Thousands pay tribute to Yellow Emperor on Tomb Sweeping Day

Updated: 2016-04-05 07:55

By Ma Lie in Yan'an, Shaanxi(China Daily)

Actresses perform at a ceremony at the mausoleum to Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) in Huangling, Shaanxi province, to pay their respects to the legendary figure regarded as the initiator of Chinese civilization, April 4, 2016. [Photo by Liu Qiang/For China Daily]

The ceremony was held to coincide with Tomb Sweeping Day, or Qingming Festival, when Chinese honor their ancestors by burning incense and placing flowers on tombs.

The rituals on Qianshan Mountain included 550 actors and college students performing a dance of worship.

The Yellow Emperor is said to have been born in Xinzheng, in what is now Henan province, about 5,000 years ago.