04-06-2007 09:07
Thursday marks the Qingming festival in China. That's when Chinese traditionally pay their respects to family members and forerunners who have passed away. They also pay tribute to the Yellow Emperor, Huangdi, who's widely recognized as the legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation.
Huangdi is considered the legendary ruler and ancestor of the Chinese nation. Named Gongsun Xuanyuan, he lived about four-thousand years ago. He led one of the strongest tribes that farmed along the middle reaches of the Yellow River in Northwest China. According to legend, he was given the title "Yellow Emperor" because he honored the earth, which reflected that color in the area he lived.
Huangdi was victorious in many battles against rival tribes. He also unified the Yellow River Basin and brought peace to the known world in China at that time. And with peace, came civilization. Many major advances were realized during his reign. Among them, the invention of Chinese characters, musical instruments, medicine, a counting system and even silk cloth.
Legend has it that Huangdi died at the grand old age of one-hundred and ten, and was flown to heaven on the back of a yellow dragon.
Huangdi's descendants built a mausoleum in his honor near today's Xi'an city in northwest China's Shaanxi province. And ceremonies to worship the emperor have continued for much of China's history.
Editor:Liu Fang
