The State Tourism Administration has selected Tiananmen Square and six other places in Beijing as "red tourist" sites, part of a "red tourism" program aimed at boosting tourism in former revolutionary bases.

The Tian'anmen Square is a tourist must of national pride in China's capital of Beijing.

Tiananmen Square was chosen because many State ceremonies have been held there since the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Other "red tourist" sites in Beijing include a building at Beijing University where there was a massive student protest May 4, 1919, Wanping Town, where Japanese troops launched a full-scale invasion of China in 1937, the tomb of Li Dazhao, a communist executed by a warlord in 1927, Jiaozhuanghu Village, where communist guerrillas and villagers dug tunnels to fight the Japanese invaders, and two museums.

The general offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council launched a campaign last December to speed up the growth of "red tourism" through 2010 to promote economic development and national ethos.

The campaign is expected to bring in 100 billion yuan (US$12 billion) in revenue and directly employ 2 million people by 2010.

During the first phase, from 2004 to 2007, the focus will be on establishing a preliminary "red tourism" framework based on 100 sites highlighting 30 tourist routes and 12 major zones.

Infrastructure in these sites will be further enhanced to realize all-round development of "red tourism," the goal of the second phase, according to the program.

Collective student visits are free of charge and individual student visits are half the normal price, according to the program.

Tiananmen Square will continue to be free of charge to all visitors.

According to Xinhua, some 20 million people visited 150 major "red tourism" sites in 13 provinces and regions in 2004, bringing in up to 20 billion yuan in tourism annually in recent years.

"Red tourism" destinations, including Jinggangshan Yan'an, Xibaipo and the Taihang Mountains, are mostly in poor, land-locked areas, which served as bases for the CPC-led revolution.

(China Daily February 28, 2005)