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The "Red Boat" on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, has become a major tourist attraction. [Photo by Huang Zongzhi/XINHUA]

HANGZHOU - On Nanhu Lake in East China's Zhejiang province rests one of the most famous boats in the country -- the Red Boat.

Every day, a large number of visitors queue up to pay homage to the historical boat in the city of Jiaxing, which honors the conclusion of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1921.

After 98 years, the CPC has grown from a small party of some 50 members into the world's largest ruling party, with more than 90 million members. At the same time, China has developed from an impoverished country to the second-largest economy in the world.

"To help remind us of the spirit behind the Red Boat, we placed a model of the boat at our company," said You Yuan, chairman of Jiaxing Glead Electronics Co Ltd, which is located less than 5 km from Nanhu Lake.

The Red Boat spirit, written above the one-meter-long boat model, highlights pioneering work, striving spirit and dedication.

Glead Electronics is a high-tech company that specializes in the research, development and sale of microwave dielectric ceramics components and satellite navigation modules.

"The Red Boat spirit continually pushes us forward," said You.

The company receives foreign clients from time to time. "If they are interested in the history of the boat, we tell them the story and even bring them to the lake to see the real boat," said the chairman.

"The employees are united together through the Party and union activities, which is conducive to the operation of the company," said Kawada Masahiro, division director of the general administration department of Nidec (Zhejiang) Corporation.

The Japanese businessman has been working in Jiaxing for four years. He is impressed by the positive role the Party plays in mobilizing and uniting his Chinese colleagues.

Apart from expats who live and work in the city like Kawada, a growing number of foreign visitors are also attracted to the Nanhu Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall.

"In 2019 alone, we have received five batches of 75 delegates from the communist parties of Britain, Norway, and Finland," said Zhang Xianyi, curator of the memorial.

Most foreigners are eager to find out the secrets behind China's economic success, and they are interested in the country's development course, as well as the original pursuit and mission of the CPC, according to Zhang.

The prosperity of Jiaxing is a testimony of the pursuit of the CPC and the fast development of China.

Mao Longhua, a 68-year-old farmer, just spent 900,000 yuan (about $126,177) on the renovation of his house in Tongjie Village of Jiaxing, which was something unthinkable in the past.

There is no significant difference between rural and urban areas now in terms of income and living conditions, Mao said.

According to the city's bureau of agriculture and rural affairs, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Jiaxing reached 34,000 yuan in 2018, ranking first in Zhejiang Province for 15 consecutive years.

"The little boat on Nanhu Lake has evolved into a "giant ship," which carries the hope of the people and the Chinese nation," said Liu Yong, a scholar from the Party School of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CPC.