The annual Cross-Strait Yan Emperor Folk Ancestor Worship Ceremony takes place at the Yan Emperor Mausoleum in Gaoping on May 26. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] 

The annual Cross-Strait Yan Emperor Folk Ancestor Worship Ceremony was held at the Yan Emperor Mausoleum in Gaoping, a county-level city in North China's Shanxi province, on May 26.

The Association for Yan Huang Culture of China, the Shanxi Yan Emperor Culture Studies Association, and the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang sponsored the ceremony.

Government officials from Gaoping, Jincheng, and Shanxi, some 650 residents and businesspeople from Taiwan, people from economic and trade circles, and locals attended the ceremony. Taiwan compatriots and the global Chinese community worshipped their ancestors through an online worship platform and videos.

A ritual is held at the worship ceremony in Gaoping on May 26. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Gaoping is rich in cultural resources related to the Yan Emperor, a legendary pioneer of ancient Chinese agriculture, and it has formed a unique and complete cultural system revolving around the Yan Emperor. 

The county-level city has held the traditional worship ceremony annually since 2016 to promote the culture and spirit of the Yan Emperor. 

This year, apart from the worship ceremony, a series of theme activities, such as the Yan Emperor Agricultural Culture and Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Expert Exchange Meeting, Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation and Development Forum, an economic and trade cultural exchange symposium, and a cross-Strait traditional poetry conference, were also held recently.