A funeral was held in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Tuesday morning to mourn the death of Gu Yue, an actor who was known across China for his portrayal of the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

Gu died of a heart failure last Saturday in Sanshui city, also in Guangdong province. He was 68.

Gu, with the original name of Hu Shixue, was born in Hankou in central China's Hubei Province in 1939.

Gu was chosen to play Mao by late Marshall Ye Jianying in 1978 and went on to appear as the late Chinese chairman in 84 films.

Source: Xinhua