BEIJING, Nov. 12 -- A ceremony was held in Beijing Tuesday morning to commemorate the 153rd anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, a great national hero and patriot, and pioneer of China's democratic revolution.

The event was held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, in downtown Zhongshan Park, which is named after Sun.

Born in 1866 in south China's Guangdong Province, Sun was the founder of the Kuomintang Party and is a revered revolutionary leader who played a pivotal role in overthrowing imperial rule in China.

Officials from the CPPCC National Committee, the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang Central Committee, the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and the Beijing municipal government laid flowers at Sun's statue.