An evening gala is held at Shanxi Grand Theater in Taiyuan on June 30 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. [Photo by Shi Xiaobo for China Daily]

Party members look back upon centenary of history, development

Weeks before July 1, which marked the 100 anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, there were a number of events held throughout Shanxi province to celebrate the birthday of the CPC.

The latest was an evening gala held at Shanxi Grand Theater in Taiyuan on June 30. It was a combination of choruses, symphonies and dances performed by artists from across the province. The gala was attended by more than 500 people including local officials and representatives of Party members.

Prior to this event, celebrations in Shanxi included studies of the Party's history, massive gatherings, awards to model Party members, Party history exhibitions, artistic performances, symposiums and forums.

The Party committee of Fenjiu Group, a renowned liquor producer in Shanxi province, held a grand concert called Ode to Red Flag on June 22-23.

This was the highlight of a series of events in the company that started at the beginning of this year, which included seminars on the CPC history, symposiums and sports meetings.

Leaders of the company regard the history of the Party a source of inspiration for the company to innovate in its operations and a vital force to drive its high-quality growth.

Company statistics show that Fenjiu Group's business revenue reached 7.33 billion yuan ($1.13 billion) in the first quarter of this year, growing 77.03 percent from the same period of last year.

"The performance marked a good start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and represented a special gift to the CPC centennial celebrations," said an executive of the group.

Residents in Yuncheng hold up a huge Party flag to celebrate the birthday of the CPC. [Photo by Xue Jun for China Daily]

In the Fenghuang community in the city of Yuncheng, a calligraphy and painting exhibition has been held since early May.

Yang Jinlin, an official of the community, said the exhibition features works created by local residents.

One of the paintings, entitled Applying for Party Membership, was created by Chen Meizhen, a retired doctor in the community.

"The picture aims to depict the feelings of applicants like me when forwarding applications for Party membership,"Chen said.

Chen has been a Party member for decades. "But a retrospective to the day when I forwarded my Party membership application and the day when I made my oath upon joining the Party can always remind me to stay true to my mission," she said.

A national-flag-raising ceremony was held in the Xiluo Primary and Junior High School in Shouyang county. The flag was raised by the guards of honor of the local army and armed police force.

While sharing their knowledge about the Party and national defense, as well as their life stories, the army and armed police soldiers also donated books, teaching tools and physical training equipment to the school.

"We hope to foster patriotism among students by holding such activities," said Zhang Zhigang, an official of the local defense department, the organizer of the event.

June 8 was a big day for veteran Party members in Shanxi. Those who have been in the Party for more than 50 years were granted a special badge.

The "glorious 50 years in the Party" badge, granted by the local Party committees in Shanxi according to a decision made by the CPC Central Committee, is one of the highlights of the CPC centennial celebrations.

He Lei from Taiyuan, who is nearly 100 years old and has been in the Party for 82 years, was present at a badge-granting ceremony at the Shanxi CPC Committee along with 12 other old Party members.

He is among the oldest Party members in Shanxi. As a witness to the Party's development in more than eight decades, he has been an enthusiast on many occasions to publicize the CPC's history and promote the spirit of the Party.

Gao Xiaoyan, a Party member, said the veteran Party members like He are "living textbook" for the studies of the CPC's history. "While paying homage to these old Party members, we should learn from them on how to hold fast to our belief and better serve our people and our nation," Gao said.

Li Shu contributed to this story.