Xi invokes Mao in trip to Communist 'holy' sites

China's President Xi Jinping chose the Communist Party heartland of Yan'an for his first group outing with the country's newly-appointed top brass this week.

During the trip, the leaders donned matching navy windbreakers while Xi invoked the legacy of Mao Zedong, who established the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The trip came just days after the landmark 20th Communist Party congress where Xi enshrined his "core position" within the party and took on a third consecutive term as leader.

"The purpose [of this visit] is for us to review the glorious years of the party in Yan'an, in memory of the great achievements of our revolutionaries, promote the Yan'an spirit, and carry forward the fighting spirit [of the revolutionaries] as we strive to achieve goals set out in the 20th party congress," Xi said, as quoted by state broadcaster CCTV.

The Communist Party's foundational sites

On Thursday, Xi and other Communist Party leaders toured several key sites including Mao's former cave residence the hall where a pivotal Communist Party meeting in 1945 confirmed him as chairman.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Xi called Yan'an a holy site for the Chinese revolution and a cradle of new China. He also touted his own personal connection to the area, having lived and worked in Yan'an for seven years.

Xi considers himself to be an "heir of the revolution," sinologist Alfred L. Chan was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

Harking back to the revolution

"The signal with the visit to Yan'an is one of celebrating a parallel [with Mao] and brooking no opposition," wrote Manoj Kewalramani from the Takshashila Institution in Bengaluru, India.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported that Xi pledged to inherit the revolutionary spirit of modern China's founders during the visit to Yan'an.

The most recent party congress now puts Xi "on the same pedestal as Mao," the newspaper added.

AFP material contributed to this report.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic