TAIPEI -- A symposium to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr Sun Yat-sen was held in Taipei on Thursday.

More than 20 representatives from Taiwan's academic circles, social organizations and overseas Chinese communities attended the event.

Dr Sun was born in 1866 and died on March 12, 1925. He is known among the Chinese people as a great pioneer of China's democratic revolution for his leading role in the 1911 Revolution, which put an end to more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China.

Dr Sun visited Taiwan three times -- in 1900, 1913 and 1918 -- when the island was under Japanese colonial rule. Inspired by his discourse, many young patriots emerged in Taiwan, some of whom headed to the mainland to participate in the revolution while others organized anti-Japanese efforts on the island.

Today, many counties and cities across Taiwan and the mainland have roads or parks named after Dr?Sun.

"Unification is the hope of all Chinese nationals. If China can be unified, all Chinese will enjoy a happy life; if it cannot, all will suffer," Dr Sun once said.

Hua Chuen-hsiung, honor chairman of the Alliance for China's Peaceful Reunification USA, said in his speech that Dr Sun's ideas could help boost integrated development through cross-Strait exchanges and advance toward peaceful reunification.

Liu Yuan-tsun, professor emeritus at Soochow University in Taiwan, noted that Dr Sun's thought has had a profound influence on both sides of the Strait.

He added that the two sides of the Strait should work together to carry forward the patriotic spirit and core ideals of saving the nation championed by Dr. Sun.

Last year, China's top political advisory body adopted a decision to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr Sun Yat-sen.

According to the decision, a grand commemoration will be held to commemorate Dr?Sun's immortal contributions to national independence, social progress and people's well-being, and to consolidate and strengthen the great unity of all Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad.

It also seeks to advance the peaceful development of relations across the Strait and the great cause of national reunification, and to rally the strength of the entire Chinese nation for building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, according to the decision.

Local media professional Chang Chun-kai said that revisiting Dr Sun's efforts to pursue national reunification holds important contemporary significance on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of his birth.

Despite attempts by secessionists seeking "Taiwan independence" to diminish or erase Dr Sun's influence, commemorative activities held across the Strait over the years have demonstrated that his thought and spirit have been passed down from generation to generation, becoming a shared spiritual legacy for people on both sides, Chang said.