The 5th cross-Straits folk ancestor worship ceremony takes place at the Yan Emperor Mausoleum in Gaoping, Shanxi province, on May 30. [Photo/sxgov.cn] 

The 5th cross-Straits folk ancestor worship ceremony took place at the Yan Emperor Mausoleum in Gaoping, a county-level city in North China's Shanxi province on May 30, according to local officials. 

Officials said that the event was held to promote traditional Chinese culture and cross-Straits spiritual ties, and to expand cross-Straits economic, trade and cultural exchanges and cooperation. 

Due to the current situations of the novel coronavirus outbreak, an online ancestor worship and praying platform was launched for Chinese around the world and a television studio invited two scholars to discuss and explore culture of the Yan Emperor, a legendary pioneer of ancient Chinese agriculture, during the event.

By the noon on the day, officials said that 30.1 million people visited the online platform of this year's event, honoring their ancestors and praying for blessings. 

Gaoping, birthplace of the Yan Emperor, is the region with the richest cultural resources of the Yan Emperor nationwide, and the local Yan Emperor Mausoleum has become a sacred place for Chinese all over the world to seek their roots and honor their ancestors. 

The county-level city has also held a series of business, trade, cultural and tourism promotions in recent years, which has helped local economic development and facilitated economic and cultural cooperation between Shanxi and Taiwan.