About 3,000 people attend the grand ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the success of the Long March in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2006. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    BEIJING, Oct. 23 -- China has celebrated the seventieth anniversary of the Long March victory. And a grand ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the People here in Beijing on Sunday. Those attending included Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Hu Jintao, other top Chinese leaders, as well as Long March veterans, and youth representatives. Pan Deng has the story.

    At the gathering, CPC General-Secretary Hu Jintao made the keynote speech.

    Hu said the Long March has significant and profound meaning for the development of the Party, the army and the people.

    It created a new page in combining the basic principles of Marxism and Leninism and the Chinese revolutionary ideals.

    Also, the Long March helped form a mature and strong core leadership for the Chinese revolution.

    Now, China is now undergoing reforms and an opening, and is sparing no effort in building a well-off and a socialist harmonious society.

    This, Hu Jintao said, is the new Long March.

    The Chinese President went on to say that the fine revolutionary traditions of the Red Army should be inherited and carried forward.

    To achieve this end, the General-Secretary put forward some proposals:

    He said Marxism based on China's own situation should be pushed forward, and Marxism in modern China should be developed.

    Hu Jintao added that to gain strong spiritual support in building the socialist country with Chinese characteristics, spirits that embody the revolutionary ideals are vital and should be greatly promoted.

    The unity of the Party and all ethnic groups across the nation should be strengthened.

    Efforts should be made to develop the construction of our defenses and modern army, and the mission of the people's army should be effectively fulfilled in the new century.

    And the building of both governing capacity and the advanced nature of the Party should be enhanced.

    Hu said, "Today, we can say proudly that the revolutionary ideals of the Red Army's Long March have become a reality in China. Let's unite more closely on the new Long March, hold high the great banner of the Deng Xiaoping Theory and the Three Represents, fully implement the concept of development with a scientific outlook, and maintain the strength and revolutionary passion as well as a hard-working spirit, so as to move forward along the road of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, push forward the great cause opened by our revolutionary pioneers, and continue painting a great picture of rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

    A representative of the Red Army Veterans also gave his speech at the ceremony.

    He said he was participating with deep emotion. He also said he missed late revolutionists who had joined and led the Long March, as well as martyrs of the Red Army. The veteran said the great achievements made by the Red Army soldiers will last forever, and the spirit of the Long March will never die.

    Xie Zhenghua, former political commissar of Kunming military region said, "The combined forces of three parts of the Red Army marked the success of the Long March, pushing China's revolution forward. The reason we were not afraid of dying in combat with the enemy, and why we did not give up in such tough surroundings, was that we had strong faith in the revolution to support us, and because our Red Army had an unremitting and forward-moving spirit. Today, even 70 years after the success of the Long March, its spirit is continuing to inspire one generation after another, with more glorious rays of light."

    Representatives of the People's Liberation Army, and a youth representative also delivered their speeches.

    They expressed their commitment to learn from the Long March, and greatly promote its spirit, inherit and enhance the fine traditions of the Party, and make endless efforts to realize the prosperity and rejuvenization of China.

(Source: CCTV.com)