and 4,000 words.

In a footnote to history, Chairman Mao Zedong failed to attend the meeting. He later told journalist Edgar Snow he had forgotten the exact address and couldn’t find anyone to tell him.

During the meeting, Wang held her newly born daughter and kept watch outside. She made a lasting contribution to the successful beginning of the first national congress. The meeting was initially held in Shanghai but was interrupted by police. As such, she proposed moving it to a boat on Nanhu Lake in her hometown of Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province.

Li’s residence, also serving as the provisional Politburo, was where Party correspondence and confidential documents were stored. Between July 1921 and June 1923, he kept nearly a million documents there.

In September 1921, Li established the People’s Publishing House here, which to this day is one of the most reputable publishers in China.

It started as a one-man workshop in a narrow space underneath the staircase of the house near the kitchen. He served as editor, proofreader and publisher.

To prevent the publication from being discovered by the ruling Kuomintang government,

Li printed a fake address and disguised Party propaganda leaflets as New Year’s cards. He painted “Happy New Year” on the front and Party slogans on the back. Whenever Li heard about a possible police raid, he hid the leaflets in a firewood pile.

Former 318 Jiaxiuli

(120 Maoming Rd N.)

This shikumen house was where Chairman Mao spent the majority of his time in Shanghai, from June to December of 1924, living with his family on the first floor.

It was common for Mao to work at his desk past midnight while his wife Yang Kaihui copied documents. His mother Xiang Zhenxi took care of Mao’s two young sons, Mao Anying and Mao Anqing.

While here, Yang and her two sons appeared in a photo, the only preserved photo of them. Mao wasn’t in the picture because he strictly followed Party rules that Party leaders couldn’t appear in photos.

It became his lifelong regret as Yang was killed in November 1930, so they never had the chance to take a family photo.

Former 1015 Jingyuanli

(Bldg 12, 613 Xinzha Rd)

This shikumen building witnessed a real-life cloak-and-dagger story.

By the end of 1928, Bai Xin, early Party leader Peng Pai’s secretary, was asked to rent the house as a spot for important Central Military Commission meetings, which was established in October 1925.

Peng lived and worked in an 8-square-meter garret, furnished with only a bed, table and two chairs, and a living room used by the commission to hold meetings.

However, Bai bore a grudge against Peng for having killed a deserter related to him. As such, he didn’t hesitate to betray Peng and tipped off the Kuomintang government about a secret meeting on August 24, 1929.

Armed police and soldiers broke into the house and arrested Peng and four others — Yang Yin, Yan Changyi, Xing Shizhen and Zhang Jichun.

Premier Zhou Enlai organized a rescue attempt, but the effort failed. Six days later, all but Zhang were killed at Longhua prison.

On November 11, 1929, the Party’s intelligence agency assassinated Bai.

Former 1141 Hengjili

(Bldg 4-10, 673 Jiangning Rd)

This shikumen building was used by the Party’s Secretariat to store classified documents from the end of 1927 until mid-1931.

Finding it unsafe for Party members to keep important documents, Premier Zhou Enlai suggested finding a place for Party leaders to read documents and attend meetings, because they weren’t allowed to take documents home.

Zhang Ji’en, under the pseudonym Huang Jici, rented the house in 1931. He lived with his wife Zhang Yuexia on the first floor and stored documents on the second floor.

Gu Shunzhang from the Party’s intelligence office was arrested by Kuomintang, and gave information leading to the arrest of many underground Party members. After learning about the situation, Zhou transferred Party leaders and important documents to other sites.

At 1am on June 23, police raided the house, found nothing but arrested the couple anyway. Zhang’s wife was soon released but he was sentenced to five years in jail.