An unprecedented number of domestic tourists are flocking to old revolutionary bases across the country, stimulated by the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on July 1.

The number of tourists to Xibaipo, Yan'an, Jinggangshan and many other historic revolutionary bases reached its peak in June, Xinhua news agency reported.

Xibaipo Village in Hebei Province, where a significant CPC conference was held on the eve of the countrywide victory of the Chinese people's revolution, received nearly 8,000 tourists daily last month.

Jinggangshan, in the southwestern part of Jiangxi Province, was the first revolutionary base established in the countryside by the first generation of Communist Party leaders like Mao Zedong and Zhu De. It attracted more than 300,000 travelers in the first half of the year, increasing 40 percent over the same period last year.

Various nationwide activities, including exhibitions, performances and seminars, have been staged to mark the 80th anniversary since early this year. Books and videos concerning revolutionary times sold well.

A series of films and TV programs depicting CPC history and Party leaders have also reached a large audience.

However, people are obviously not satisfied with just reading about the history of the Party - they are traveling to the areas where history was made, said the news agency.

"Besides the beautiful natural scenery, the hallowed revolutionary bases can also offer us a spiritual feast," said Dong Fan, a traveler from Jiangsu Province.

People cherish today's prosperity and mightiness much more than before, especially after reviewing the heroic deeds of the old generation of revolutionaries, Dong added, standing in front of a revolutionary memorial in Yan'an city, in Shaanxi Province.

Analysts said the CPC founding anniversary is a major stimulus for the current boom in revolutionary trips, but people's passion about the historic sites was totally different with the plague of zealotry during the "cultural revolution" period (1966-76), Xinhua said.

People came mainly to seek those spiritual qualities, such as unswerving political faith, hard work and self-dependence, and the principles of being practical and realistic, said Li Zhongquan, vice president of Shaanxi Provincial Party History Research Society.

Their spiritual wealth, fostered by CPC members under extremely harsh circumstances decades ago, will continue to stimulate the Chinese people in their efforts to build a powerful modern socialist country, Li added.

From January to May this year, more than 900,000 visitors swarmed to Yan'an CPC headquarters during the war against Japanese aggression.

Over the past five years, the city has had more than 5.5 million tourists both from home and abroad, netting a total tourist income of more than 1 billion yuan (US$120 million), including nearly US$2 million in foreign exchange, Xinhua reported.

(Eastday.com.cn 07/03/2001)