'Red Tour' of Mao's hometown Shaoshan
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-07-19 14:02

To lure the young to the hometown of late Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong, China has launched a discounted "Red Tour" in true capitalist fashion.

The idea is to lure 1 million students, who will enjoy price concessions, from all over the country to Shaoshan during their summer vacation, the official Xinhua news agency said.

"Students will enjoy preferential prices when they visit some memorial sites such as the old residence of Mao," Xinhua said.

Born in Shaoshan in the southern province of Hunan in 1893, Mao was one of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 and its leader from 1935 until his death in 1976.

Mao was born in Shaoshan and the home in which he grew up is on display, attracting about 1.8 million visitors a year, official statistics show.