Renovation of the mausoleum started in 1992. To date, the first- phase project has been completed, while work on the second phase is still under way. The total cost for the two-phase project is expected to be about 200 million yuan.

To raise capital for the project, a foundation was set up in October 1992 to receive donations from both domestic and overseas sources.

At the ceremony, three gold statues of Huangdi were on display, before which many people burned incense.

Backgrounder: Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor)

Huangdi is regarded as ancestor of Chinese race. He was mystical chief of one of the strongest tribes in the middle valley of Yellow River. Because his tribe honored the virtue of earth, he was addressed after the yellow color of earth, the symbol of farming. During his days about 4,000 thousand years ago, it was the time of patriarchal clan community. Many tribes came to settle down around the reach of Yellow River and were engaged in farming. Wars arose between different tribes in sought of occupation of more lands and people suffered a lot from turbulent life. Huangdi decided to put an end to this chaotic situation. He worked out a set of moral code and trained his army. After about 56 battlements with other tribes, he conquered wide area along the Yellow River and was made chief of tribe union.

Huangdi was said to be the founder of Chinese civilization. He coined bronze money, practised medicine, invented boats, raised silk-worm and divided his realm into provinces. The story went that at age of 110, a yellow dragon, alighting from the sky, summoned the emperor to heaven on behalf of the king of heaven. When the emperor, riding on the back of the dragon is about to leave, his subjects, who were reluctant to let him go, dragged by his clothes. However, all that left were only part of the emperor's clothes and hat. In commemoration of Huangdi, his descendents buried his remainder at Mt. Qiaoshan, in present Shaanxi province and had his mausoleum built. Tradition passes down from then that every year on fifth day of fourth lunar month, Chinese people of Huangdi's origin will come to visit his mausoleum that has become the symbol of Chinese nation.

( People's Daily April 5, 2002)