Work on a civil code began in 1954, soon after the first constitution. The Anti-Rightist Campaign and the Cultural Revolution interrupted it. A second attempt began in 1962, a third in 1979, and a fourth in 2001. In the meantime, the civil law was made in separate statutes.
On May 28, 2020, the National People’s Congress adopted the Civil Code. It took effect on January 1, 2021.