 Chinese from countries around the world gather at Xinzheng, the birth place of Xuanyuan Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, to offer sacrifices and worship the first ancestor of the Chinese people.
Dating back their civilized history to 5000 years ago, the Chinese are known as the descendents of Yanhuang. Both Yandi and Huangdi were tribal chiefs in their time. With their combined forces, they defeated Chiyou, another tribal leader and Huangdi united China after 52 battles. All Chinese, despite their nationalities, regard Huangdi as their ancestor. Huangdi, the initiator of Chinese civilization, was hence worshipped by his descendents. The Yanhuang Cultural Festival, launched in 1992, offers an opportunity for people of Chinese origin to meet and communicate. China Today takes you to Xinzheng, the birthplace of Huangdi for a closer look.
For thousands of years, Huangdi has been the symbol of Chinese Civilization, and today he represents the desire for the reunification of the nation. To carry forward traditional culture and unify the Chinese nation, a fund for the renovation of the Mausoleum of Huangdi was established in Beijing in 1992. This year, some 200 people from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao donated about US$16,000 for the renovation project. In addition to monuments memorializing the return of Hong Kong and Macao to the mainland, space has also been left for a monument commemorating Taiwan′s reunification with the motherland.
Every year on March 3 of the lunar calendar, the day when the first emperor in China established the first nation in Chinese history, people of Chinese origin from home and abroad gather in Xinzheng, the birthplace of Xuanyuan Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, to offer sacrifices and worship this legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation. Legend holds that the emperor united different tribes on March 3 and held a ceremony with an impressive display of power and influence. There still remain plenty of vestiges that can be found in the Xinzheng area. To respect this great Emperor, his descendants have held large ceremonies of worship since the epoch of Spring and Autumn (770-446 BC). In 1992, the Henan provincial government authorized Xinzheng city to begin to hold the Yanhuang Cultural Festival, which has been attracting descendents of Yanhuang from America, Japan, Korea, Canada and other nations and areas each year. They come back to worship, seeking their roots here in China. Grand ceremonies and various activities are arranged to memorialize this great emperor. The children are singing a eulogy for him:
Because Huangdi was born on the Loess Plateau and the nation was divided by the Yellow River, he was called Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor. At that time, the Yellow River valley was an agricultural center, benefiting from a warm climate, fertile land, forests and abundant water sources.
Attracted by the long history and rich culture of China, many foreigners also came upon this occasion to witness and show their respect to the founder of Chinese civilization.
〝Xinzheng is the hometown of Emperor Xuanyuan. He was the first ancestor of the Chinese people. I′d like to pay our respect and admiration to the first and greatest emperor of China.〞A foreign visitor said.
Many overseas Chinese are present at the ceremony. Fast economic development and a stable social environment in China over the past two decades endow China with a strengthened image in the international community and at the same time are attracting many returnees to start their businesses in their home country. They are proud of their Chinese origins. They are proud that they are Huangdi′s descendents. They come back to make investment with a strong will for China to become stronger and more prosperous.
Zhao Guoling, researcher with International Humanities Institute, said: 〝Yellow Emperor, also called Huangdi, is regarded as the most respected of all Chinese emperors. Before Huangdi, China was still a primitive society consisting of thousands of tribes. Huangdi united the whole country and made his capital in Youxiong, namely today′s Xinzheng city in Henan province. The 5000-year-lonh Chinese history actually originated from this very first dynasty.〞
Xinzheng City lies in the center of Henan Province in central China. It is a satellite city of Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province. Huangdi made Xinzheng his capital and initiated the fabulous Chinese culture. During the Spring and Autumn period, the Zheng and Han made their capital here in Xinzheng for hundreds of years. Xinzheng is listed as the first of the ten ancient capitals of China. Huangdi was a great tribal chief at the time when China′s primitive era was drawing to a close. He gave birth to Chinese civilization and is said to have invented jade weapons, carts, boats, bows and arrows. His wife Luo Zu was supposed to have been good at raising silkworms. Huangdi′s achievements went down in history because he punished evil and united the Chinese nation for the first time. Huangdi established his reign and completed the transition from matriarchy to patriarchy. He turned China into a civilized society.
Yang Xue, deputy director of Xinzheng Municipal Bureau of Culture, said: 〝Without Huangdi, neither the Chinese nation nor our wonderful territory could exist today.〞
Today, the Yanhuang Cultural Festival serves not only as an occasion for Huangdi′s descendents to worship their ancestor, but also an opportunity to attract external investments. Xinzheng is steadily marching into the 21 century, taking vigorous strides. Up to now over 1100 traders and investors have settled down here. Funds invested exceed 4 billion yuan, and over 70 million US dollars of foreign capital has been invested in various projects.
Along the intertwining bloodroots, we come on search of you; Following the roaring yellow River, we come to pay homage to you.
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