A grand ceremony is held at the Mausoleum of Yu the Great in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province, on April 20, 2025, to honor the legendary ruler and water-control hero. [Photo by Zheng Peigeng for ezhejiang.gov.cn]

The 2025 memorial ceremony for Yu the Great was held in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, on April 20.

The ceremony, a deeply rooted tradition tracing back over 4,000 years, followed 13 formal rituals including music, incense, sacrificial wine, and the reading of a commemorative eulogy.

Yu the Great is revered as a founding ancestor of Chinese civilization and a legendary hero of flood control.

For most Chinese, Yu the Great, or Dayu, is a household name. His feats blend myth and history, and range from taming raging Yellow River floods to starting the Xia Dynasty (c. 21st century-16th century BC).

Since his burial in Shaoxing, generations have maintained the tradition of guarding his tomb and honoring his legacy. In 2006, the ceremony was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item by China's State Council.

This year's event drew participants from across China and overseas, including descendants of Yu, Chinese communities abroad, and local dignitaries. Their shared tribute reflects not only respect for Yu's achievements in state-building and flood control but also a continued commitment to the values he embodied — resilience, selflessness, and devotion to the public good.

The "spirit of Yu the Great" is seen as a core part of Chinese cultural identity and national ethos.

In Shaoxing, where his legacy is etched into the city's heritage, that spirit continues to inspire. Officials emphasized that the city will carry forward this tradition, using it to deepen cultural pride and reinforce Shaoxing's role as a guardian of Chinese historical memory.