CPPCC holds Spring Festival reception for luminaries' widows

Yu Zhengsheng(L), chairman of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attends a New Year gathering held by the CPPCC National Committee for spouses of late renowned social figures and national political advisors who were not members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in Beijing, China, Jan. 26, 2016. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Jan. 26 -- China's top political advisory body held a Spring Festival reception for widows of luminaries and national political advisors who were not members of the Communist Party of China on Tuesday.

Du Qinglin, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), gave a speech on the committee's 2015 achievements at the event, which was also attended by Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

Du called the widows "national treasures."

Among the attendees were Wang Dingguo, widow of Xie Juezai, one of the founders of China's justice system; Xu Huijun, widow of Zhu Guangya, a leading scientist in the country's development of nuclear weaponry; and Huang Huanbi, widow of Israel Epstein, a Polish-born journalist.

This year's Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 8.