People from various Hong Kong sectors attend the commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the Xinhai revolution at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai, on Sept 23, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

Hong Kong should uphold the patriotic spirit highlighted in the 1911 Revolution, as it is the key for the city to gain new momentum for future development, officials and political heavyweights said on Thursday.

They made the remarks at an event to commemorate the 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution, which Hong Kong played an important role in. The revolution ended imperial rule in China and spread the ideas of democracy and equality in the minds of Chinese.

A leading figure of the revolution, Sun Yat-sen－regarded as the forerunner of China's democratic revolution－had a strong foothold in the city. Sun received his secondary and university education in the city and his revolutionary thoughts and uprising plans developed there.

Leung Chun-ying, a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, said one of the most important takeaways from history was that the Communist Party of China－which was founded 10 years after the 1911 Revolution－had faithfully inherited and continued Sun's democratic revolutionary cause, setting today's Chinese Dream on a path of prosperity.

The Party's achievements could "reassure" Sun that his unfinished cause would eventually come to fruition, Leung said in a speech at the event.

He said Chinese people at home and abroad, especially young people in Hong Kong, should learn more about their motherland and Chinese culture from the history of the 1911 Revolution to undertake the mission of the reunification of the motherland and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The city was also an important base for Sun and his comrades, who set up newspapers in Hong Kong to advocate their thoughts and united Chinese people at home and abroad to raise funds and mobilize resources to support revolutionary activities on the Chinese mainland.

Luo Yonggang, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said that what the nation achieves today is the result of the hard work of countless patriotic revolutionaries. Their stories were a testament to the fact that only when governing power is firmly in the hands of patriots can people live a better life.

Luo called on Hong Kong's newly elected Election Committee members to uphold the "one country, two systems" principle and contribute to the development of the country and improving people's living standards.

Paul Chan Mo-po, Hong Kong's acting chief executive, who attended the event on behalf of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, said,"A lesson that the city could draw from the twists and turns of the revolution is to remain courageous when facing difficulties."

The city should have more confidence in its own development path, Chan said, noting that its past success was achieved under different conditions than that of Western cities.

In order to achieve greater success, Hong Kong must adhere to "patriots administering Hong Kong", and put its people first, as its past success, strength and vast opportunities depended on the unique advantages of "one country, two systems" and the strong backing of the nation, he said.

Thursday's commemoration was co-hosted by the Hong Kong Association for Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China and the Hong Kong Federation of Overseas Chinese Associations.