China marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March on Oct 21, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping has hailed the Long March as a "stately monument" in the history of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks at a gathering on Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.

The Long March was a remarkable turning point -- from setbacks to victory -- for the CPC and China's revolutionary cause, after which the CPC launched the struggle for national independence and the liberation of the people, Xi said.

Xi hailed the Long March as a "great expedition" to seek ideal and faith, test truth, and break new ground. Its victory signifies the victory of the Chinese Communists' ideal and faith, as well as orientation and path.

Having gone through the Long March, the CPC realized that only by combining the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism with the real conditions of China's revolution, can it solve major problems in the revolution independently, and lead the revolutionary cause to victory, Xi said.

He summarized "the Long March spirit" as seeking truth from the facts, strictly observing discipline, bearing in mind the overall interests, solidarity, and relying firmly on the masses and going through thick and thin together with them.

Xi calls Long March 'human miracle,' 'epic'

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping said the Long March was "a great feat in human history," "epic" and a "human miracle".

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks at a gathering on Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.

Xi said the Red Army's Long March, full of the spirit of idealism and dedication, was a "human epic composed of will and courage" and "an epic of mankind's unremitting efforts to pursue truth and brightness."

Xi said that during the Long March, Red Army officers and soldiers fought more than 600 battles against the enemies, crossed about a hundred rivers, climbed over 40 steep mountains and trekked over the grassland.

With their strong will, they overcame human physical limits, represented a dramatic episode in world military history and achieved a glorious human miracle, Xi said.