A public memorial service was held Saturday in Wanrong County in north China's Shanxi Province, to pay tribute to the legendary primogenitor of the Chinese nation.
More than 200 representatives of the Chinese people from 13 countries and regions attended the service, which was held on the mythological birthday of the Chinese people's earliest ancestor Nuwa (in Chinese).
Legend has it that the first human beings were created by Nuwa, who molded clay figures by hand. She is also believed to have patched holes in the sky with stone blocks to protect human beings.
Following the service, Wanrong County will stage a myriad of other activities, including a seminar on the legends of Nuwa, a calligraphy competition, an exhibition of local produce and industrial products and a fair in which businessmen will be invited to invest in various projects.
Eight Chinese emperors paid homage to the ancestral temple of Nuwa, located in Miaoqian Village of Wanrong County during the period from 206 BC to 1279 AD.
The existing temple was constructed in 1870 during China's Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2003)
