An eulogy written by Sun Yat-sen about Huangdi, Chinese legendary ruler, was made into song and played for the first time on Qingming, a day when Chinese remember their ancestors, in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Qingming, or Tomb Sweeping Day, occurs in the middle of spring and this year falls on Monday, April 5. In Huangling County, Yan'an City, as many as 10,000 people attended the annual memorial service at the tomb of Huangdi, the legendary "Yellow Emperor."
According to historical records, the Yellow Emperor unified tribes along the Yellow River Valley 5,000 years ago. He is considered founder of the Chinese nation and culture.
Sun, founder of the Kuomintang, or the Nationalist Party of China, wrote the concise eulogy, a total of 32 Chinese characters, in 1912, to pay homage to the China's national ancestor.
Cui Bingyuan, a Chinese composer, used Sun's eulogy as lyrics and composed the song, "Ode to Yellow Emperor," which was sung by 500 male singers at the memorial service.
"I composed this song because the eulogy, though only 32 words, can fully convey our Chinese's gratitude and respect for Huangdi. I believe Huangdi is not only our ancestor but also someone who can glue the whole nation together," Cui said.
The song was welcomed by visitors. James Wu, a visitor from Taiwan, said, "I am very glad that many cultural elements are combined in the memorial service, since the service itself is a product of our culture."
Located on the Qiaoshan Hill in Huangling County, the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor is a popular place for people of Chinese origin from various parts of the world to worship their ancestors.
Sun was born in 1866 and died in 1925. He is known to the Chinese as a "great revolutionary and statesman" who fought against feudalism and imperialist aggression and for the independence and freedom of the Chinese people.
Annual services for Huangdi can be dated back over 2,000 years ago to the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD).
(Xinhua News Agency April 6, 2010)
