The annual worship ceremony in China known as the Yellow Emperor ancestral worship ritual will take place on April 2.

This is in honor of the The Yellow Emperor (also called Xuanyuan Huang Di, 2717 BC - 2599 BC), the acknowledged ancestor of all Han Chinese.

This year's theme is "connecting with roots and ancestors in peace and harmony." It will be held in China's Henan Province, the hometown of Yellow Emperor, according to Ding Shixian, head of Zhengzhou Municipal Committee's Publicity Department.

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Ding adds, the ritual intends to promote awareness and appreciation of the traditions of the Yellow Emperor that include bringing its Han people together, honing their culture and helping realize their nation's dream.

There are nine rituals religiously observed in the ceremony and are approved by the State Council. The rituals heyday salute, offering of flower basket, burning incense, dancing, singing odes, praying for the Chinese nation, worshipping gods and prayer for human's harmony with heaven and earth, were listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

Prominent personalities in politics and entertainment in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are expected to attend the ceremony, along with hundreds from the science and technology and commercial sectors, locally and abroad.

A special website for online worship may be visited by those who cannot physically make it to the ceremony.

Compared to previous years, austerity measures will be observed in this year's rituals. The number of invited attendants is 7,000 less than the previous years' attendees.

The traditional welcome dinner and other irrelevant activities were also scrapped.

A 26-part film version of the "Epic of the Yellow Emperor" is currently being shown by Taiwan Shennong Broadcast Station.

China has remembered the Yellow Emperor from the Spring and Autumn Period (around 770BC - 476 BC).