Beijing, March 12 (IANS) A ceremony was held in Beijing on Friday to commemorate the 96th death of Sun Yat-sen, a renowned statesman who led a revolution that ended imperial rule in China.

The ceremony in the capital city's Zhongshan Park, named after Sun, was attended by representatives from all walks of life, reports Xinhua news agency.

A moment of silence was observed before attendees showed their respect to Sun by bowing three times in front of a statue of him at 10,30 a.m.

Floral baskets from the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK) Central Committee, the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Beijing municipal government, and the Beijing municipal committee of the RCCK were presented to the statue.

Sun was born in 1866 and died in 1925.

He is known to the Chinese as a great revolutionary and statesman for his leading role during the 1911 Revolution, which ended more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China.

--IANS ksk/