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Performers in Tang Dynasty dress paying respect to heaven, in Xi’an, on Dec 22. [Photo/xinhuanet.com] |
The city of Xi’an, Shaanxi province held a ceremony for worshipping heaven at Daming Palace National Heritage Park, on Dec 22, the winter solstice, where participants dressed themselves up in Tang Dynasty (618 – 907) costumes and offered sacrificial goods to the god of heaven and to pray for favorable weather, peace and prosperity.
The ceremony goes way back to the Western Han Dynasty (BC 206 – 24 AD), when it was presided over by the emperor. In traditional Chinese culture it was believed that the winter solstice was the time when yang, or positive power, begins to get stronger and things starts to grow. So, the government would hold the rites to show respect to heaven in the hope that the yang force could bring good fortune to China and its people.
Edited by Roger Bradshaw
