Thousands pay tribute to Yellow Emperor on Tomb-Sweeping Day

Performers line up 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]

Hu Heping, the acting governor of Shaanxi, read an address in ancient Chinese prose.

"Today, Tomb Sweeping Day, sons and daughters of the Chinese nation hold a memorial ceremony for our ancestor the Yellow Emperor, who began Chinese civilization," he said. "Our civilization has a long history, and the nation's revival needs our hard work."

A 30-year-old man from Taichung, was one of more than 200 people from Taiwan who attended the ceremony. He said paying tribute to the Yellow Emperor is one of the best ways to inherit Chinese culture and traditions.

"It reminds us of where we start and the brotherhood we share across the Straits," he said.