Ceremonies took place place in Beijing on Sunday to mark the 87th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.

Politburo member Yin Li presided over a ceremony at the Museum of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression near the bridge.

Starting at 9 am, it began with the national anthem. Poems and songs were then sung by students from the capital. Attendees left floral tributes and bowed to pay their respects to those who had laid down their lives fighting the Japanese.

The ceremony was attended by about 500 people, including war veterans and family members of those who had taken part.

Known locally as the Lugou Bridge Incident, it took place on July 7, 1937 when Japanese forces attacked Chinese troops on the bridge in the outskirts of Beijing. The incident is recognised as the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China. (With additional reporting from Xinhua)