A grand ancestor worship ceremony was recently held at the Dahuaishu (Great Locust Tree) site in Hongtong County, north China’s Shanxi Province. Representatives of Dahuaishu migrant descendants from across China gathered to pay homage to their ancestral pioneers.

Around 600 years ago, the largest, longest and most geographically extensive official migration in Chinese history originated here. Over 18 waves spanning nearly 50 years in the early Ming Dynasty (late 14th century), millions resettled in more than 500 counties across 18 provinces. Centuries later, their descendants are now spread worldwide.

The ceremony strictly follows the rituals of the Dahuaishu Ancestor Worship Custom, a national intangible cultural heritage item. Nine traditional rites are performed in sequence, from welcoming ancestral tablets and offering incense to presenting sacrifices, toasting with wine, and ritual dances.

For centuries, descendants have returned for ceremonies during traditional festivals such as Qingming and Zhongyuan, gradually shaping the established ritual system of the Dahuaishu ancestral custom.