Forty-seven US WWII veterans will visit a memorial for Flying Tigers in Zhijiang Dong Ethnic Group County in central China's Hunan Province.

The memorial, covering an area of 2,952 square meters, has been finished, and a festival is expected to be held at the memorial this September to celebrate the 60th anniversary of victory in World War II, said Tang Zhiping, deputy-director of the preparation committee of the Zhijiang International Peace Culture Festival.

The county has invested 10.58 million yuan (1.30 million US dollars) on the memorial, which was built upon a former military airport -- Zhijiang Airport.

Built in 1942, the airport used by about 6,000 soldiers and 500planes in it's zenith.

The American Volunteer Group, which fought in China as the prestigious "Flying Tigers", was organized by Claire Lee Chennaultin 1941 to help China fight off invading Japanese soldiers during World War II.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2005)