Thousands of Chinese attended a grand tribute ceremony to the Yellow Emperor, also known as Huangdi, to pray for national prosperity and for peace and harmony worldwide. Huangdi is believed to have reigned over the central part of present-day China nearly 5,000 years ago. He is a central figure in ancient Chinese history and considered to be a common ancestor of the Chinese nation. Xinzheng City in Zhenghou is known as Huangdi's hometown, and the ceremony there gathered Chinese from home and abroad. These rituals have been recognized by the State Council as a national intangible cultural heritage.