In Beijing, a series of activities are being held in the lead-up to the 100th year of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in July. One of them is an exhibition on the life of the revolutionary Li Dazhao.

On the first floor of the Beijing Municipal Archives, "Sowing Fire" presents hundreds of items – some of them on display to the public for the first time. They include letters from Li Dazhao's close friends and a few photos.

Li Dazhao was one of the main founders of the CPC. An intellectual, he was one of the leaders of the "May Fourth Movement" in 1919 – a patriotic campaign against imperialism and feudalism.

Li was captured by a warlord in 1927 and then executed. The exhibit is divided into three sections, themed according to his life and revolutionary activities. 

"We want to show the audience a more vivid Li Dazhao through this exhibit with a combination of audio and visual formats. We aim to present him first as the earliest propagator of Marxism in China and his heroic dedication to the revolution," said Mei Jia, curator of the exhibition. "One of the most important characteristics of archives is originality. They're the most direct, most profound, and the most intuitive reflection of history."

Private collectors have also been doing their part to help keep such materials intact.

Li Shi – a close friend to Li Dazhao – helped bury him after his passing.

Recently, the grandchildren of Li Shi donated photos and documents related to Li Dazhao to the Beijing Municipal Archives.

The donations also include an ancient scroll painting of Beijing. 
Li Puyang and Li Xin said they hope people can get to know more about Li Dazhao and its history through their records.

Li Puyang, grandson of Li Shi said: "I think showing these things to the world through platforms like the Beijing Archives is more valuable than keeping them as part of a personal collection. People nowadays tend to consider more about commercial value. I think social value and political significance is far greater."

"These materials allow for a more comprehensive understanding of Li Dazhao. They should be used to supplement knowledge. These historical fragments can be stitched together to retrace Li Dazhao's tracks before and during the revolution," Li added.

The exhibition – along with other events commemorating the CPC's centenary – will run until the end of the year.