The Yellow Emperor, Huangdi, is the legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation. And this Thursday, which is the third day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar, marks the day when Huangdi unified his people. Over three thousand people from all walks of life descended in Xinzheng in central China's Henan province, the birth place of the Yellow Emperor, to pay respect to their common ancestor.
Huangdi is considered the legendary ruler and ancestor of the Chinese nation. Born Gongsun Xuanyuan, he lived about four-thousand years ago. He was the leader of one of the strongest tribes that farmed along the middle reaches of the Yellow River in Northwest China. According to legend, he was given the title "Yellow Emperor" because that was and is the color of the fertile soil of the region and which the emperor made a special point of honoring.
Huangdi was victorious in many battles against rival tribes. This led to his unification of the peoples of the Yellow River Basin and his successful imposition of peace on what was the whole of the known world at that time.
This representative gathering of Huangdi's descendants is seen as an important celebration of the roots of China's civilization.