Locals in south China's Guangdong Province responded passionately to the first official visit of the Kuomintang (KMT) to the Chinese mainland in more than 50 years.

Earlier Tuesday, the 34-member delegation headed by KMT Vice Chairman P. K. Chiang, paid homage to 72 KMT members, who died in overthrowing China's last imperial dynasty more than 90 years ago.

Huanghuagang, "the sepulcher for martyrs," remained open to the public despite the scheduled visit. Numerous local residents congregated there after hearing the news. More than 100 Taiwanese entrepreneur representatives in the mainland gave their warm welcome to the visit holding streamer.

Huang Jiajin, 85, who lived through the civil war between the KMT and the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the late 1940s, said the KMT members should visit the mainland at every turn as they are both compatriots.

The visit also drew nearly 100 reporters from dozens of domestic and overseas media to trace the delegation's route.

Taiwanese businesspeople in the mainland hoped Chiang's visit will give a push on resolving practical problems in economic exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.

Zhang Hanwen, president of the Taiwan-invested Enterprises Association in Dongguan, said the entrepreneurs want to see peaceful discussions about the differences between the two sides.

Zhou Tianhong, head of the Guangdong Provincial Revolutionary Committee of the KMT, said the delegation's homage to Huanghuagang marked a common understanding to the spirit of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the KMT and pioneer of the Chinese Democratic Revolution.

"The spirit didn't fade away but impose an influence on the Chinese across the Taiwan Straits, even all over the world," said Zhou.

He hoped the KMT's visit will help Taiwanese learn more about the mainland as well as its goodwill to peaceful reunification of the country.

The delegates were to arrive at the eastern city of Nanjing later in the day to commemorate Sun Yat-sen.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2005)