Chinese people pay homage to Huangdi

XI'AN - More than 400 Chinese people, including overseas Chinese, attended a ceremony in northwest China's Shaanxi province on Thursday to pay homage to Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor.

The ceremony is traditionally held on Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, which falls on Thursday this year. Chinese people mourn their deceased family members and worship their ancestors during the Qingming holiday.

The legendary Huangdi is considered to have been the founder of the Chinese civilization and the common ancestor of all Chinese people.

Those who participated in the ceremony made offerings of flower baskets to Huangdi during the ceremony. Participants included Peng Qinghua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Jiang Zuojun, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, Zhao Yide, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shaanxi Provincial Committee, and Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

This year's ceremony was co-hosted by the Shaanxi provincial government, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.