BEIJING - A ceremony was held Tuesday to commemorate the 88th anniversary of the death of Dr Sun Yat-sen, a revered revolutionary leader who played a pivotal role in overthrowing imperial rule in China.

People join a ceremony held to commemorate the 88th anniversary of the death of Dr Sun Yat-sen in Nanjing, Jiangsu province on March 12. [Photo/Xinhua]

More than 100 people attended the ceremony held in Beijing's Zhongshan Park, which is named for Dr Sun. They observed a moment of silence before bowing three times in front of the Sun Yat-sen Statue.

The ceremony was presided over by Qi Xuchun, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body.

Born in 1866 in Xiangshan county (now Zhongshan city) in South China's Guangdong province, Dr Sun is known for his leading role during the 1911 Revolution, which overthrew the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and put an end to more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China.

After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Dr Sun founded a republican government in Nanjing in 1911. He died of illness in Beijing on March 12, 1925.