July 23, 1921

1st National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party

First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party opens in Shanghai

The founding congress opened at night around an ordinary dining table, chaired by Zhang Guotao — while Chen Duxiu was not in the room.

Evening, 106 Rue Wantz

The First National Congress opened secretly on the evening of 23 July 1921 at 106 Rue Wantz in Shanghai's French Concession, now 76 Xingye Road — a plainly furnished shikumen residence belonging to Li Hanjun's family.

Zhang Guotao chaired. The opening session set an agenda, heard addresses from the Comintern representatives Henk Sneevliet and Nikolsky, and began hearing reports from the regional representatives.

Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao were absent; Chen was later elected secretary of the Central Bureau.

Small groups, admitted plainly

The Chinese participants came from communist groups in Shanghai, Beijing, Changsha, Wuhan, Jinan and Guangzhou, and from members studying in Japan. Mao Zedong attended as the Changsha representative, not as the meeting's leader.

The regional reports, which continued into the second day, emphasised how small each group's membership was, the need to recruit, and work among labourers through organisation and propaganda.

An official formulation says the congress represented more than 50 party members; totals of 53 and 57 also circulate, so an exact 57 should not be stated flatly.

Counts and dates that will not pin down

Sources alternate between 12 delegates and 13 Chinese participants, because Bao Huiseng's status — delegate, substitute or non-voting attendee — is unclear.

The closing date is not secure either. A later Shanghai session was interrupted by an intruder and a police search, most likely on 30 July on contemporary newspaper evidence, after which the final meeting was reconvened aboard a boat on South Lake at Jiaxing; 31 July is likely if that followed immediately, but participant recollections conflict and later accounts give August dates.

The party officially commemorates 1 July as its founding anniversary, though the documented congress opening was 23 July.

Sources

Researched 24 Aug 2026 6 sources not yet audited

How this was checked

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What the sources leave uncertain

The July 23 opening is well supported by a near-contemporary congress report and later documentary research.
The exact closing date is not secure. July 31 is likely if the South Lake meeting followed the July 30 disruption immediately, but participant recollections conflict and later accounts have also given August dates.
Sources alternate between 12 delegates and 13 Chinese participants because Bao Huiseng's status—as delegate, substitute or nonvoting attendee—is unclear.
Contemporary and later sources give different total party-membership figures, commonly “more than 50,” 53 or 57. An exact 57 should not be presented without qualification.