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The 2024 Dayu Memorial Ceremony and Dayu Culture Week opens in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province, on Nov 1. [Photo/Tide News]

The 2024 Dayu Memorial Ceremony and Dayu Culture Week commenced on Nov 1 in Shaoxing, drawing over 2,000 participants including descendants of Dayu and representatives of overseas Chinese businesses.

The ceremony honored the legendary hero Dayu, known for his monumental efforts in flood control and for founding the Xia Dynasty, marking the beginning of China's dynastic era.

The ritual followed ancient high ceremonial standards, including bell ringing, musical performances, offerings of livestock and grains, and Shaoxing's unique yellow wine, among thirteen ceremonial procedures, to pay the highest respect to Dayu.

Shaoxing is also the location of Dayu's mausoleum and where the most widely told story of his heroism took place.

It is said that when Yu the Great was working to tame the floods, he met a member of a local clan and they married. However, a few days later, Yu had to leave home to continue his flood control efforts. For the next 13 years, even though he passed by his home three times, he never set foot inside, exemplifying his dedication and sacrifice.

Unlike previous years, the 2024 ceremony introduced a four-day Dayu Culture Week featuring a series of activities such as a hundred-person roundtable discussion, traditional temple fairs, cultural performances, and cultural tourism explorations. These events aim to provide the public with a rich experience centered on the cultural heritage of Dayu.

This year's event, a significant part of Shaoxing's cultural life, not only set a new record in terms of scale but also combined a variety of engaging activities for the first time. The goal is to leverage the grand platform of the Dayu Memorial Ceremony to better preserve and promote the legacy of Dayu.

"We hope that through such events, more people will learn about Dayu's story and be inspired by his spirit of perseverance and selfless dedication," said a representative of the Dayu Culture Week organizing committee.