Shanghai Federation of Social Science Associations hosts “Why Marxism Works” series of events
This year marks the 205th anniversary of the birth and the 140th anniversary of the passing of Karl Marx. On March 14th, Shanghai Federation of Social Science Associations hosted the opening ceremony of “Why Marxism Works” series of events at Shanghai Social Science Museum.
The opening ceremony mainly consisted of the unveiling of three exhibitions, the release of a series of books, and the signing of a base.
The first exhibition was titled “Greetings from Trier: Exhibition on the Life and Works of Karl Marx”.
The second exhibition was titled “Awakening the World with the Crow of the Rooster: Early Dissemination of Marxism in China". Co-hosted by Shanghai Federation of Social Science Associations and the Memorial Museum of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, this exhibition adopted a unique layout that integrated exhibition content with scholarly study sessions. Divided into five sections—"Quest for Truth", "Historical Choices", "Renewed Vigor", "Challenging Years" and "Source of Vitality"—the exhibition presented the historical trajectory of the translation, publication, and dissemination of Marxist classics in China from the first mention of Marx and Engels’ names in the Globe Magazine in 1899 to the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
The third exhibition was titled “Centennial Editions of CPC Journals Exhibition”. Under the guidance of the China Periodicals Association, this exhibition was hosted by Shanghai Federation of Social Science Associations and co-hosted by Shanghai Periodicals Association. The exhibition showcased 102 inaugural issues of CPC (Communist Party of China) journals from New Youth, the very first of its kind, to the present day. Among them, 79 originals, including those of New Youth, were displayed, while the rest were replicas made in 1954, and even those replicas are now classified as rare editions. It was noted that the version of Youth Magazine (the original name of New Youth) on display was exceptionally well-preserved, making it a highlight of the CPC journal exhibition. Additionally, visitors had the opportunity to experience silk screen-printing technology and create their own version of the inaugural issue of New Youth on-site.
The three exhibitions powerfully present the process of sinicization and modernization of Marxism in China, showcasing the glorious historical journey of integrating the fundamental principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and splendid cultural traditions.
During the opening ceremony, a 5-volume series of books: Research on the History of Socialist Development was unveiled. This series, co-published by Shanghai Federation of Social Science Associations, Shanghai Association for Science of Socialism, and Shanghai People's Publishing House, is based on the 500-year history of socialism and the experiences it embodies. It has addressed key questions in the history of socialist development from the five dimensions of socialist theory, movement, system, goal, and path, providing insights into why socialism emerged, how it has developed, how it was achieved, how it could experience revival, and how it influenced the world.
In addition, Shanghai Social Science Center, affiliated with Shanghai Social Science Museum, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement on “ideological engagement teaching” with the first batch of 14 universities including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, and East China Normal University etc. This marks the official launch of the construction, at Shanghai Social Science Museum, of the on-site teaching base for “ideological engagement teachers”.
