Former Site Exhibition Hall of the Chinese Labor Union Secretariat

Former Site Exhibition Hall of the Chinese Labor Union Secretariat

The Former Site Exhibition Hall of the Chinese Labor Union Secretariat is a Shanghai municipal cultural heritage site and a patriotic education base.

As one of the “Red Origins,” the Chinese Labor Union Secretariat was the predecessor of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the first leading body of the labor movement under the Chinese Communist Party. It was established on August 11, 1921, and dissolved in May 1925 after the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. During this period, the Secretariat propagated Marxism-Leninism among workers, helped them organize trade unions, led struggles, and sparked the first upsurge of the labor movement, holding an important place in the history of the Chinese labor movement. In May 1959, the former site of the Chinese Labor Union Secretariat was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site in Shanghai, and it was re-designated on December 17, 1977.

In 1999, Jing’an District built the Former Site Exhibition Hall of the Chinese Labor Union Secretariat on the original site, which opened to the public on September 29 of the same year. In May 2005, the exhibition hall reopened after restoration funded jointly by the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions and the Jing’an District Government of Shanghai. The exhibition hall artistically recreates the history of the Chinese Labor Union Secretariat through relief sculptures, wax figures, scene restorations, and multimedia presentations, showcasing how it held meetings, printed revolutionary publications, operated night schools, and led the labor movement. It highlights the Secretariat’s immortal contributions to the liberation of the working class, including helping workers organize unions, initiating and leading labor struggles, and carrying out anti-imperialist and anti-warlord campaigns under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.

The building housing the former site of the Chinese Labor Union Secretariat was constructed in the first year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1909), originally a seven-bay structure used as office space for a silk factory. In the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920), it was renovated into several Shikumen-style houses and rented out as residences. When the Chinese Labor Union Secretariat was established, it rented one of these buildings. The ground floor served as a reception area, meeting room, and activity space, while the upper floor functioned as offices where Li Qihan lived. Shortly after the Secretariat was shut down, the property owner applied for its reopening through a lawyer. Later, the original site housed a printing factory and was merged with the neighboring building (No. 897), completely altering its architectural appearance. In 1958, the site was investigated and verified based on recollections and surveys by Dong Chuping, Li Da, Xu Zhixing (Xu Meikun), and Yao Tianyu, with final confirmation made through interviews with nearby residents. In 1992, the Jing’an District Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the District People’s Government preliminarily restored the original structure and arranged some interior furnishings, including a large dining table, round stools, long benches, and a gramophone downstairs, and a single bed, small square table, and mimeograph machine upstairs. All furnishings were reproduced according to their original styles. On September 28 of the same year, the site began receiving visitors after restoration. In the second half of 1993, the site was demolished to make way for the construction of the North-South Elevated Road. (As of early 2016, it was once again slated for demolition.)

Designated as a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Heritage Site on May 26, 1959.

Address: No. 3–7, Lane 893, North Chengdu Road, Jing’an District, Postal Code: 200042

Phone: 62157732 Fax: 62157732

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 AM–11:30 AM (last entry at 11:00 AM), 1:00 PM–4:30 PM (last entry at 4:00 PM); Closed on Mondays

Public Transport: Buses 15, 19, 21, 36, 64, 251, 933, 801, 921; Metro Line 1