A window to witness the rise of the Central Plains 三月三，拜轩辕
It is a Chinese tradition to perform parents' funerary rites with reverence and pay tribute to their ancestors. The 3rd Day of the 3rd Lunar Month is the day to worship Xuanyuan, the Yellow Emperor. This year, it falls on April 14th, and the Ancestor Worship Ceremony in the Hometown of the Yellow Emperor is held as scheduled in Xinzheng, the Yellow Emperor's hometown. Every year, a grand festival for Chinese people to seek their roots and pay tribute to their ancestors is celebrated on this day, serving as a window to witness the rise of the Central Plains.
中国人有慎终追远的传统，总不忘祭拜先人。“三月三，拜轩辕”。4月14日，在黄帝故里新郑市，辛丑年黄帝故里拜祖大典如约而至。每年“三月三”，不仅是炎黄子孙寻根问祖的盛大节日，也打开了中原崛起的一个个新视窗。
Yellow River Culture and Yellow Emperor Culture blend
黄河文化与黄帝文化交融汇集
The Yellow Emperor is our ancestor and the initiator of the Chinese civilization. Chinese history began with the Yellow Emperor, which was first recorded in theRecords of the Grand Historian (Shiji ) and subsequent historical documents. This year, Zhengzhou rolls out a range of creative activities to introduce the Yellow Emperor and invite people at home and abroad to participate in the worship event. Join us to listen to stories about the Yellow Emperor, discover more about the Yellow Emperor via Weibo, and appreciate cartoon images of the Yellow Emperor.
轩辕黄帝是华夏人文初祖，是中华文明的开启者，从《史记》起，黄帝就一直是中国史书上历史的开端。为了让更多海内外朋友了解轩辕黄帝，参与到拜祖活动中，今年郑州推出了一系列创意项目。听黄帝故事，看黄帝微博，品黄帝漫画……
Photo: Ma Jian
In addition, the Yellow River Culture Month, from April 14th to May 8th, will be launched jointly by nine provinces and autonomous regions along the Yellow River to showcase the Yellow River culture and the Yellow Emperor culture, the root of the Chinese culture. Other activities during the Yellow River Culture Month include the International Mayor's Forum on Tourism, the "Three Cities, Three Hundred Miles, and Three Thousand Years" Cultural Tourism, the Yellow River Basin Fine Arts Performance Season, the "Yellow River Culture" themed Art Salon, the China (Zhengzhou) Yellow River Chorus Week, and a Cultural Relics Exhibition from Nine Provinces along the Yellow River. Through these activities, the city aims to further enhance the global recognition of the Yellow River Culture and the Yellow Emperor Culture and improve their international visibility.
与此同时，为全面展示黄河文化、黄帝文化根脉，今年大典期间，会联合沿黄九省(区)统筹举办黄河文化月活动，从4月14日启动到5月8日结束。黄河文化月的主要活动除黄帝故里拜祖大典外，还有世界旅游城市市长论坛、“三座城三百里三千年”文化旅游、黄河流域舞台艺术精品演出季、黄河文化主题艺术沙龙、中国(郑州)黄河合唱周、沿黄九省区文物精品展等活动。郑州将通过黄河文化月活动，持续增强黄河文化、黄帝文化世界认同感，提升黄河文化、黄帝文化国际影响力。
"Cute Girls of the Tang Palace" dance gaily with bamboo slips in hand
唐宫小姐姐手持竹简翩翩起舞
In previous years, the key visual of the ancestor worship ceremony was about bamboo slips (writing materials in ancient China) and scrolls. This year, to better exhibit our country's prosperity and convey such a message to our ancestor Xuanyuan Emperor, elements such as bamboo slips and scrolls are largely omitted, replaced by giant LED screens on both sides of the main stage. The LEDs give a vivid display with brand-new interpretations matching the nine rituals. Seeing these dynamic displays, all the Chinese people share a spirit of unity.
往年的拜祖大典，均是以竹简、书卷为背景，为了更好地表现祖国如今的繁荣昌盛、国泰民安，向我们的祖先轩辕黄帝传达喜报，今年的拜祖大典主舞台缩减了竹简、书卷的元素，在背景两侧安装了LED大屏幕，配合九项仪程，并将每一项都赋予新的动画演示，以全新的内容来呈现，用一帧帧生动画面拉近所有炎黄子孙的距离。
Photo: Li Yan
The first ritual is called "A Grand Salute" where on-site rites and musical performances are given instead of firing gun salutes, offering a more elegant ceremony.
大典第一项仪程“盛世礼乐”，以礼乐方阵现场演奏的方式取代以往的鸣放礼炮，让整个典礼的启动更加典雅。
Photo: Ma Jian
In the seventh ritual "Song and Dance Performances", girls of the "Tang Palace Banquet" hold bamboo slips and dance with graceful posture in the setting of the key visual, showing the prosperity of the country and the well-off life of the people to their ancestors.
第七项“乐舞敬拜”邀请了唐宫小姐姐手持竹简，与主舞台背景相呼应，用婀娜舞姿表达所有炎黄子孙心中共同的报喜心愿。
Dress Up in Costumes online
“穿越换装”网上拜祖再升级
The online platform for Ancestor Worship and Blessing in the Hometown of the Yellow Emperor allows Chinese people worldwide to express their eternal love for the motherland and their sincerity to worship the ancestors. This year's ceremony continues the online ceremony in an upgraded manner. "Dress Up in Costumes" is enriched with more contents.
网上拜祖祈福平台让身处世界各地的中华儿女可以相约在屏幕前，共赴“心灵之约”。今年的大典既持续去年网上拜祖的方式，又全新升级。尤其是针对 “穿越换装”模块深入拓展，使内容更加丰盈。
The worship ritual combines traditional and stylish forms, and is more powerful to resonate with audiences.
“传统”与“新潮”并存的拜祖方式，让大典更能传递感动和力量。
A new window to witness the rise of the Central Plains
打开中原崛起的新视窗
Innovation is a source of cultural evolution. From the "Cute Girls of the Tang Palace" which went viral on social platforms to the Xuanyuan Emperor's making the list of hot topics, Zhengzhou demonstrates its cultural confidence through innovation.
创新是文化发展的动力源泉，从“唐宫小姐姐”出圈到轩辕黄帝登上热搜，郑州始终通过创新传递文化自信。
Ouyang Yingxin, the executive director, has been with the ceremony since 2009 and has been coming to Xinzheng, Zhengzhou every spring for the past 12 years. "I have a deep love for Zhengzhou. I've seen the growing influence of the Ancestor Worship Ceremony in the Hometown of the Yellow Emperor and the dramatic changes of Zhengzhou. Happy smiles of the Zhengzhou people present at the ceremony are the best rewards for our hard work," Ouyang said.
大典的执行总导演欧阳瑛鑫从2009年就和黄帝故里拜祖大典结缘，12年来每逢春天都会来到郑州新郑。她说：“我对郑州是情缘深重，不仅见证了黄帝故里拜祖大典的影响力逐渐加深，也见证了郑州日新月异的变化。每每看到参与大典上的郑州人绽放的幸福笑容，就让我们觉得再辛苦也值了!”
Photo: Ma Jian
"Worshiping Xuanyuan on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month", the day represents not only a grand festival for Chinese people to seek their roots and pay tribute totheir ancestors, but also a window to witness the rise of the Central Plains.
“三月三，拜轩辕”，每年的这一天，不仅是炎黄子孙寻根问祖的盛大节日，也打开了中原崛起的一个个新视窗。
Source 丨Wherezhengzhou
Chief Planner丨Shi Dadong
Managing Editor丨Xiong Vivi
Text丨Wang Yipin
Art Editor丨Wang Xiaoyu
Trainee Editor丨Xu Hanyu
Proofreader丨S. Jones (南非)
