BEIJING — The government held low-key celebrations Sunday marking the centennial anniversary of the revolution that ended thousands of years of imperial rule and set the stage for the birth of today’s China. Chinese President Hu Jintao and other dignitaries gathered in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, under a giant portrait of Sun Yat-sen, the first president of the Republic of China — the name still used by modern-day Taiwan.
Hu called for the peaceful reunification of China and Taiwan and reiterated his opposition to Taiwanese independence. He added that he wished to continue “close exchanges and cooperation” between Beijing and Taipei.
There was little of substance in his remarks. The most noteworthy aspect of the ceremony was the attendance of 85-year-old former Chinese president, Jiang Zemin, shown on camera looking frail but very much alive. Jiang’s absence at ceremonies earlier marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party gave rise to rumors that he was dead.
October 10, 1911, was the date that rebels loyal to Sun Yat-Sen launched an uprising against the Qing dynasty’s military in Wuchang, present-day Wuhan, in Hubei province — eventually toppling China’s last emperor, Pu Yi.
As is traditional on key anniversaries, China also released a big-budget historical film: “1911,” starring Jackie Chan.
