GREAT TRIP TO SHANGHAI
About the author
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Seleman Yusuph Mwenda, is a 2nd year Tanzania postgraduate student, pursuing masters degree in rural development and management studies at the college of humanities and development studies. |
From 2nd to 6th July, 2018 I had a privilege of visiting the city of Shanghai and Hangzhou. While at Shanghai i visited the founding site of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and learn massive history of Chinese administrations and political endeavors.
I attended various public lectures, meetings and conferences, and managed to meet numerous numbers of profound people leaders, elites, professionals and had fruitful exchange on the cause of China development, whom mostly put forward that to understand modern Chinese society and revolution, I should first get the drift of CPC, still it was inadequate to understand enough, couldn’t quench my thirst by visiting Tiananmen square and Forbidden City. My supervisor, Professor Li Xiaoyun once commented “It takes a great deal of effort to know China but just visiting a place or two isn’t really enough”, until then, I understood that I was obliged to travel and witness what has been expressed to me on words. I wanted to explore more.
Perhaps, that’s what took me to Shikumen buildings located in Xintiandi, on Xingye and Huangpi Nan Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai. On my quest and desire to understand how a country that has 9.6 million square kilometers of land, 56 ethnic groups and a total of 1.4 billion people living together in harmony with high degree of religious and cults tolerance, unimaginable magnitude of political stability and diversified economic progressions. Unlike any other vast majority of the civilization in the world, China has unique political system and its leadership has been simpler, without turbulence and convulsion. I have been curious and inquisitive on how can one govern such a big, populous, complicated and cultural diversified country, so much smoothly and functional.
As it was on 3rd July exactly, the place was crowded, party cadres, students, normal Chinese citizens and tourists from various part of the world were visiting the place. It’s during that week, on 1st July to be precise; Communist Party of China turns 97. The First Congress took place on July 23, but for simplicity’s sake July 1 has become the anniversary on which the CPC is celebrated. Besides long queue (but attended and well-organized), it was relatively easy to get in (no need for passport, or rather unnecessary paperwork). There was x-ray screening at entrance and quite a good number of police officers as well.
Inside the building, looking at the pictures, relics and mementos carved on a big wall just after the entrance were the faces of those who attended "the first" party congress; then on the second floor are life-sized models of those people sitting around a table like in a meeting; there was a display of the detailed basic information of the founding of the party, sets out briefly the background to the establishment of the party including the hundred years of humiliation by foreign powers. There are brief biographies of the main players and photographs of the young Mao. I was positively surprised that all the information (who joined, who left, what happened) played in the museum openly. Interestingly, I grasped what happened and who where there.
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The author posed in front of carved faces of thirteen delegates attended first party Congress
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And on the way out are some small old-furnished rooms appears just as they were when those founding members of the party came over for congress, one of it has digital board that people signs and leave messages to be displayed, I did that too, left a message in Swahili “Itafuteni elimu, hata ikiwa ni China” translated “Seek for knowledge, even if from far, China”.
Events in that building shaped the modern China, significantly the 23rd July 1921 thirteen people’s meeting. The world has a lot to learn from what happened that day, its ONLY 13 YOUNGMEN sacrificed, ambitious, and visional who were true to their cause, led the Chinese people through hard and tortuous struggles which gained the great victory, they put a halt to colonial exploitation and suppression. 13 YOUNGMEN, who instill in their people a hope for success, confidence and a belief in themselves, their actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become phenomenal to the 21st Century World.
It appears to my attention that before introduction of Communist Party of China, there was vibrant youth group well-organized established the association which gave impetus to the first upsurge of the workers' movement and they were the one championed and advocated for political party and struggle for the liberation. They printed and distributed “The Journal of the Young China Association” that carries the messages to encourage the struggles, later it was developed and turned to a monthly magazine of Communist Party.
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| The picture of journal distributed in support of youth movements |
This Chinese history tells us young people from Africa, the wealthiest continent with poorest people and youngsters all over the world that its upon us to bright about propensity and put to an end the misery of poverty, ignorance and underdevelopment. This is possible only if we remained focused, modest and prudent, working hard and forge ahead with determination to achieve honored victories in realizing a moderately prosperous society in all aspects of life. To make tremendous changes, one doesn’t need an army with sophisticated weapons and tactics, the CPC story taught us that changes can began just with few devoted individuals or just single person.
I was learned that for any society to break out of poverty, oppression and suppression, it needs strong political institutions. Let it be a political parties or civil societies. Contemporary writers acclaimed that Modern Chinese history well indicates that without the Communist Party, there would have been no New China; neither would there be China's socialism. Only with the leadership of the Communist Party of China can there be victory of the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics. Only with the leadership of the Party can the Chinese people have a brighter and more hopeful future. It’s estimated that, among all the role models from all walks of life, more than 85% of them are members of the CPC. They are the most outstanding part of the party and with what they have done, they provide vivid examples to illustrate that the CPC has no special interests of its own. CPC naturally puts the principle of serving the people at the heart, core principle of party building.
For one and a half or two years now, I have been observing the governance of China, with CPC at its core, I find it very unique compared with other ruling parties in the world, not only its commitment to Marxism and its purpose, but uniqueness lies on work style. One fine work style, in my view, is what named “integrating theory with practice”, maintaining close ties with the masses and practicing criticism and self-criticism as its essence. CPC is successful party, it achieved what most political parties in the world attempted to achieve, providing leadership.
CPC leads the state and society by formulating principles and policies, making legislative proposals, recommending cadres for important positions, conducting ideological publicity. Every time I switched on local channels on Television, it’s about achievement made by the state and the party, a fine maneuver of publicity.
I have learned in my way that, success needs sacrifices. The story of 13th founding member asserts the importance of giving up ones desires and interests for the sake of the society. Achieving great goals requires perseverance. Ultimately, selflessness leads to fearlessness and the courage to take on responsibilities, to carry out initiatives and to take the fall of it, the consequences.
One of display titled “concluding remarks” has these words; the founding of the Communist Party of China is an important event of milestone significance in the history of the Chinese nation. After the founding of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese nation embarked on a new journey on the road to its great rejuvenation.
Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: "Building a prosperous, democratic, civilized and harmonious modern socialist country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has been the greatest dream of the Chinese people since the Opium War, and is the highest interest and fundamental interest of the Chinese nation ". We believe that the Chinese people can certainly realized the great dream under the leadership of the great, glorious and correct Communist Party of China.
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The author and Professor Li Xiaoyun
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The site of the first Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai
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In my conclusion, I would say, the place is worth of a visit. It gives a good account of the historical moment. In any case, it was a good experience to be at this place of "historical significance" for the modern-day China. The site has been converted into a museum since 1961 and its free entry, I urge you all to visit and learn what happened, what is happening and I suppose you will grasp an ideal on where China is heading.
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