HOHHOT, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of ethnic Mongolians flocked to a shrine dedicated to Genghis Khan for an annual summer ceremony on Tuesday.

They gathered at the mausoleum in Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, to pray and offer ceremonial silk scarves.

Every lunar May 15, ethnic Mongolians celebrate summer and pray for prosperity.

Ethnic Mongolians claim to be descended from Genghis Khan, the conquerer who united the tribes of northern China and founded the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. His grandson, Kublai Khan, established the Yuan Dynasty that ruled China from 1271 to 1368.

The state protects Genghis Khan rituals as an example of intangible cultural heritage.