Why is it called the "July 1st" Founding Day
The Founding Day falls on July 1st in the Gregorian calendar, so it is called the "July 1st" Founding Day.However, the Communist Party of China was founded on July 23, 1921, but the Founding Day is on July 1st, which was proposed by Comrade Mao Zedong in May 1938.
In early 1920, Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu, among others, began to discuss the issue of establishing the party. Cai Hesen, who was studying in France, explicitly proposed that a "Communist Party of China" should be established. With the help of representatives of the Comintern, advanced intellectuals in Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Changsha, and Jinan established early party organizations. Young students studying in France and Japan also established early party organizations.
On July 23, 1921, the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in Shanghai. The representatives from various regions who attended the meeting were: Li Da, Li Hanjun, Zhang Guotao, Liu Renjing, Mao Zedong, He Shuheng, Wang Jingmei, Deng Enming, Chen Tanqiu, Dong Biwu, Zhou Fohai, Chen Gongbo, and Bao Huiseng, who attended the meeting on behalf of Chen Duxiu. They represented more than 50 party members across the country. The Comintern representatives Martens and Nicolayevsky attended the meeting. During the meeting, suddenly, police from the French Concession entered the venue, forcing the meeting to be interrupted. As a result, the last day of the meeting was moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province. After discussion, the meeting passed the first program and resolution of the Communist Party of China and elected the party's leadership body - the Central Bureau. The First National Congress officially announced the establishment of the Communist Party of China.
When was the Founding Day established
The Founding Day was proposed in May 1938, setting July 1st as the memorial day for the Communist Party of China.Setting July 1st as the anniversary of the party's founding was proposed by Mao Zedong in May 1938. At that time, Mao mentioned in his article "On Protracted War": "This year, July 1st is the 17th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party." This was the first time that a central leader explicitly proposed that "July 1st" is the anniversary of the party's founding. Because at that time, only Mao Zedong and Dong Biwu, who had participated in the First National Congress, were still in Yan'an. They remembered that the First National Congress was held in July, but they could not recall the exact date. Due to the lack of archival materials, it was difficult to verify, so July 1st was determined as the anniversary of the party's founding.
The term "July 1st" as the anniversary of the party's founding first appeared in a central document in June 1941. At that time, the Central Committee issued an "Instruction on the 20th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party and the 4th Anniversary of the Anti-Japanese War." The Instruction stated: "This year, July 1st is the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party, and July 7th is the 4th anniversary of the Anti-Japanese War. All anti-Japanese bases should hold meetings separately, take various measures, and hold commemorations, and publish special issues or special editions in various publications." This was the first document issued by the Central Committee that designated "July 1st" as the anniversary of the party's founding for commemoration.
The opening date of the First National Congress was clarified by party historians at the end of the 1970s. According to newly discovered historical materials and research results, the date of the First National Congress was determined to be July 23, 1921.
