[Custom] Sacrificial Ceremony for Emperor Yan

The Tomb of Emperor Yan, also known as "Tianzi (Son of Heaven) Tomb", is located at the foot of Yanling Mountain, which is 15 kilometers away from Yanling County of Zhuzhou City, Hunan province. Emperor Yan (Yandi), also called "Shennong Shi", was a clan leader in ancient times in China. Together with Emperor Huang, he was the forefather of the Chinese nation. It is his contributions in agriculture, industry, business, medicine, and education that make him an honorable god of all times.

There are both official and folk sacrificial ceremonies for Emperor Yan. The time-honored sacrificial ceremony for Emperor Yan in Yanling County is well-known for its various types of sacrifices, including sacrifices in the form of knowledge, material offerings, fire, music, and dragon dance, among which sacrifice done with dragon dance embodies the creativity of the Chinese people.

Since the reform and opening-up, the Tomb of Emperor Yan has gained more and more fame and has developed into a carrier of Yan Huang Culture and Chinese national spirit. The forming of Emperor Yan culture has undertook consanguineous, political, and cultural identifications and will continue to be the spiritual bond of national unity.