Visiting Chairman James CY Soong of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan and his entourage left at around 2:30 PM Tuesday for Beijing, the last leg of their nine-day mainland tour.

In this capital of central China's Hunan Province, Soong's native town, Soong and his PFP delegation spent 46 "unforgettable hours" and received warm welcome from local officials and Soong's fellow folks.

On Monday, Soong paid homage to his ancestors' tombs in Juyu Village of Xiangtan. Then, Soong went to his alma mater, Shuguang Primary School, where he made donations and left an inscription to express his appreciation of the school he stayed in 1949 as a second-grader. He also met his relatives living on the mainland.

On Tuesday morning, Soong and his delegation toured the Yuelu Academy, one of the oldest higher educational institutions of China in Changsha.

In a brief speech at the academy, Soong said no one could block the trend of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. He pledged to join the people in Taiwan in their concerted efforts with the people on the mainland to reach the goal.

Touched by the people who stood outside, rain or shine, to welcome him over the past two days, Soong said that his appreciation was "beyond description." More than once, the 63-year-old spoke in local dialect to express his affinity toward the special land.

"I'm a native of Hunan growing up on Hunan rice and water from the Xiangjiang River. I also love the landscape and the people in Taiwan. But I am a staunch believer that I am a real Chinese," he said.

Soong started his mainland tour last Thursday and has already visited the cities of Xi'an, Nanjing, Shanghai and Changsha.

After the delegation's arrival in Beijing, Soong is scheduled to deliver a speech in Qinghua University and meet General Secretary Hu Jintao of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2005)