Zhejiang releases logo for Huangdi worship ritual

At a press conference held on Sept 29, the Zhejiang provincial government released the official logo for the China Xiandu Huangdi Worship Ritual, which is scheduled to be held in Xiandu scenic area in the province's Jinyun county on Oct 14.

Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor, is a mythological-historical figure who was believed to be the sovereign of a united China around 5,000 years ago. Chinese people living across the world tend to call themselves "descendants of Yandi and Huangdi", since Yandi, a sovereign who eventually succumbed to Huangdi and merged their two tribes together, as well as Huangdi have long been viewed as the two most important founders of the ancient Chinese civilization.

Legend has it that Huangdi culminated his life in Dinghu Peak, located in modern day Xiandu scenic area, by riding a dragon there to heaven. As a result, the area is called Xiandu, which means "fairyland" in Chinese.

Xiandu scenic area is located in Jinyun county, Lishui city, Zhejiang province. [Photo/IC]

Jinyun's tradition of hosting Huangdi worship rituals dates back to 1,600 years ago. In 1998, local authorities reconstructed an ancestral temple of Huangdi in Xiandu scenic area and revived the ritual there.

The ritual was included on the list of national-level intangible cultural heritage items in 2011. In July, the central government approved the Zhejiang provincial government to replace the Lishui municipal government as the permanent host of the ritual. As a result, Jinyun, along with Huanglin county in Shaanxi province and Xinzheng in Henan province, are currently the nation's three most important sites in Huangdi's legend.

The pattern for the ritual's official logo incorporates three major elements. First, it is an art font for the Chinese character "Xian", which represents "Xiandu". Second, the upright stroke in the middle of the pattern symbolizes Dinghu Peak. Third, the shape of the line in the pattern resembles a Chinese dragon totem.

The official logo for the China Xiandu Huangdi Worship Ritual is released on Sept 29. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]