A piece of calligraphy by Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), leader of the 1911 Revolution that ended China's imperial rule, has been sold to the highest bid at auction for 500,000 yuan ($75,725), the Nanfang Daily reported on Friday.

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A collector in Shanghai bought the handwriting, with only two Chinese characters "Bo Ai"(meaning "universal love"), at a price of several thousand yuan about two years ago. The work gained a fourfold increase in one year as the memorial day of the 1911 Revolution approaches, he said.

The year 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of 1911 Revolution which broke out on October 10, 1911.