LONDON, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Consulate General of China in Manchester on Wednesday paid homage to Friedrich Engels, marking the 200th anniversary of the great German thinker's birth.

A ceremony was held before the statue of Engels in downtown Manchester on Wednesday morning, with the participation of Consul-General Zheng Xiyuan, diplomats of the consulate general, representatives of Chinese enterprises, overseas Chinese and Chinese students in Manchester.

Born on Nov. 28, 1820, the German philosopher, political scientist and revolutionary socialist had strong links with Manchester. As a young man, in 1842, Engels was sent to the English city to work in a mill owned by his family. He spent the best part of the next 30 years in the region, and the city played a key role in his development as an innovative socialist and economic thinker.

According to the consulate general, the ceremony was held before England enters a month-long lockdown due to resurging coronavirus on Thursday, and relative activities strictly followed epidemic prevention regulations.

Later this month, the consulate general will also jointly organize with the locals a series of activities to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Engels' birth in accordance with the situation of epidemic control.