Zhang Lan (1872-1955) was a Chinese political activist best known for being the chairman of the China Democratic League from its founding in 1941 until 1955.

Zhang was born into a scholarly family in Nanchong, Sichuan in 1872. In 1920, he served briefly as the governor of Sichuan province. In the following years, however, he focused on education and served as the president of Chengdu Normal College and Chengdu University successively.

After the Second Sino-Japanese War began in 1937, Zhang was appointed a member of the People's Political Council. In 1941, he was elected the chairman of Chinese Democratic Political Groups. He retained this position after its reorganization into the China Democratic League in 1944, and until his death in 1955.

In the spring of 1949, Zhang traveled to Beijing to assist in forming the new government.

He headed the China Democratic League delegation to the first Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in September 1949, and was elected one of the Vice-chairmen of the Central People's Government after the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1.

Zhang held this position until 1954, when the government was reorganized to have only one vice-chairman, at which time he was made a vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Zhang died of arteriosclerosis in February 1955 at the age of 84.

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

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