On this day, 70 years ago, on February 9, 1955 (January 17, 1955 in the lunar calendar), Zhang Lan, Chairman of the China Democratic League, passed away. Zhang Lan Zhang Lan (April 20, 1872-February 9, 1955), male, Zi Biao Fang, Han nationality, born in 1872, from Nanchong, Sichuan (now from Lianchi Township, Xichong County). In 1941, he participated in the founding of the China Democratic Political League (changed to China Democratic League in 1944). In October 1941, he served as Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the China Democratic Political League after Huang Yanpei, Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Democratic League and Chairman of the First Central Committee of the Democratic League until he died on February 9, 1955, at the age of 83. When he was a child, he followed his father to farm and study. At the age of 25, he was a middle-school scholar and made up for the student. He successively taught at Nanchong Rural School and Guang 'an Zixing Academy. In 1902, he entered Chengdu Zunjing Academy for further study, specializing in classics and history. He was selected and sent to Hongwen Academy in Tokyo, Japan for his excellent grades. While studying abroad, he was regarded as a treason and heresy for advocating Narahs (Cixi) to withdraw from the court, and was escorted back home by the Qing Dynasty envoy stationed in Japan. In 1949, he was placed under house arrest in Shanghai by the Kuomintang government for refusing to go to Taiwan. He was later rescued and escaped by an underground organization of the Communist Party of China. In September 1949, he attended the first plenary session of the China People's Political Consultative Conference and was elected Vice Chairman of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. After the founding of New China, he participated in the decision-making of major national policies with high political enthusiasm, making outstanding contributions to the country's political stability and economic development. In 1954, he was elected Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the First National People's Congress and Vice Chairman of the Second National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.