China's Communist Party: One century that impacted the entire world

As China completes a century of its ruling Communist party, it has put a propaganda campaign into overdrive with movies, history tours and well-timed space missions.

The party was founded 100 years ago in Shanghai and under its leadership,China today is the world's second-largest economy.

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There were several key events that helped in shaping the country.From the Long March that gave motion to Mao Zedong’s rise to Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms to Xi Jinping coming to power, the party has evolved in its own ways.

"China has been developing for so long thanks to the efforts of our forefathers and that generation ofCommunistPartymembers," said 23-year-old student andpartymember Li Peng. He added, "TheCCPisn't dying. It's apartythat's full of life... now, young people are particularly patriotic and unafraid to speak out."

It all began in 1921 with the first meeting in Shanghai. July 1 was chosen by Mao Zedong years later for commemoration. This was because he could not remember the exact date on which the dozen or so comrades had held their conclave.

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This was followed by the long march of 1934. As Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists were gaining upper hand in their struggle for power, the Communist armies embarked on a series of lengthy retreats.

Mao took over as the leader in 1935.

The year 1949 is deemed as the year of revolution as the Chinese defeated the Japanese and came to power again.

By 1949 Beijing was captured by the communists as Mao’s portrait replaced that of Chiang above the Gate of Heavenly Peace at the entrance to the Forbidden City.

In the process of revolutionizing the country, there were hindrances. The first was a man-made famine, which was triggered by Mao’s attempt to rapidly industrialise China. Under Mao's rule, farmers were forced to build backyard furnaces. As a result, grain output collapsed, and between 35 million and 40 million people starved to death.

The Cultural Revolution stopped in 1965 when Mao turned young Red Guards on the political system as he urged the young radicals to “bombard the headquarters". Millions were killed, families were broken up and the economy stooped to a new low.

The death of Mao in 1976 has been a turning point in the history of China. Mao’s death created a power vacuum between the Gang of Four, the ultra-leftists led by Jiang Qing, or Madame Mao; and reformers including Deng Xiaoping and Hua Guofeng, Mao’s designated successor.

The reformers managed to win the loyalty of the Central Security Bureau. Just a month after Mao's death, the army unit arrested Jiang Qing and her comrades. The four were imprisoned and then tried in 1980-81.

Another year that marked a turning point in Chinese history was 1978 when China approved its first special economic zones.

China has been involved in a series of conflicts. In 1996, Beijing shelled the waters near Taiwan to portray its anger at the island’s first democratic presidential election. However, all it gained was humiliation by its powerlessness.

In 2013, China built islands in disputed waters in the South China Sea, and soon turned them into military bases, trying to show its power.

The current Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, will complete his second five-year term towards the end of next year. It is still unclear if he will step down or will start to grooma successor.