Editor's note: To mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on July 1, China Daily talked to four individuals and groups active in Party building in Shanghai, the birthplace of the CPC. The four are revitalizing grassroots Party building, and coming up with innovative ways to add fresh vibrancy to the city.
Coffee bean queen
Li Binbin's job is probably the envy of many people.
Every day, she walks over 10,000 steps around Shanghai's picturesque downtown plane tree area, centered around the iconic Wukang Building, visiting coffee shops that emit enticing aromas.
The 44-year-old is the Party secretary of the coffee industry branch in Xuhui district's Tianping subdistrict, home to one of the highest densities of coffee shops in the city.
In April 2024, the subdistrict launched an initiative to support the entrepreneurial dreams of returning overseas students and boost commercial coffee ventures. Li is responsible for liaising with 150 coffee shops spread across the 2.68-square-kilometer area, addressing their needs, and helping foster a vibrant coffee culture.
"I was originally a tea drinker, but I pushed myself to become a coffee expert to better connect with shop owners," said Li.
Before, the coffee shop owners had to navigate issues like power outages, water leaks, and equipment approvals on their own, dealing with various administrative departments. Now, the Party branch serves as a one-stop service center, efficiently resolving issues.
Yan Yafen, who runs BPC Coffee on Yongjia Road, said Li had helped her numerous times. During a typhoon last summer, for instance, her shop's sign was waterlogged. Li promptly arranged for repairs to keep the sign illuminated.
The Party branch's efforts have increased trust, encouraging more coffee shops to open in the area. Existing stores are expanding, and new ones are moving in. Li said the number of coffee shops before the Party branch's inception was 135. Now it has stayed at 150 for more than half a year.
While prioritizing political leadership and service cohesion, Li said she is also thinking of ideas to help the coffee shops attract more customers, turning "city walks" into "city shopping".
Ahead of the recent May Day holiday, the Party branch collaborated with the district's cultural and tourism bureau to partner with the influential restaurant review platform Dazhong Dianping. They launched a "spring coffee culture map" promoting three routes, which attracted over 100,000 page views.
This positive impact has led to thriving businesses giving back to the community."For instance, they took the initiative to fulfill small wishes of disadvantaged groups, buying new backpacks for children, and installing water heaters for the elderly in winter," Li said.
Inspired by Li's positive energy and reminded of her grandmother, a veteran Party member in her hometown in rural Hefei city, Anhui province, Chen Xiaohong, head chef at a cafe, decided to join the Party.
Chen, 42, said she used to independently organize charitable activities, like delivering mung bean soup to elderly neighbors in summer.
"With Li working here, we find more meaning in such activities. As members of society, we should actively participate in these small, heartwarming deeds, and I genuinely love this community," she said.
Piano teacher creates harmony
Fan Tianqian, a piano teacher whose students range in age from 3 to over 70, has been making waves not only in music education but also in community management.
Fan, 30, opened her piano studio on vibrant and historic Yuyuan Road in downtown Changning district in 2021, bringing music tutoring to a street known for its youthful energy.
In 2024, Fan took on a new role as the secretary of a Party branch in the Jiangsu Road neighborhood. Such branches were established to extend the Party's influence into new economy sectors, connecting community resources to invigorate the neighborhood and strengthen grassroots Party organizations.
Fan's area of responsibility includes over 80 small businesses along the street, ranging from restaurants and trendy fashion boutiques to creative crafts and pet-related enterprises. She visits each shop to meet the owners and understand their needs, offering genuine assistance and suggesting improvements.
For instance, a bookstore located on the second floor of a building asked for more street-level displays to attract foot traffic. Another business wanted better integration into the neighborhood's promotional activities to increase brand visibility.
"Proactive connections and exploration of needs are crucial for startups and individual entrepreneurs. They can determine whether they survive the tough early stages and enter a positive growth cycle," said Fan.
That same year, she attended a city-level meeting where she realized the potential for having an even bigger impact. The discussion emphasized that Party-building efforts in new economy fields required both outreach and attraction. Fan knew she needed to use her expertise to draw people in.
Yuyuan Road and its lanes are home to a high concentration of young, dynamic individuals, much like Fan herself. With her background in music, Fan organized art activities that resonated with the character of the neighborhood.
She has helped organize several community events, including piano flash mobs, which have strengthened the bonds between shop owners and drawn more visitors to the area.
Last fall, Fan launched a music course at a local community senior college, teaching retirees to play the piano and perform well-known revolutionary songs. "I love seeing seniors leading fulfilling lives post-retirement. It's truly inspiring," she said.
Reflecting on her experience as a Party branch secretary, Fan believes she herself has been the greatest beneficiary.
"I no longer feel the loneliness I once did. I've transformed from a small business owner into someone with a strong sense of belonging to this community. Being involved in its governance has changed my perspective entirely. Walking down this street every day now feels completely different," she said.
Delivering for colleagues
After 12 years in Shanghai's food delivery industry, Song Zengguang has advanced from being a delivery rider to a prominent team leader and mentor.
He is now a trainer, overseeing thousands of food delivery riders working with Alibaba's online marketplace Taobao. Song attributes his success to a positive mindset and the ability to balance work and life pressures.
"Being a delivery rider is tough work, dealing with all kinds of weather, from scorching heat to freezing cold. But from another perspective, we interact with so many people every day, and through simple actions like wishing someone an enjoyable meal, we can pass on positive energy to others, and we, in turn, receive encouraging feedback," said Song, 42, who is based in Shanghai's Putuo district and is originally from Lianyungang, Jiangsu province.
As an instructor, Song emphasizes safety and service while also sharing insights on remaining positive and overcoming challenges.
"Everyone has dreams of a better life when they first enter society. There will inevitably be pressures and anxieties at work. Remembering our original intentions helps keep us on track," he said, adding that his original goal was to create a stable and pleasant life with his wife.
Song's influence extends beyond training. He has inspired many apprentices, some of whom have become key figures at their workstations, while others have applied to join the Communist Party of China. "I believe that as more delivery riders join the Party, this community will continue to improve," he said.
In addition to his work duties, Song sometimes represents the delivery industry at government-led meetings, advocating for employee rights. He has highlighted issues like the lack of continuous non-motor vehicle lanes, which complicates delivery routes, and the problem of malicious order cancellations, which can leave riders covering meal costs that sometimes exceed a day's earnings.
As a Party member, Song is committed to giving back to society. Motivated by him, dozens of delivery riders have formed a volunteer team, assisting elderly residents by purchasing groceries, delivering meals, and taking out trash during work breaks.
"Through such actions, I want my peers to realize that we delivery riders aren't just delivering meals. We have many meaningful things that we can do," said Song.
"Some people compare delivery riders and couriers to the faint lights of the city. When these lights come together, they can illuminate society," he said.
Little 'red megaphones'
For the past two decades, a unique tradition has thrived at the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai. Over 1,000 children have taken turns serving as young docents, proudly known as the "red megaphones".
These children, who once listened to stories, have become storytellers themselves, sharing the CPC's history with visitors from across China and even around the world. Using their youthful voices and creative methods such as rhythmic storytelling and skits, they bring the founding stories of the Party to life in Mandarin, the Shanghai dialect, and English.
On the eve of International Children's Day, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, replied in a letter to student docents at the memorial hall and the Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Museum in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. He encouraged them to carry forward revolutionary traditions, broaden their knowledge, develop their abilities, and strengthen their willpower and moral character.
The children participating in the Shanghai program come from Luwan No 1 Central Primary School in Huangpu district, where learning the docent script is a compulsory part of the curriculum that starts in first grade.
The idea to involve children as docents began simply.
Yang Yu, director of the memorial hall's publicity and education department, recalled discussing with the school's principal over 20 years ago the possibility of having children narrate the Party's history to their peers. The children crafted their own version of the script, filled with youthful narratives that visitors loved.
Xie Yiling has been telling the Party's story for four years and has conducted over 30 sessions. "When I was a first-grader, I listened to my seniors and felt their voices were so powerful. I thought, if they are the sparks, then I want to be a little flame," she said, adding that she has also guided foreign visitors, including some from the United States and Brazil.
Last year, the memorial hall received around 100,000 foreign visitors, setting a record.
Yang expressed hope that all visitors, whether domestic or international, leave inspired by the children's guide work. "The CPC's journey has not been without challenges, but the Party has always maintained a forward-looking spirit," she said.
Yang also noted that over two decades, successive generations of young people have not only told stories, but also carried forward a legacy of belief.
He Linjia, now 20 and a student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, became a member of the "red megaphones" in the third grade. She credited the experience with planting a seed of responsibility and love in her heart.
Today, she is actively involved in volunteer activities, including participating in medical support for the Shanghai Marathon and engaging in environmental cleanup hikes.