Former university site brings history to life

Textbooks have long told the story of how Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto while in exile in Brussels at a window-side table to the left of the entrance at the Grand Place's Swan Cafe.

Today, that iconic scene has been re-created in an exhibition in Beijing, inside the former Sino-French University in Dongcheng district. This distinctive building combines a Western-style structure with a traditional Chinese tiled roof.

Founded in the 1920s amid the movement to send Chinese students to France to study and work, the Sino-French University nurtured generations of students with patriotic convictions and progressive ideas. Many of its alums later became prominent figures in China's cultural and educational sectors during the early years of the People's Republic of China, founded in 1949.

A century later, the former university site has retained much of its original character. Its teaching buildings, auditorium, library, and other facilities remain largely intact.

In keeping with the principle of preserving cultural relics in their original form, the former Sino-French University underwent restoration and renovation before officially opening to the public on Oct 1, 2021. Today, the auditorium and teaching building house two exhibitions: the Special Exhibition on the Early Dissemination of Marxism in China and the Special Exhibition on the Glorious Journey of the Localization of Marxism in China.

Combining re-created historical scenes with immersive reading experiences and multimedia presentations, the exhibitions offer a comprehensive account of how Marxism was introduced to, disseminated, and developed in China.

Wei Binbin, head of the Publicity Department of the Party Committee of Beijing Jingyi Group, which is responsible for the site, said that since opening to the public, it has received more than 200,000 visitors, including more than 1,000 organized groups. During summer vacation, it also hosts educational programs for students, allowing them to learn about revolutionary history through the exhibitions and take part in traditional handicrafts.

As a witness to the spread of Marxism in China, the former site of the Sino-French University has found a new role today. Through its exhibitions and immersive experiences, the century-old place of learning is bringing its history to a new generation.