ZHENGZHOU, China, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On March 31, 2025, the Ancestor Worship Ceremony of the Yellow Emperor in the Year of Yisi was held in Xinzheng, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. The Chinese from the globe gathered at the Yellow Emperor’s hometown to pray for national rejuvenation and share common hopes of world peace. The grand ceremony was themed “Same Root, Same Ancestor, Same Origin”, paying homage to the Ancestor of Chinese Civilization.
Scene of the Ancestor Worship Ceremony (Photo by He Ning)
“The Yellow Emperor marks the beginning of Chinese civilization. A series of archaeological discoveries have confirmed that the Yellow Emperor’s era was spanning from the origin to the initial formation of civilization,” explained Wang Wei, former chairman of the Chinese Archaeological Society and director of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
Chen Linchun, chief director of the Ancestor Worship Ceremony, stated that the ceremony contains the codes of Henan civilization: Zheng-Han Ancient City was the capital of the Zheng and Han states during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The costume designs for this year’s ceremony were inspired by styles from the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods; while the ceremonial music and dance performances were choreographed based on stone carvings, murals, and reliefs unearthed at Henan archaeological sites. “While there were innovations, they were all based on historical and cultural evidence,” he explained.
The Ancestor Worship Ceremony serves as a spiritual bond that unites the Chinese nation. Wen Shanan, Secretary-General of the China-Thailand Cultural Exchange Association and President of the Wen Clan Association of Thailand, said, “As overseas Chinese, we have been promoting people-to-people exchange between the two countries, and we have kept in mind that Henan is our ancestral root.”
Dato’ Seri Ang Lai Hee, a fourth-generation Malaysian Chinese, attended the Ancestor Worship Ceremony. He has long been committed to protecting the heritage of Yellow Emperor culture in Malaysia.
Jason Dane Castleton, an American friend, was deeply moved when he saw the ceremony. He exclaimed, “Such Chinese culture is really amazing.”
Recently, parallel worship ceremonies have been held in Sydney, San Francisco, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and other global cities. As global Chinese communities paid homage to their common ancestor, they not only reconnected with the roots of Chinese civilization but also built bridges for cross-civilization dialogue.
During the event, Zhengzhou Radio and Television Station collaborated with nearly fifty Chinese-language media outlets worldwide to broadcast the Ancestor Worship Ceremony, sharing this significant moment with a global audience.
