Celebration feted to mark Inner Mongolia's anniversary

At an exhibition in Hohhot in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Yu Zhengsheng, China's top political adviser, Vice-Premier Liu Yandong and other members of the central government delegation take a tour on Monday. HOU YU/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

She said interdependence and joint efforts among different ethnic groups build a foundation toward achieving the China Dream.

The plaque is among myriad gifts brought by the delegation.

Zhang Ping, deputy head of the standing committee of National People's Congress, said the other gifts range from artworks and books to multimedia teaching instruments and toys for schools and kindergartens as well as household appliances for social welfare institutions. About 300,000 sets of devices to make milk tea will be given to families in pasture areas.

Delegation members visited an ongoing exhibition reviewing decades of development in Inner Mongolia. They also met representatives from military units and armed polices stationed in the region. An evening gala was held on Monday night for the anniversary. The main celebration meeting planned for Tuesday afternoon.

The Inner Mongolia autonomous region was founded in 1947 as the first of China's five province-level autonomous regions.

"The founding of the autonomous region created a new history for Inner Mongolia and new ways to handle ethnic issues with Chinese characteristics," Bataar, director of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, explained.