Expanded CPC memorial hall opens

Some exhibits have been donated by the public. Among them is a logbook recording the duties of the Chinese military before Shanghai's liberation in May 1949, and relevant policies after the liberation. The logbook was donated this year by Liu Shaling, a Shanghai resident.

"I found it when I sorted out the belongings of my late parents. I hope it will be useful in teaching the new generations to inherit the revolutionary spirit of the Party and to understand the country's history," said Liu, who served as deputy Party secretary, from 1992 to 2004, of the previous Memorial for the Site of the First Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Technology is used in the hall to create a better visitor experience, according to Hu Xiaoyun, chief designer of the exhibition.

A sand table of over 20 square meters presents a miniature landscape model of Shanghai in the 1920s, showcasing local landmarks related to the Party's growth from 1921 to 1933 through multimedia.

The whole meeting process of the First National Congress of the CPC in 1921 is displayed in a 300 sq m space in the hall, through holographic projection and "naked-eye" 3D technology.

One of the decoration highlights is a 3-meter-long, 7-meter-high oil painting, which depicts the first group of 58 Party members in China striding forward.

"We did research on every Party member's life including their profession before the founding of the Party. These factors are taken into account in their clothing styles and appearance in the artwork. Overall, they are marching in firm steps, as they had the motivation and confidence to change the country," said Chen Shudong, one of the painters of the work and a member of the Chinese Artists Association.