Ancestor worship ceremony (file photo)

The ancestor worship ceremony for the Yellow Emperor will be held in his hometown of Xinzheng, in Zhengzhou, Henan province on April 2, 2014. And preparation for the ceremony is already in full swing.

Xuanyuan, the Yellow Emperor, is the primogenitor of Chinese civilization, and Xinzheng is a state-level key cultural protection unit established by the State Council. It's a tradition for Chinese people to worship the Yellow Emperor publicly, which started from Spring and Autumn Period (722-476 BC).

This year's ceremony theme is "the same root, same ancestor and same isogeny，peace, concord and harmony." The ceremony is composed of nine steps, which are listed as an intangible cultural heritage.

Ding Shixian, executive deputy director and secretary general of the Ancestor Worship Ceremony Committee, said the ceremony will further elucidate the important role Yellow Emperor culture plays in traditional Chinese culture, and will explore the culture's unique creativity, values, distinctive features and the traditional virtues.

A series of activities in areas such as economics and trade, along with culture and other subjects will be held from March 31 to April 15.

Ding said the success of the ancestor worship ceremony in the Yellow Emperor's hometown over the past eight years has already become an essential contemporary cultural project. The yearly ceremony has brought in a significant number of investment and cooperation projects that have provided solid economic benefits for Zhengzhou, with new ones planned to create a strong impetus for the city in Henan province. So far the ceremony has helped the city accumulate billions of yuan since it first began, and has greatly enhanced the development potential of Zhengzhou and Henan Province.

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