Top leaders yesterday paid tribute to heroes of the devastating Sichuan earthquake, calling for the "quake relief spirit" to be kept alive.

President Hu Jintao urged the nation to carry on the spirit of unity, courage and people-first thinking that characterized relief efforts after the May 12 earthquake.

At a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People to honor outstanding organizations and individuals for their relief work, Hu said the spirit should be propagated among the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the public. This would help advance sound and rapid economic and social development, he said.

During the country's highest official tribute to quake heroes, Hu delivered an hour-long televised speech, which stressed that the timely and effective rescue and relief efforts were a testament to the vitality of socialist China.

"The rescue and relief efforts fully tested and demonstrated the great achievements of our country's 30 years of reform and opening up," Hu said.

He noted that the country's growing might and prosperity provided the socio-economic foundation for quake relief.

Hu and other State leaders presented awards to soldiers, police officers, grassroots cadres, teachers, medical workers, journalists, construction workers and volunteers, among others.

Hu, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, praised the 146,000 troops, armed police, reservists and police who were mobilized, describing them as the "main force".

All citizens, including volunteers, medical staff, journalists, and technicians had played their part in contributing to the relief work, he added.

Hu said the Sichuan quake, which caused huge loss of life and property and damaged economic and social development, "was a great test of Chinese people's will, courage and strength", as well as the Party's ruling capability.

Paraphrasing Fredrick Engels, Hu said no major historic catastrophe has not been compensated by historic progress.

More than 80,000 people were killed or missing in the May disaster, the most destructive since the People's Republic was founded in 1949. The tremor produced more than 30,000 aftershocks, affecting 500,000 sq km over more than 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, including Gansu, Shaanxi and Chongqing.

The direct losses exceeded 845.1 billion yuan ($124 billion), as infrastructure was destroyed and industrial and agricultural production devastated, causing major environmental damage.

On Tuesday, President Hu and other leaders also visited an exhibition on the earthquake, which opened on Sept 20 at the China People's Revolution Military Museum.

Nearly 300,000 visitors from all over the country have visited the exhibition