A painting and calligraphy exhibition has kicked off in Chengdu of Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The display commemorates the centennial of the "Sichuan Protect Railway Rights Revolution," a major event that laid a solid foundation for the Xinhai Revolution of 1911.

A hundred years ago, people in Sichuan were fighting for their rights to operate the railway in the province independently. During the revolution, the people rebelled against the government of the Qing dynasty. Government forces in Hubei Province were dispatched to suppress the rebellion in Sichuan, which created an opportunity for the Wuchang Uprising in Hubei Province.

Historically the Wuchang Uprising is known as the tipping point of the Xinhai Revolution -- the event that overthrew the Qing government, bringing thousands of years of monarchy to an end.