Quintessential shikumen buildings woven into the fabric of modern Chinese history

Editor’s note:

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was Shanghai. Once dubbed "the Paris of the East,” the city has evolved into a fusion of multiculturalism. Along the way, Shanghai has accumulated a repository of stories about the people and events that have shaped its history. Five areas of the city occupy pride of place in that journey: People’s Square, Jing’an Temple, Xujiahui, Lujiazui and Xintiandi. This series, a collaboration with Shanghai Local Chronicles Library, visits them all to follow in the footsteps of time.

Shanghai’s shikumen houses — the stone-gated buildings so iconic of the city’s architectural past — were the cradle of the Communist Party of China. Today, they are revered for the role they played in a pivotal moment of China’s 20th century history.

These residences, set amid high-walled, narrow lanes in what was the French Concession, provided the necessary blend of security, privacy and discretion for early revolutionary activities.

At Shude Lane, on what is now called Xingye Road, the First National Congress of the Party convened in July 1921.

The clandestine gathering brought together 13 delegates from across China, including future leaders like Mao Zedong. They met in secret, away from the eyes of the prevailing Kuomintang authorities and the public.

The meetings began at the home of Li Hanjun and his brother, Li Shucheng. The congress met here on July 23-30 that year to establish the framework for a new Party, debating key issues such as its name, goals and structure.

However, during the sixth session of the congress, a suspicious figure intruded, likely a spy. The delegates quickly dispersed, relocating to another shikumen lane before security concerns sent them to a houseboat on a lake in Zhejiang Province, where they concluded their meeting.

Despite the disruptions, the congress adopted its first program and defined its mission of achieving socialism and Communism in China.

At Yanqing Lane, on present-day Taicang Road, Bowen Girls’ School served as a temporary residence for several delegates during the congress. Tucked away from public sight, the school housed nine delegates, including Mao, who lodged there under the guise of a summer study group from Peking University.

Nearby Sanyi Lane, also on Taicang Road, played a critical role in the intellectual and revolutionary activities leading up to the Party’s founding. The lane was home to key figures in the early revolutionary movement, who gathered around progressive publications like “Minguo Daily” and “The Weekly Review.”

The publications were central to spreading Marxist ideas and advocating social and political reforms in China. The discussions and writings that emerged from Sanyi Lane contributed to the Party’s ideological foundation.

Chengyu Lane hosted the printing site of the first Chinese translation of “The Communist Manifesto” by Marx and Engels. Translated by Chen Wangdao in 1920, it provided a blueprint for China’s Communist Party and became a vital inspirational text for its early members.

Old Yuyang Lane on Nanchang Road was another key site in the early days of the Party. A shikumen house there served as both the residence and workplace of Chen Duxiu, one of the Party’s founders.

Chen, who lived at the site from April 1920 to October 1922, organized the first Communist group in Shanghai. The house became a central meeting place for early Party members and served as the headquarters of the Party’s central organs.

One of the significant activities organized there was China’s first large-scale celebration of International Workers’ Day in May 1920. Chen and other activists organized a rally attended by thousands of workers, marking a new level of organization and visibility for the Chinese labor movement.

Nearby New Yuyang Lane was where the Party established its first school to train young revolutionaries.

Founded in September 1920 and code-named the “Foreign Language Institute,” the venue prepared Party members and activists for leadership roles, focusing on Russian and Marxist theory. The training received there equipped figures like Liu Shaoqi and Ren Bishi with the necessary skills to lead the Party in its formative years.

Shikumen houses for these revolutionary activities were strategically important. Their enclosed design, with high walls and narrow alleys, provided security, making it difficult for outsiders to observe or enter unnoticed.

These houses often had multiple exits, allowing for quick escapes during police raids. The location within the French Concession, under foreign jurisdiction, offered an added layer of protection, complicating efforts by Chinese authorities to intervene.

Shikumen houses were also financially practical for the cash-strapped revolutionaries. They were more affordable than larger Western-style houses in the area and could be rented or shared among several individuals, fostering a collaborative environment.

Today, the legacy of these shikumen houses is preserved at the Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

The museum, expanded and renovated, officially opened to the public in June 2021. It includes the former site of the congress and nearby Bowen school, carefully restored using traditional techniques and modern technology.

A new memorial building at the site, designed to blend with the surrounding shikumen architecture, has the capacity to host more than a million visitors a year. For many Chinese, a trip there is a pilgrimage of pride.

The memorial offers a comprehensive view of the Party’s early history and the revolutionary activities that took place in these iconic shikumen houses.