Xu Shousheng, governor of Gansu Provincial People's Government speaks at the opening ceremony of a ritual commemorating Fuxi, one of the legendary ancestors of the Chinese in in Tianshui, Gansu Province. [Xinhua]

A grand ritual was held Friday to commemorate Fuxi, one of the legendary ancestors of the Chinese in in Tianshui, Northwest China's Gansu Province.

Co-hosted by the Gansu provincial government and the Tianshui Municipal government, the event attracted some 5,000 visitors, including officials at the national and provincial levels and guests from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas.

Legend has it that Fuxi was born in Tianshui about 8,000 years ago and laid the foundation for Chinese civilization through his creations, especially Bagua, a system to predict the future.

The ritual has been held ever since 1988 and was listed as National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006.

Along with the ritual comes the 2007 China Tianshui Fuxi Cultural Tourism Festival. The week-long festival features a series of activities, such as the First National Peasants Martial Arts Competition, the First National Zodiac Folk Art Exhibition, the Calligraphy Exhibition, and tourism and business fairs.

Visitors pay homage to Fuxi at a temple, Tianshui City, Gansu Province, June 22,2007. [Tianshui.gov.cn]