4,500-year-old Yan Emperor links modern neighbors
Updated: 2016-05-16 08:40
By Sun Ruisheng / Li Yang(China Daily)
|
||||||||
About 2,000 people, more than half of them from Taiwan, attended an annual memorial ceremony on Saturday for the Yan Emperor in what is thought to have been his hometown in Gaoping, Shanxi province.
The Yan Emperor was a legendary Chinese ruler who lived about 4,500 years ago. He is also known as Shennong, or holy farmer, and is credited with spreading farming technology, inventing tools, finding herbs and collecting grain seeds.
The eighth day of the fourth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Saturday this year, is believed to be the birthday of the Yan Emperor. The ceremony was held at a newly renovated tomb and adjacent temple, which consists of about 300 halls covering 11 hectares.
Yok Mu-ming, president of Taiwan's New Party, who was a keynote speaker, said: "Chinese from the two sides of the Taiwan Straits have the same ancestors. The purpose of our joint memorial for the Yan Emperor is peace and harmony for future generations. The two sides should help each other's economy for the rise of China."
It is estimated that there are 146 Yan Emperor temples in Taiwan.
Some delegates of the temples took part in the ceremony and will take back incense ashes as a symbol of the two sides' sharing the same root.
Residents offered ritual sacrifices before a statue of the Yan Emperor, and some students from Taiwan who attend a school in Dongguan performed for the ceremony.
Song Heping, spokesman for the Gaoping government, said there are hundreds of ancient temples, stone tablets and historical sites, as well as a strong folk culture surrounding the Yan Emperor in Gaoping, dating to at least 2,000 years ago. The county - specifically the region around Yangtou Mountain - was believed to be the emperor's birthplace, main region of activity and burial site.
Contact the writers at liyang@chinadaily.com.cn
Students in traditional costumes perform during the annual memorial ceremony for the Yan Emperor in Gaoping, Shanxi province, on Saturday. Sun Ruisheng / China Daily |
(China Daily 05/16/2016 page5)
- Karst wonderland in Southwest China
- Love on the rubble: wedding stories after deadly quake eight years ago
- Italy's violin-makers struggle to hit profitable note
- High-tech gadgets shine at CES Asia in Shanghai
- Cannes Film Festival opens amid terror threat
- Supporters of Rousseff clash with police as her removal looms
- Lego opens world's largest store at Shanghai Disney
- Exhibition of table setting art held in Beijing
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Liang avoids jail in shooting death
China's finance minister addresses ratings downgrade
Duke alumni visit Chinese Embassy
Marriott unlikely to top Anbang offer for Starwood: Observers
Chinese biopharma debuts on Nasdaq
What ends Jeb Bush's White House hopes
Investigation for Nicolas's campaign
Will US-ASEAN meeting be good for region?
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |