XI'AN -- Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, on Saturday visited the Xi'an branch of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which is located in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

Liu Chengyong, director of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture, introduced the selected collections of the archives to Ma during his trip.

"The archives have preserved so many ancient books well, making an indelible contribution to the spread of Chinese civilization," Ma said.

Ma, who is leading a Taiwan youth delegation to visit the mainland, arrived in South China's Guangdong province on Monday. They attended a ceremony in Shaanxi on Thursday to pay homage to Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor, the legendary common ancestor of all Chinese people.

Ma and the delegation then visited the Ma Yuan Memorial Temple, Ma Yuan Tomb, Famen Temple, Xi'an City Wall, Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, and the Xi'an branch of China National Archives of Publications and Culture. They will also visit the Shaanxi History Museum on Sunday.