◎The First Rural Party Branch in China

As the first rural Party branch in China,the Party branch of Taicheng Village was founded in August 1923.Its founder was Gong Zhongtao (1886-1964) whose ancestral home was Taicheng Village.Gong Zhongtao was admitted to Beijing Law and Political University in 1916,and participated in the “May 4th” Movement in 1919.After his graduation in 1919,he taught as a teacher in a primary school in Beijing.He met Li Dazhao because he often went to the library of Peking University to read progressive books.In April 1923,Li Dazhao introduced him to join the CPC and sent him back to Taicheng Village,Anping County.After returning to his hometown,Gong Zhongtao established the Night School for Civilians and also Peasant Association,where he trained activists of the CPC and introduced Gong Fengzhou and Gong Chengshan,two villagers,to join the CPC.In August 1923,these three persons established the first rural Party organization in China:the Taicheng Special Party Branch of Anping County of the CPC,referred to as “Special Party Branch of Taicheng,” which was directly under the leadership of the Executive Committee of Beijing Region of the CPC.The Party Committee of Anping County,the first county-level Party committee of the CPC in Hebei Province,was established in August 1924,for which,Gong Zhongtao worked as the Secretary of the County Party Committee.Both the offices of the Party branch and the County Committee of the CPC were settled at Gong Zhongtao’s home.(https://www.daowen.com)