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 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. Sunday is also the last day of the three-day holiday of Qingming Festival, when Chinese sweep tombs of their deceased families and worship ancestors.
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.
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.
Also on Sunday, the city of Zoucheng, east China's Shandong Province, also held a ceremony to worship Fuxi and Nuwa, the even earlier primogenitors of the Chinese in mythology.
Thousands of people from China and beyond attended the event at the ruins of the Xihuang Temple in Guoli Town, watching as dancers, dressed in hide and leaves, wielded torches and stone spears to simulate primitive labor scenes while paying tribute to Fuxi and Nuwa's feats including inventing fishing and hunting and domesticating animals.
Zoucheng, also known as the hometown of philosopher Mencius, is home to the largest number of Fuxi culture remains in China.
