Former Site of the Work-Study Program in France

　　It is a two-story French-style building with a construction area of 251 square meters. Originally built as a residence for Guo Changtai, the head of the locomotive department of the Beijing-Hankou Railway Bureau, the building was repurposed after its completion in the summer of 1918. Through negotiations led by Cai Yuanpei and Li Shizeng of the Sino-French Educational Association, it was converted into classrooms for a preparatory class for the work-study program in France. This preparatory class, also known as the Changxindian Industrial Department of the Advanced French Language Specialized Institute, offered three specialized tracks: casting, mechanical engineering, and fitter skills. Students from across the country practiced a work-study model—studying the French language while acquiring production skills. Wu Yuzhang, a renowned Chinese educator and one of the key founders of the Work-Study Movement in France, studied French here while interning at the original Changxindian Locomotive Workshop. During the operation of the preparatory class, Mao Zedong, who was then leading the work-study movement in Hunan, visited twice to check on the Hunanese students.

　　In April 2001, the Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau invested 280,000 yuan in renovating the site. The main renovation work included restoring the main structure and repainting it, improving the surrounding environment, and refurbishing the courtyard. After the renovation, a “Work-Study Program in France Exhibition” was newly installed at the site. Featuring a wealth of photos and texts, the exhibition showcases this arduous chapter of our Party’s history and plays an active role in promoting historical awareness and educating future generations. Historical materials displayed at the site reveal that nearly 2,000 Chinese students traveled across the ocean to study in France before the end of 1920. Revolutionary veterans such as - , Cai Hesen, - , Chen Yi, Wang Ruofei, Liu Bojian, Xiang Jingyu, Li Fuchun, and Nie Rongzhen, along with other Chinese students who studied in France, are remembered through their former presence and precious historical records exhibited at the Former Site of the Work-Study Program in France in Changxindian.

　　[Location] No. 18, Deshanli, Changxindian

　　[Transportation] Bus routes 917, 964