More than 10,000 people gathered in front of the mausoleum to Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, on Monday morning to pay their respects to the legendary figure regarded as the initiator of Chinese civilization.

At 9:50 am, the rituals got underway, with yellow flags and a 56-meter-long dragon fluttering in the breeze outside the stately tomb on Qianshan Mountain in Huangling, Shaanxi province.

Drums were pounded and bells rang out in the light morning drizzle as the ceremony was broadcast live. It was sponsored by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the State Council's Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and the Shaanxi provincial government.