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Seek out your roots at Suizhou's Yandi Festival
By Zhou Lihua and Wu Changying (China Daily Hubei Bureau)
Updated: 2009-05-18 16:18

Chinese people from all over the world are being called upon to salute their ancestry later this month when the first ever "Seek Out Your Roots Festival" is staged in Suizhou in central China's Hubei province.

Suizhou, one of the province's most historical and cultural cities, is widely acknowledged as the birthplace of Yandi, also known as the Emperor Yan, who is widely believed in China to be the common ancestor of the Chinese people.

The event will be held on May 20 (April 26 on the Chinese lunar calendar), the day long considered as the birthday of the father of the nation.

Birthplace of Yandi

Historical records show that Yandi and his people originally came from Lishan town, formerly Lieshan, a small town some 20 km north of Suizhou. It was here, over 5,000 years ago, that Yandi - also known as Shennong or "the Divine Farmer" - first emerged as a legendary figure among the Chinese people.

Yandi is celebrated for introducing major agricultural innovations to the Chinese people of ancient times. He is credited with the invention of "slash-and-burn cultivation" and for devising tools, such as the plough. He is also said to have sampled hundreds of plants in a bid to find the ideal ingredients to produce herbal medicines, and is known for pioneering the installation of markets for bartering and trade.

His achievements, alongside those of fellow tribal leader Huangdi ("the Yellow Emperor"), have long seen the two of them esteemed as the co-founders of both the Chinese nation and its civilization. This is why, traditionally, Chinese people refer to themselves as the descendants of Yandi and Huangdi.

The vice president of the Hubei Academy of Social Sciences and an expert on ancient Chinese civilization, Liu Yutang, said: "It has been proved, by many historical documents and cultural relics, that Suizhou is undoubtedly the birthplace of Yandi."

According to Liu's research, more than 140 ancient documents and records testify to Lieshan being the birthplace of this founding father - some of them dating back as far as the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

There are also documents showing Yandi's techniques in educating people as to the best way to farm the land in Lieshan. The earliest of these documents dates back to the pre-Qin era (770-221 BC) and includes the Guoyu and The Book of Rites.

Liu said: "The idea of Suizhou as Yandi's original home is now widely accepted by Chinese people, both at home and abroad."

Since the 1980s, Lieshan clan associations from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and overseas have sent delegations back to Suizhou every year to mark their respects to their venerable forefather. These clan associations now claim a total of 34 million members across the world, all said to recognize that their roots lie in Lieshan.

The city government of Suizhou now runs an annual celebration to mark Yandi's birthday every April 26, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It is an occasion that sees many of Yandi's descendants from across the world return to honor his memory.

Culture and Tourism

Aside from being the birthplace of Yandi, Suizhou is also known as a land of chime bells and the classic music of ancient times.

A set of bronze chime bells, said to be the heaviest musical instruments in the world, were unearthed in 1978 inside the Tomb of Marquis Yi of the Zeng State. The bells date back to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and were acclaimed as one of the greatest discoveries in world musical history.

Ma Qingming, secretary of the Suizhou Municipal Party Committee, said: "Cultural resources are Suizhou's greatest advantage. We should make most of this strength of our city."

In recent years, Suizhou has initiated several major cultural projects, including the building of the 80 milion-yuan Suizhou Museum. The Suizhou government also invested 150 million yuan in the construction of a 24 km-long expressway connecting the area's two most popular tourist attractions - Yandi's birthplace and the chime bell museum.

In consultation with members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suizhou has spent 200 million yuan on the restoration of Yandi's one-time residence. This is part of an initiative to establish a Grade AAAA National Tourism Spot and create an international visitor brand.

The first stage of the construction of the 66-hectare central area has already been completed.

Industrial advantage

Despite its classic heritage, Suizhou also prides itself on being a vibrant, modern and forward-thinking city.

Contemporary Suizhou has developed a particular strength in automotive manufacture. It is now home to more than 170 vehicle manufacturers and related companies working in a 20 km-long industry "corridor" specially designated for the automotive industry.

This corridor features some of the well-known names in the Chinese automotive industry, including Sinotruck, Hubei Aviation, the Shuanglong Special-Purpose Vehicle Co Ltd and the Hong Kong Fortune Group.

Qixing Group, a local special-purpose vehicle company which specializes in car body manufacturing, has assets worth 560 million yuan. The company's annual sales have already exceeded 600 million yuan, prior to paying 100 million in taxes.

As well as manufacturing, the area has also remained very much in touch with its agricultural past. Sanligang, a town near Suizhou, is famous for its shiitake mushrooms, the highest volume agricultural export produced in Hubei. Last year, the export value of Suizhou's shiitake mushrooms reached 100 million yuan.

As well as mushrooms, the area is also celebrated for its orchid production. Wanhe town, a suburb of Suizhou, produces 80 percent of China's orchid crop with an annual turnover of $70 million.

The Seek Out Your Roots Festival has been set up as both a cultural celebration and the backdrop for a number of trade shows.

According to the organizing committee of the economic and trade cooperation conference of the festival, around 20 contracts will be signed during the festival. These are expected to involve an investment of 2.4 billion yuan. The organizers are also planning a special-purpose vehicle exhibition, covering an area of up to 24,000 sq m.

Grand homecoming event

Ma Qingming, secretary of the Suizhou Municipal Party Committee said: "One of the most important goals we hope to achieve, through the festival, is the promotion of Suizhou's image. We hope to raise awareness of the city and its reputation. We'd like to build an open platform, attracting investment from both home and abroad and accelerating the city's development.

"The festival will showcase the prosperity of Suizhou to all visitors and highlight its advantages for business start-ups."

Liu Xiaoming, mayor of Suizhou, said: "Although Suizhou is rich in both natural and cultural resources, the city is not famous yet. We hope to utilize the resources we have and create [a brand for the] city."

It is estimated that around 20,000 people will attend the Seek Out Your Roots Festival. Many of the participants are overseas Chinese, returning from over 50 countries and regions around the world.

One of the highlights of the festival is planned to be "A Journey to Seek Out Your Roots". This will see many tour groups, organized in association with international travel agencies, visit Yandi's home and pay their respects to the hugely important historical figure. The trips will take place over 10 days from May 15 to 25.

The centerpiece ceremony will take place on May 20. This will see the unveiling of a statue of Yandi and a ritual to pray for his blessing.

Tian Chengzhong, vice governor of Hubei province, said: "The government should pay close attention to the event and host a high level celebration."

Ma echoed his words as to the significance of the day: "We ought to attach great importance to this festival, as though we were preparing for the Olympic Games."