A grand ceremony was held in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Sunday to pay homage to Huangdi (Yellow Emperor), who is considered to have been the founder of the Chinese civilization and the common ancestor of all Chinese people.

The ceremony took place at the Yellow Emperor's mausoleum on the top of Qiaoshan Mountain in Huangling County on the Qingming Festival, or the Tomb-Sweeping Day, a venerable Chinese tradition dedicated to honoring the deceased and ancestral worship.
Representatives of Chinese people at home and abroad paid their tribute in front of the main hall which hosts a relief sculpture of the Yellow Emperor, expressing their remembrance of the ancestor's contributions and their determination to carry forward his legacy. An oration was read out following a floral tribute presentation. Ceremonial performances were also staged.
This year's Qingming Festival falls on Sunday.