The Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, or the Central Party School, opened its door to more than 60 correspondents from domestic and overseas media on Wednesday, one day ahead of the 89th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, on July 1.

It was the first time the country's highest institution for the training of high- and middle-level Party officials invited a large group of media workers from home and abroad to tour the mystery-shrouded campus in northwestern Beijing.

Forty-two correspondents, photo journalists and TV reporters from major overseas media organizations - including the Associated Press, the Agence France-Presse, the Guardian, CNN and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation - participated.

During the two-hour tour Wednesday afternoon, the group attended a press conference, a class and interviewed some teachers and students during their visit to the school's main teaching building, gymnasium, canteen and dormitory building.

"The Central Party School and the whole Party system haven't interacted much with the outside world -- this is something we are trying to change," said Li Baosheng, the school's vice president.

The Party, founded July 1, 1921, is the world's largest political party. It had 78 million members as of last year.

"The Party system should open up to the outside world because the Party exists to serve the people and the Party has nothing to hide," Li said at the press conference.

Some correspondents from overseas media interviewed by Xinhua said they had known nothing about the school before the tour. Other correspondents from domestic media said it was their first time to visit the school.

The school's history dates back to the School of Marxism and Communism set up in March 1933. Late chairman Mao Zedong served as president of the school. President Hu Jintao also served as the school's president and its current president is Vice President Xi Jinping.

The school has trained 60,00 high- and middle-level officials over three decades. Its curriculum includes Marxism masterpieces and Party principles, western political theory, economics, contemporary law, religion and military affairs.

The school has academic cooperation agreements with government departments, research institutes and universities from nearly 30 countries.

The media group found the tour interesting, and some even took photographs of the food menu in the canteen. Some walked around the huge campus decorated with trees and fountains like many other college campuses in the world.

"It's a beautiful campus. The environment here is a great place for study," said Stephen McDonell, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's China correspondent.

The tour of the school was welcomed by many correspondents. The school's spokesman, Luo Zongyi, made his debut at a press conference held Tuesday.

Some correspondents from overseas media expressed their wish to know more about how the school plays its role as the highest institution.

"The tour was interesting and the school is probably less mysterious than people think. I hope we will have more opportunities of this kind to visit and see for ourselves and to have interactions with officials, teachers and students as we did today," Jaime A. Florcruz, CNN's Beijing Bureau Chief, said after the tour.

Florcruz said that he wanted to interact with teachers and researchers at the school and know their views about international and domestic affairs because "whatever they are thinking and studying here is a reflection of what's going on in China."

The school's vice president, Li Baosheng, pledged to organize more activities to help the media know more about the Party system.

"The Central Party School will not be a mysterious place in the future. Journalists will have fewer and fewer difficulties in contacting with people within the Party system," Li said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2010)