A grand memorial ceremony is held on June 22 in Tianshui, Gansu province, to commemorate Fu Xi. [Photo by Hu Zhe / chinadaily.com.cn]

To commemorate Fu Xi, the legendary Chinese forefather and the first of the three sovereigns who created the Chinese civilization, a grand memorial ceremony was held on June 22 in Tianshui, Gansu province, which is also believed to be the Fu Xi's birthplace.

This year's memorial was co-organized by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the Gansu Provincial People's Government. What is noteworthy is that the memorial service for Fu Xi was held synchronously both in Gansu and Taiwan at 9:50 am, paying tribute to the common ancestor of the Chinese civilization.

Fu Xi is a legendary figure in Chinese culture. He is credited with hunting, fishing, cooking and many other practical skills which helped advance primitive Chinese civilization. There are many Fu Xi culture-related heritage sites in Tianshui, of which the most prestigious is the Fu Xi Temple, which was built in the Ming Dynasty to worship Fu Xi.

Another landmark scenic spot is the Guatai Moutain, where Fu Xi, the creation god in Chinese mythology, created the bagua (the Eight Trigrams which formed the basis of traditional Chinese philosophies, such as Taoism).

The Fu Xi memorial ceremony was included in the first group of the cultural heritage protection list, making it an important cultural event in Tianshui and Gansu.