Henan is the birthplace of Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor. On Wednesday, a ritual was held to honor his birthday, which falls on the third day of March according to the lunar calendar.

Henan holds ritual at birthplace of imperial ancestor

With a 21-gun salute fired into the sky, the annual ritual begins in honor of the Yellow Emperor. People from all over the world gather in Xinzheng, long considered to be Huangdi's birthplace.

"I've been living in Hong Kong for 20 years. It's my first time to come here and commemorate our Chinese ancestor. I feel really happy and excited." said Wang Zhongying, Visitor from Hong Kong.

"We have a long long history. And we share the same ancestor, Huandi. I hope there will be more cooperation in culture and economics." said Lin Jinyu, Visitor from Taiwan.

This year, this ritual is also being held at a venue in Taiwan at the same time. Some local politicians and residents attend.

"I hope the ritual will help us remember Chinese history and the difficulties we have been through. We should improve cross-Strait relations and work together to realize the nation's great rejuvenation." said Hsu Li-The, Kuomintang Party.

Thrift is one of the key words of this year's ritual. Fewer flowers and red carpets can be seen during the event.