The visiting Kuomintang (KMT) delegation headed by Chiang
Pin-kung, the party's vice president, paid their respects at the
imposing Mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) in Nanjing,
capital of Jiangsu
Province, on Wednesday morning.
They read a message saying they were there to commemorate the
80th anniversary of Sun's death on behalf of the KMT president,
Lien Chan, and all the party's membership, and Chiang later told
Xinhua he had been extremely moved by the event.
The KMT, or Nationalist Party of China, delegation is the first
to visit the mainland in 56 years, and Chiang added that people on
both sides of the Straits should learn from Sun in resolving
present day issues.
They were greeted by local residents at the mausoleum at 8:40 AM
and held a service in the Memorial Hall, placing a floral tribute
in front of the statue of the Chinese revolutionary before reading
their memorial message.
?
It recalled Sun's tremendous contribution to overthrowing the
monarchy, founding the Republic, wiping out warlords, resisting
foreign powers, and coordinating actions by different forces in the
south and the north of China.
???
After the reading, they made three bows and observed a minute's
silence.
On March 12, 1925, Sun died of illness in Beijing and, in 1929,
the mausoleum was built at his behest. A grand ceremony was held to
inter his remains there and since 1949, the government has ensured
its protection and maintenance.?
(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2005)
