An honoured guest of the Chinese Government at the Yellow Emperor Ceremony to honour Huang Di, the founder of the China
Then air reverberated with shamanistic rhythms from huge drums, each surrounded by three to five men whose arms flailed in a coherent frenzy. This was at the ‘Yellow Emperor Ceremony’, and this Spring I was lucky enough to be an honoured guest of the Chinese Government at this invitation-only event.
Huang Di, as he’s called, was considered the father of the Chinese race, and is accredited with both uniting this huge country and introducing advances such as Chinese medicine, astronomy and calligraphy. Attending this particularly Chinese event proved to be one of the most moving experiences in my life as I stood patiently in the rain with thousands of Chinese and ‘foreign friends’, venerating the Yellow Emperor. Leaders in all walks of life gathered in a huge square, each allocated a metre-square spot, listening to speeches given by national luminaries.
The organization was phenomenal – busses had collected us from the pleasant government accommodation; smiling girls ready with waterproof coats should they be needed. Dozens of these busses collected in a park, and everyone was guided in individual ways to access the square according to their standing position. This whole event was run on a level of organization and people management of which the west can only dream.