Shanghai turns cradle of trade unionism into modern museum

In the bustling heart of modern Shanghai, where skyscrapers tower over the Suzhou Creek, a shikumen-style two-story building stands as a silent witness to a revolutionary past. This historic structure is the former site of the China Labor Association Office, established by the Communist Party of China in August 1921 as the first public organ to lead the nation's labor movement.

As China commemorates the centenary of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions this year, the preserved site offers a tangible link to the roots of the country's organized labor movement.

Birth of a movement