CHINA marked the 130th anniversary of the birth of revolutionary leader Mao Zedong on Tuesday.

President Xi Jinping led the celebrations of the founding father of the People’s Republic of China, who was born on December 26 1893 in Shaoshan, a city in Hunan province.

Mr Xi was joined by the entire leadership of the Communist Party as he visited the mausoleum in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square that houses Chairman Mao’s embalmed body, bowing to show their respect.

They then attended a symposium at the Great Hall of the People, where the president used a speech to stress the importance of pushing forward the cause pioneered by Mao.

Mr Xi called for efforts to build China into a stronger country and rejuvenate the nation by pursuing Chinese modernisation, adding that that this was a cause passed down from veteran revolutionaries such as Mao.

Ceremonies honouring the iconic revolutionary leader, who died on September 9 1976, were also held in many other parts of the country.

In Shaoshan, local Communist Party secretary Mao Chunshan said that people expressed their gratitude to the revolutionary leader by eating free bowls of noodles provided to those honouring him, a tradition based on Mao’s reported habit of eating noodles on his birthday.