Chinese people pay tributes to legendary ancestor
This photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows a view of a ceremony to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)
Approximately 5,000 Chinese people attended a grand ceremony on Thursday morning in central China's Henan Province to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor.
Held in Xinzheng City, the ceremonial rituals included firing salute cannons, presenting flower baskets, burning incense, a worshipping ceremony, and tributes through music and dance.
Sixty-four dancers performed Bayi, an iconic ceremonial dance in ancient China, while 99 Chinese zither players sat around, playing melodious ancient music.
"The ancestral worship ceremony is an important ritual in Chinese traditional culture, which showcases the profound cultural heritage, solidarity and progressive spirit of the entire Chinese nation," said Wang Runze, deputy head of the School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China.
The ceremony was conducted simultaneously both on-site and online, allowing for wider participation and engagement.
In addition to the ceremony, numerous other activities were arranged, such as a merchants' conference, a cultural forum, and the start of a dedicated cultural week celebrating Huangdi.
March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Thursday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi.
As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng, which is administered by the provincial capital Zhengzhou.
Xinzheng annually hosts grand ancestral worship ceremonies, initially organized spontaneously by local residents.
However, in the 1990s, the Xinzheng city government took the initiative to organize and promote these ceremonies, gradually elevating them into culturally significant events with widespread domestic and international influence.
Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.
Related articles
Four people killed in a house explosion in southwestern Missouri
GOODHOPE, Mo. (AP) — Four people in rural Missouri died when an explosion that could be heard 10 mil2024-05-21Lugo pitches 7 crisp innings as the Royals beat the White Sox 2
CHICAGO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven crisp innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City2024-05-21- Rap beefs are an integral part of the fabric of hip-hop and when it comes to Drake and Kendrick Lama2024-05-21
China unveils plan to promote trade
China has rolled out specific measures to facilitate and encourage trade-ins of consumer goods, acco2024-05-21Liverpool confirms Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp's replacement
Arne Slot will take on one of the most daunting challenges in soccer by replacing Jurgen Klopp as Li2024-05-21China launches new remote sensing satellite
A Long March-2D carrier rocket carrying the Yaogan-42 01 satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satel2024-05-21
atest comment