Jackson fans mark anniversary of star's death

Fans remember Michael Jackson on June 25 at No.1 Jazz Coffee. [Photo by Sun Ye/China Daily]

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Songs from when he was part of The Jackson Five through to his solo years were played across radio stations, condolence messages flooded popular social platforms such as Sina Weibo and WeChat, and memorial gatherings were held on June 25, the anniversary of the day Jackson died.

At No.1 Jazz Coffee, a cafe in the south of Beijing, about 30 fans gathered for a small memorial service for the pop star in the evening. Candles were lit and a hat once owned by Michael Jackson and autographs from him were on display. The documentary Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon was also screened for emotional attendees.

"We will always hold Michael in our hearts," said Keen (not his real name), an organizer for a Michael Jackson fan group in China. "As long as we carry on remembering him, his spirit will live on."

"We have become better people because of Michael, and we believe in love," he said.

"He's the greatest artist of the last century - no one can ever compete with him," Wang Yujing, a policeman, wrote on his micro blog account, using the hash tag "Michael Jackson". "He's the superstar among superstars."

More than 25 million posts as of June 25 included the star's name.