Here burns the starlight - The founding of the CCP and the Central Committee of the CCP in Shanghai

Author: Ni Xingxiang, Lu Miqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: In November 1920, the Communist Party of China (CPC) formulated the "Manifesto of the Communist Party of China" for internal study among party members, stipulating that members must believe in the theory of the dictatorship of the proletariat. That winter, the Beijing CPC organization also held a meeting, referring to the "Manifesto" of the Shanghai CPC organization to discuss the party's program. At that time, Zhang Shenfu had already gone to teach at the University of Lyon in France, and there were not many early party members. To carry out work, it was necessary to expand the organization, so the CPC early organization admitted Deng Zhongxia, Gao Junyu, He Mengxiong, Miao Boying, Zhu Wushan, Fan Hongjie, Li Jun, and Zhang Tailai, among others, who were key members of the Socialist Youth League and the Research Society of Marxist Thought.
In late January 1921, the Beijing CPC organization held a meeting and decided to name it the "Beijing Branch of the Communist Party of China," electing Li Dazhao as the secretary and Zhang Guotao as the head of organizational work, with Luo Zhanglong responsible for publicity. The party's work began to proceed smoothly.
The early CPC organization in Wuhan was initially initiated by Dong Biwu and Liu Bochui. Dong Biwu began to come into contact with Marxism after arriving in Shanghai in 1919. At that time, Dong Biwu lived in the Huxi Road French Concession in Shanghai, within the Hubei Shanghai Association, a local organization for Hubei natives, and lived very close to his Hubei compatriot Li Hanjun. They met almost every day and often discussed social reform. Li Hanjun introduced Dong Biwu to works translated from Japanese, such as "An Introduction to Marxism," and the situation of the October Revolution in Russia. Dong Biwu also frequently read progressive magazines like "New Youth" and gradually developed a strong interest in Marxism, studying and researching it seriously.
In the summer of 1919, Chen Tanshou graduated from the National Wuchang Normal School and, as a member of the Wuhan student observation group, traveled to Nanjing and Shanghai for sightseeing. In Shanghai, he met Dong Biwu and, after becoming acquainted, they decided to return to Wuhan together to establish a school, a newspaper, and to mobilize the masses and carry out revolutionary activities. In August, they returned to Wuhan one after another, but due to difficulties in raising funds, they failed to establish a newspaper.
In the spring of 1920, overcoming numerous challenges, Dong Biwu and Chen Tanshou finally opened Wuhan Middle School at Han San Gong Street in Wuchang. Dong Biwu served as a school director and personally taught Chinese literature, lecturing on vernacular literature. Chen Tanshou taught English and served as the head teacher of Class E. Wuhan Middle School gradually became an important base in Wuhan for promoting new culture, Marxism, cultivating revolutionary talents, and carrying out revolutionary activities.