ZHENGZHOU, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 10,000 Chinese people from over 40 countries and regions attended a grand ceremony Sunday morning in central China's Henan Province to worship the country's legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor.
March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Sunday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi.
The ceremony was held in Zhengzhou city, capital of Henan Province, where Huangdi built the capital of the Huaxia Empire after he united all the tribes in China 5,000 years ago.
The theme of this year's ceremony is "Same Root and Same Ancestor, Peace and Harmony." The ceremonial rituals included firing salute cannons, presenting flower baskets, offering incense, a worshipping ceremony, music and dance worship.
On Sunday, a series of cultural exhibitions including film and TV series, art and calligraphy, and books was also held in Zhengzhou.
Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng, which is governed by Zhengzhou. He is regarded as the common ancestor of all Chinese.
Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage by the State Council.
