Over the past 2,000 years, the Huangdi Mausoleum, located in Huangling County which is about 180 kilometres north of Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has been a sacred place for Chinese people from all over the world. On the Qingming Festival which falls on April 5 every year, Chinese people from home and abroad flock to the mausoleum in order to pay homage to Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, who was the legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation and the symbol of Chinese civilization.

Known as the most important ancient grave in China, the Huangdi Mausoleum has long been attractive to me.

I can still remember my first trip to the mausoleum during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) although several decades have passed since then.

In 1969, I left Beijing and headed toward Shaanxi Province to receive "re-education" in the rural area, as most young people did in the country.

It was a snowy day and I was on my way to Huijiahe Village in northern Shaanxi. The bus made its way on the bumpy and winding road flanked by perilous cliffs and precipices. The trip was really tiring and frightening.

Suddenly, someone on the bus cried out: "That's the Huangdi Mausoleum!" I looked out of the window and was immediately impressed by the scene - a hill standing in a patch of deep green in the ravines of the Loess Plateau; green branches swaying in the snow; the mausoleum was seen dimly amid the cypress trees on the top of the hill.

Since the bus did not stop at Huangling County, I missed a chance to visit the mausoleum.

Fortunately, I made it up a few months later when I attended a meeting in Huangling County together with the horse keeper of the village - who turned up to be a perfect guide.

Although the old man, whose name I cannot remember after all of these years, could not read, he was a good story-teller and knew most of the tales concerning legendary Huangdi.

First Trip

Located about 1 kilometre north of Huangling County, the Qiaoshan Mountain was simple and magnificent with the Jushui River flowing at its foot. A carpet of evergreens and luxuriant ancient cypress trees covered the hill, extraordinarily prominent on the vast yellow stretch of earth.

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