The Memorial Ceremony to Ancestor Huang Di in His Native Place was held in Huang Di’s Hometown on April 11. The celebration takes place every year on the third day of the third month in the Chinese lunar calendar in Xinzheng City of Zhengzhou in central China’s Henan province. And this year is specially called the Jiachen Year (2024).
Themed “Peace, Concord and Harmony with One Same Root, Ancestor and Origin”, the ceremony was jointly sponsored by the People’s Government of Henan Province, the Henan Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots and the Association for Yan Huang Culture of China.
Chinese from around the world worshiped the legendary ancestor Huang Di, or the Yellow Emperor, praying for the prosperity of Chinese civilization and wishing the world peace and harmony.
The ceremony started at 9:40 a.m. with a gun salute. It was followed by a series of sections, including flower basket offering, incense burning, bow worshiping, prayers reading, carol singing, worship through song and dance, prayers for China, and prayers for harmony between nature and humans.
In the process of singing carols, singers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao and Chinese mainland and children from 56 ethnic groups across the country performed “Ode to Yellow Emperor.” As prayers were being read out for China, the Yellow River painting was rolled out, and 30 representatives from different walks of life stamped their blessings on it.
At 10:40 a.m., Kong Changsheng, chairman of the Henan Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, announced the conclusion of the Memorial Ceremony, which was witnessed by about 5,000 attendees, including representatives from all walks of life and reporters from nearly 100 media organizations.
The grand Memorial is not only a cultural event, but also a platform for cooperation and exchanges aimed at promoting mutually beneficial development. This year’s ceremony was held alongside an event for business negotiation and investment promotion, through which a number of project agreements were signed.
It has been a tradition in China since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (770-221 BC) to worship the Yellow Emperor. In 2008, the Memorial Ceremony was inscribed onto the national list of intangible cultural heritage of China.
Each year, Chinese all over the world, including those in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of China and those in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia hold activities to worship the Yellow Emperor, paying tribute to the respected ancestor.