China's Tsinghua University, one of the country's prime institutions of higher learning, celebrated its centennial anniversary on Sunday.

President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, and other state and Communist Party leaders including Jia Qinglin, Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang attended the celebration at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Originally founded in 1911 as a training school for students aiming to study abroad, the university has been known for training tens of thousands of scientists and engineers for the country since 1949.

Tsinghua's alumni include President Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Vice President Xi Jinping, and former premier Zhu Rongji.