An old site of Xinhua News Agency, China's state wire service, in the country's revolutionary shrine Qingliang Mountain in Yan'an in northwest China's Shaanxi Province was opened to tourists on Monday.

The mountain area is known as the cradle of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) official publishing and news centers. The wire and radio services of Xinhua, the publications of "Liberation", and the Central Publishing Department were all founded in the area between the beginning of 1937 and March, 1947.

The forerunner to Xinhua, Red China News Agency, was launched in Ruijin, east China's Jiangxi Province, in 1931. It moved with the CPC to the revolutionary base of Yan'an in Shaanxi, where it changed its name as Xinhua News Agency in 1937.

Xinhua will celebrate its 70th anniversary in November this year.

The news agency now has a modern tower block office in the center of downtown Beijing. However, the Xinhua's first news-rooms were established in loess caves. Although now run-down, they continue to be occupied by local residents.

Restoration was carried out in August. Now all 18 news offices at Xinhua's former site have taken on their original appearance, with hundreds of historical photographs on show reviewing the 70- year history of the news agency.

The agency grew during wartime witnessing the revolutionary and socialist development of the country and making it known to people around the world.

(China Daily 10/22/2001)