After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it became an important task to formulate a constitution that reflects the socialist nature, the will and interests of the people. In 1953, the Central People's Government Committee passed a resolution to establish the Constitution Drafting Committee. Mao Zedong emphasized the importance of the Constitution as the general constitution of the country.

The birth of the "West Lake Draft"

In December 1953, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China established a constitutional drafting group, which was personally led by Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong emphasized the importance of drafting the constitution, believing that it was a major event for establishing a country and ensuring national security. At the West Lake in Hangzhou, the drafting team spent 77 days completing the first draft of the Constitution of New China, known as the "West Lake Draft". Mao Zedong devoted a lot of energy during the drafting process, often working until late at night to ensure that every word of the constitution was carefully scrutinized.

The People's Constitution and the People's Decision

The formulation of the 1954 Constitution reflected extensive democratic participation and stimulated the political enthusiasm of the people. After the initial draft of the constitution was formed, more than 5900 revision opinions were collected through 9 meetings and discussions with over 8000 people. The Central People's Government Committee meeting presided over by Mao Zedong passed the draft constitution and submitted it for national discussion. During the three-month discussion, over 150 million people participated and put forward more than 1.18 million opinions. Constitutional drafting and discussion committees have been established in various regions, and reporters and propagandists have been trained. The constitutional academic community has also actively participated. The discussion on the draft constitution has reached an unprecedented scale, with participation rates exceeding 70% in many places. Xinhua Bookstore has distributed over 11.8 million copies of the draft constitution, including versions in minority languages. Even during the severe flood disaster, discussions were not interrupted, and public opinions were transported to Beijing by plane. This process gathered the opinions of billions of people, laid the foundation for the institutional arrangements and major policies of New China, and opened a new chapter in the Chinese socialist constitution.

The First Session of the First National People's Congress adopted the Constitution of the People's Republic of China

On September 15, 1954, the first session of the First National People's Congress opened in Huairentang, Zhongnanhai. Mao Zedong emphasized the role of the Constitution in promoting the cause of socialism. Liu Shaoqi reported on the draft constitution, emphasizing its importance as the fundamental law of the country. The representatives highly praised the draft constitution and put forward implementation suggestions. On September 20th, 1197 delegates unanimously passed the constitution, marking the birth of China's first constitution representing the interests of the people. The Constitution confirmed the struggle of the Chinese people for national independence, freedom and happiness, established the leadership of the CPC, and stimulated the enthusiasm of the people throughout the country to abide by the Constitution. Celebrations are held across the country, and the promulgation of the Constitution has become a national event.