ZHENGZHOU, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Lien Chan, Honorary Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, paid homage to Emperor Huang, considered to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese people, at Xinzheng, the emperor's hometown in central China's Henan Province, on Thursday.

    "Expressing my greatest respect towards our common ancestor has been my lifetime wish," Lien said.

    "The KMT will continue to struggle to guarantee the well-being of people on both sides of the Straits, and to plead for peace, stability and development both on the Chinese mainland and Taiwan," he added.

    Emperor Huang, or the Yellow Emperor, is believed to have been born in Xinzheng on April 19, or March 3 according to the lunar calendar. He is said to have later established the capital in Xinzheng.

    Lien Chan, heading a 27-person Taiwan delegation, will tour a number of other provinces before attending the third cross-Straits economic, trade and cultural forum scheduled for April 28-29 in Beijing.

    This is the fourth visit Lien Chen has made to the mainland since his first trip in April, 2005.