Twenty expatriates currently working in Shanghai were given a tour of the memorial of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Monday. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

Twenty expatriates currently working in Shanghai were given a tour of the memorial of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Monday.

The 20 foreigners who were attending the tour were part of the "Shanghai Through Our Eyes" video series, which comprises 100 short videos produced by Xinmin Evening News to mark the centenary. The videos shared the thoughts that 100 foreign residents of Shanghai had about the city.

Located in the bustling Xintiandi area in Shanghai's downtown area, the memorial is made up of the original site of the first CPC National Congress, an oath-taking hall, and a sprawling exhibition area of more than 3,000 square meters that showcases over a thousand items related to Party history.

The expatriates were left impressed by the tour, with some of them praising the use of multimedia content and hi-tech devices such as holographic projections and "naked-eye" 3D displays to enhance the viewing experience.

"I'm from the art industry so I always believe that visuals help a lot with telling a story. I think this exhibition is quite different from the usual because it has many visuals which makes the Party history easier to understand," said Astrid Poghosyan, an Armenian violinist and a management staff at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

"I especially liked the short movie we got to watch. It made it really easier for visitors to understand the things that have happened in history as compared to just using text and pictures."

Following the tour, the group gathered for a two-hour roundtable session where they shared their thoughts on the development of China and Shanghai over the past decades. While most of them spoke in English, some took the opportunity to show off their fluent Chinese-speaking skills.

Among those who expressed admiration for China's rapid development was Diego Benedetto, an Italian captain of China Eastern Airlines.

"I admire the way China has been managed in the last few decades. I first visited China in 1984 and returned to this country 10 years later and saw how much it had developed. Today, I live in China and I can say that this is akin to living in the future," said Benedetto.

"Every day, I see evidence of the successful management of China. Just yesterday, I was in Chengdu to celebrate the development of a poor area that has been lifted out of poverty. Just yesterday, I flew the first flight from the new Chengdu Tianfu International Airport to Shanghai. This giant new airport is another indication of the success China has achieved...I love Shanghai because it best represents the development of China - quick and incredible," he added.