In the basement of a nondescript highrise awaits a treasure trove of Communist Party propaganda posters spanning Mao Zedong’s leadership from 1949 to 1976. Within a few small rooms, the history of the Communist Party comes alive as bold imagery tells the story of a unified struggle for the collective good, from illustrating the importance of education to a space program to that of birth control, encouraging women to remain in the workforce.

The posters address all avenues of daily life and the success of a strong political program. The aesthetic alone draws an intriguing theme, but the historic significance of these posters adds a dimension of gravity that you can’t help but be stirred by. A tiny gift-shop offers memorabilia like little red books, and you can also buy posters starting at 800 RMB. Also be sure to browse through a collection of old workbooks for schoolchildren, including pages instructing students on how to translate chairman Mao’s tenet that “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun” in various languages.