The ritual of worshipping Genghis Khan, the founding father of the Mongolian empire hundreds of years ago, has become a unique and precious cultural heritage of his mausoleum in Ordos, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The man who established a mighty Eurasian empire died of an illness when he went out to battle in 1227. His burial place remains a secret, but his clothes and tents were buried on the Ordos Plateau according to his last words. The mausoleum consecrates the soul of Genghis Khan and is a symbol of the great historic man, locals said.

The sacrificial ceremony for the hero was listed among the first national- level intangible cultural heritage items in 2006.

Insiders said the ritual has been an important aspect of Genghis Khan’s mausoleum and its operation for nearly 800 years.

The ceremony takes place every day and special rituals are held more than 60 times annually. On April 17, a spring sacrifice event was hosted in the Genghis Khan mausoleum and by 10 am that day, 50,000 people had attended the worship ceremony.