XINZHENG, China: Scarves emblazoned with red dragons draped over their black business suits, Chinese officials lit incense and bowed solemnly at the feet of a mythical ancestor known as the Yellow Emperor.

The avowedly atheist Communist Party is promoting worship of the ancient figure as it seeks to bolster its legitimacy—and emphasize Chinese blood ties, including with Taiwan ahead of the inauguration of Beijing-skeptic president Tsai Ing-wen.

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