A ritual to worship Chinese ancestor, the Yellow Emperor

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‍An annual ceremony was held to worship the Yellow Emperor, or Huangdi, a Chinese ancestor, on Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Some 10,000 people attended the event on Thursday at the emperor's mausoleum in Huangling County, Shaanxi Province in northwest China.

In delivering an oration, Liu Guozhong, governor of Shaanxi, said that it was a good and pleasant Spring day for Chinese to visit Qiaoshan, where the mausoleum is located, to attend the memorial for the Yellow Emperor, the initiator of Chinese civilization, and said to be the ancestor of all Huaxia Chinese more than 4,700 years ago.

Those who attended weren't just from the Chinese mainland. There were residents from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas.

Over 300 Taiwan compatriots were present at the ceremony, including Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the Kuomintang party, and New Party chairman Yok Mu-ming.

The memorial ceremony in Huangling County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. /VCG Photo

Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council Liu Jieyi expressed the hope for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to work together for the greater national interest.

"People across the Straits share the same roots. We are all Chinese. We remember our common ancestor," Liu said.

Students across the Straits were impressed. Hou Youyu from Taiwan said that she made pleasant talk with friends here in the past and this time as well.

On stage, people in traditional costumes danced, played musical instruments, delivered orations, and expressed their respect for the Yellow Emperor.

The first recorded sacrifice made for the Yellow Emperor at the site was in 442 BC. Over the years, ceremonial offerings became a tradition, and the mausoleum has been held a sacred place for Chinese across the world.

According to the organizers, the memorial ceremony aims to bring unity to the Chinese across the world, as well as understanding and care for each other.