The number of tourists to late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's birthplace in the city of Guang'an in southwest China increased by 20,000 this month, with over 30 percent of visitors coming from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and abroad.

"We have long been looking forward to the return of Macao to the motherland," said Hong Qiwang, who brought his wife and daughter from Macao to Deng's place of birth in Sichuan on Saturday morning.

"We brought our daughter here so that she will never forget the monumental contributions Deng Xiaoping made to the cause of reunification," he added.

Yuan Nan-pu, a compatriot from Taiwan Province, said the "one country, two systems" policy has led to a successful return of Hong Kong and Macao to the motherland, and this has laid a foundation for the eventual settlement of Taiwan issue. "We have come to visit Deng's birthplace because of our respect for him and longed for the reunification and prosperity of the motherland, he said. Deng had spent 16 years in Guang'an after his birth in 1904.

The former residence of Deng Xiaoping occupies an area of 880 square meters.

According to incomplete statistics, more than 5.8 million people from both at home and overseas have visited Deng's place of birth since 1987.