City Hosts China’s First Constitution Museum

People visit the Constitution Exhibition Hall that opened last week in Hangzhou. — Xinhua

IT was in Hangzhou that the first draft of the constitution of the People’s Republic of China was written. Formulated over a period of 77 days in the city by Chairman Mao Zedong and a committee of elected drafters, the document was issued in 1954 and is often referred to as the West Lake Draft.

Now, the former building where Mao and the committee worked has been turned into the Constitution Exhibition Hall, a new museum that officially opened to the public last week. It is the first constitution-themed museum in the country, and aims to boost constitutional awareness in Hangzhou.

During preparation work on the museum, central and local archives offered a wealth of precious historical materials. Some citizens also stepped forward to provide old photographs. Today, more than 3,000 historical documents and objects are on display for the first time, giving visitors a glimpse into the background and development of the present-day constitution.

The exhibits are divided into two sections. The first section recreates the original appearance of Mao’s bedroom, office, reception and meeting rooms during the drafting process.

The highlight is Mao’s office, in which all of the desks, tables, bookcases and cabinets are the original items used by him. These pieces are all set according to their former arrangement. Piles of constitutional books that Mao browsed during the drafting period are arranged as they were in the 1960s.

The other section of the exhibition hall mainly focuses on how the constitution was conceived and developed over time. This area includes six parts, divided by historical period.

The Hundred Days’ Reform in 1898 started the constitutionalism movement in modern China. However, its development suffered a number of setbacks over the following half century.

The Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China (1912-1949) issued by Sun Yet-sen in 1912 marked a major step toward progress. Nevertheless, its impact was limited. Later, a number of powers and factions stepped forward to role out their own constitutions, many of which were used to cover their counter-revolutionary activities.

It wasn’t until the foundation of People’s Republic of China in 1949 that a new constitutional era began. The new central government announced plans to draft a constitution in 1953 and then established a drafting committee comprised of 33 elected individuals.

As the exhibits showcased, the draft was revised several times during the 77 days in Hangzhou. The committee exchanged letters with the central government day and night, and many of these correspondences have been preserved for posterity.

From March to September in 1954, the draft committee had nine meetings and the central People’s government commission had three sessions to solicit opinions from the public in order to improve the constitution.

At the time, more than 150 million people participated in the discussion and offered nearly 1.18 million suggestions and questions until the draft was finalized.

On September 20, the constitution was passed with 1,197 attending deputies concurring during the first session of the National People’s Congress in 1954.

The constitution received widespread recognition and respect following its announcement.

In 1982 when China had already launched its reform and opening up policy, the constitution was brought back on track during the fifth session of the Fifth National People’s Congress. It drew on experience from the previous 30 years of constitutional development and was amended on the basis of the 1954 version.

The constitution was amended again in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004 to accord with the changing times and guarantee its authority and stability.

Address: 62 Beishan Rd

Admission: Free (visitors should take their own identity cards)