国内英语新闻:Senior leader urges to boost red tourism

NANCHANG, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese official Li Changchun has called for efforts to boost tourism in the country's sites of revolutionary history.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during his five-day inspection tour,?which ?ended on Tuesday, to Jiangxi province.

Li visited a cemetery of revolutionary martyrs and the former residence of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong as well as other red tourism attractions in the province's cities of Jinggangshan and Nanchang, and called on the local government departments and residents to further promote red tourism.

Jinggangshan, where Mao established a rural base for the Chinese revolution in 1927, is regarded as the cradle of the Chinese Communist revolution.

The "Jinggangshan spirit" is a precious cultural treasure for the Party and the people, and continued to contribute to the building of the socialist core value system in China, Li said.

Efforts should be made to improve the awareness of China's revolutionary history among the country's officials and citizens, especially the youngsters, he said.

During his visit to local enterprises, Li called on entrepreneurs and workers to promote independent innovation and increase the investment in the scientific and technological research and development.

Also in his trip, Li visited some rural villages and urban communities in the province and called for measures to accelerate the construction of cultural infrastructure and promote a balanced development in the cultural sector between the rural and urban areas.

In the city of Jingdezhen, dubbed the capital of ceramics in China, Li noted the importance to combine innovation and preservation of the country's traditional handicraft industry.

The traditional handicraft production should take a more market-oriented approach to promote China's excellent traditional culture around the world, he said.

He also called for efforts to carry forward the reform in the country's cultural industry.