When the Communist Party of China was founded in 1921, it only had around 50 members. In more than a century, as more and more people joined the cause, its membership has surpassed 98 million.
Forty-nine years ago, in the small village of Liangjiahe in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, a 20-year-old man joined the CPC. It was the first step in Xi Jinping's professional journey that would see him rise to the most senior position in the world's largest political party.
In 1969, 15-year-old Xi Jinping arrived in Liangjiahe under a campaign that saw tens of millions of urban educated youths experience rural life and work.
In Liangjiahe, Xi and other educated youths learned how to do rural work such as turning the soil, plowing and herding animals. Within two years, Xi could dig, carry and harvest alongside the farmers.
While he comes from a revolutionary family, it was Xi's years in Liangjiahe that taught him the people-oriented philosophy, and solidified his faith in the Party.
As a youth aspiring to political progress, Xi submitted his first application letter to join the Party. However, due to political circumstances at that time, Xi's application was not immediately approved. Liang Yuming, the then-village Party chief of Liangjiahe, was even chastised for helping Xi submit his application.
Xi was not dissuaded. He applied again, and again, and again; nine more letters in total.
In the end, the respect he had earned from the villagers for his hard work and attitude proved to be crucially influential factors. Xi's application was finally accepted. He joined the Party in 1974, and later became the village Party chief of Liangjiahe.
As village Party secretary of Liangjiahe, Xi spearheaded a series of social initiatives, including constructing a dam that would protect farmland from floods, and building a methane tank to provide villagers with gas for their cookers and lighting, which was the first of its kind in Shaanxi.
"As a public servant of the people, I have my roots deep in the northern Shaanxi plateau because it cultivated my unchanging mission: to do practical things for the people," Xi once wrote while recalling his years in Liangjiahe.
Since he joined the Party, Xi has always maintained his original aspiration to seek happiness for the people and rejuvenation for the nation.
Since assuming the Party's top post in 2012, Xi has already led the historic efforts to eliminate absolute poverty and realize the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
These achievements are testimony to Xi's commitment to the oath he took when joining the Party: "be loyal to the Party, work hard, fight for communism throughout my life, be ready at all times to sacrifice my all for the Party and the people."