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The Qingming or Ching Ming festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English (sometimes also called Chinese Memorial Day or Ancestors' Day), is a . It falls on the first day of the fifth
calendar. This makes it the 15th day after the , either 4 or 5 April in a given year. During Qingming, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings. Offerings would typically include traditional food dishes, and the burning of
The Qingming Festival has been observed by the Chinese for over 2500 years. It became a
in mainland China in 2008. In , the
was in the past always observed on 5 April to honor the death of
on that day in 1975, but with Chiang's party currently out of power, this convention is not being observed. A similar holiday is observed in the , called Shīmī in the .
In mainland China, the holiday is associated with the consumption of , green dumplings made of
or . A similar confection called
or shuchuguo, made with , is consumed in Taiwan.
The festival originated from the
which remembered , a nobleman of the
(modern ) during the . Amid the , he followed his master
in 655 BC to exile among the
and around China. Supposedly, he once even cut meat from his own thigh to provide his lord with . In 636 BC,
invaded Jin and enthroned Chong'er as its duke, where he was generous in rewarding those who had helped him in his time of need. Owing either to his own high-mindedness or to the duke's neglect, however, Jie was long passed over. He finally retired to the forest around
with his elderly mother. The duke went to the forest in 636 BC but could not find them. He then ordered his men to set fire to the forest in order to force Jie out. When Jie and his mother were killed instead, the duke was overcome with remorse and erected a temple in his honor. The people of Shanxi subsequently revered Jie as an
and avoided lighting fires for as long as a month in the depths of winter, a practice so injurious to children and the elderly that the area's rulers unsuccessfully attempted to ban it for centuries. A compromise finally developed where it was restricted to 3 days around the
in mid-spring.
The present importance of the holiday is credited to . Wealthy citizens in China were reportedly holding too many extravagant and ostentatiously expensive ceremonies . In AD 732, Xuanzong sought to curb this practice by declaring that such respects could be formally paid only once a year, on Qingming.
family pray for their deceased members at Qingming Festival of 2013 under the Heaven Gate of .
Qingming Festival is when Chinese people traditionally visit the tombs to sweep tombstones. This tradition has been legislated by the Emperors who built majestic imperial tombstones for every dynasty. For over 5000 years, the Chinese imperials, ,
alike have gathered together to remember the lives of the departed, to visit their
to perform Confucian filial piety by tombsweeping, to visit burial grounds, graveyards or in modern urban cities, the city columbaria, to perform groundskeeping and maintenance, and to commit to pray for their
in the uniquely Chinese concept of the
and to offer remembrances of their ancestors to living blood relatives, their kith and kin.
The Qingming Festival is an observance to commemorate the life of the departed in an elaborate set of rituals often mistranslated in the West as . Actually, it is a Confucian form of posthumous respect and filial piety offered to a Chinese person's ancestors and / or departed relative/s and/or parent/s. Not all Chinese persons will pray directly to their ancestors in ancestral spirit but almost all will observe the Qing Ming Rituals.
The young and old alike kneel down to offer prayers before tombstones of the ancestors, offer the burning of joss in both the forms of incense sticks (joss-sticks) and silver-leafed paper (joss-paper), sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, and/or libations in memory of the ancestors. Depending on the religion of the observers, some pray to a higher deity to honour their ancestors while others may pray directly to the ancestral spirit/s.
These rites have a long tradition in Asia, especially among the imperialty who has legislated these rituals into a form of national religion. They have been preserved especially by the peasantry and are most popular with farmers today, who believe that continued observances will ensure fruitful harvests ahead by appeasing the spirits in the other world.
Religious symbols of ritual purity, such as pomegranate and willow branches, are popular at this time. Some people carry willow branches with them on Qingming or stick willow branches on their gates and/or front doors. There are similarities to palm leaves used on Palm Sundays in C both are religious rituals. Furthermore, the belief is that the willow branches will help ward off the unappeased, troubled and troubling spirits, and/or evil spirits that may be wandering in the earthly realms on Qingming.
After gathering on Qingming to perform Confucian clan and family duties at the tombstones, graveyards or columbaria, celebrants spend the rest of the day in clan or family outings, before they start the spring plowing. They often sing and dance. Qingming is also a time when young couples traditionally start courting. Another popular thing to do is to fly kites in the shapes of animals or characters from . Another common practice is to carry flowers instead of burning paper, incense, or firecrackers.
Colored papers placed on a grave during Qingming Festival, Bukit Brown Cemetery, Singapore
Despite having no official status, the
communities in Southeast Asian nations, such as those in Singapore and , take this festival seriously and observe its traditions faithfully. Some Qingming rituals and ancestral veneration decorum observed by the overseas Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore can be dated back to Ming and Qing dynasties, as the overseas communities were not affected by the Cultural Revolution in Mainland China. Qingming in Malaysia is an elaborate family function or a clan feast (usually organized by the respective clan association) to commemorate and honour recently deceased relatives at their grave sites and distant ancestors from China at home altars, clan temples or makeshift altars in Buddhist or Taoist temples. For the overseas Chinese community, the Qingming festival is very much a family celebration and, at the same time, a family obligation. They see this festival as a time of reflection for honouring and giving thanks to their forefathers. Overseas Chinese normally visit the graves of their recently deceased relatives on the weekend nearest to the actual date. According to the ancient custom, grave site veneration is only permissible ten days before and after the Qingming Festival. If the visit is not on the actual date, normally veneration before Qingming is encouraged. The Qingming Festival in
and Singapore normally starts early in the morning by paying respect to distant ancestors from China at home altars. This is followed by visiting the graves of close relatives in the country. Some follow the concept of
to the extent of visiting the graves of their ancestors in . Traditionally, the family will burn
and paper replicas of material goods such as cars, homes, phones and paper servants. In Chinese culture, it is believed that people still need all of those things in the afterlife. Then family members take turns to kowtow three to nine times (depending on the family adherence to traditional values) before the tomb of the ancestors. The
ritual in front of the grave is performed in the order of patriarchal seniority within the family. After the ancestor worship at the grave site, the whole family or the whole clan feast on the food and drink they have brought for the worship either at the site or in nearby gardens in the memorial park, signifying the family's reunion with its ancestors. Another ritual related to the festival is the , as well as being available within that historic and cultural context at
Millennium City Park (Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden).
The holiday is often marked by people paying respects to those who are considered national or legendary heroes, or those exemplary Chinese figures who died in events considered politically sensitive. The
were major events in
which occurred on Qingming. After Premier
died in 1976, thousands honored him during the festival to pay their respects. Many also pay respects to victims of the
The Qingming festival holiday has a significance in the Chinese tea culture since this specific day divides the fresh
by their picking dates. Green teas made from leaves picked before this date are given the prestigious 'pre-qingming' () designation which commands a much higher price tag. These teas are prized for having much lighter and subtler aromas than those picked after the festival.[]
The famous Qingming scroll by
is an ancient Chinese painting which portrays the scene of
city, the capital of the
during a Qingming festival.
Panorama of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, 12th century original by Zhang Zeduan ()
Panorama of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, an 18th century recreation of the 12th century original
Qingming was frequently mentioned in . Among these, the most famous one is probably 's poem (simply titled "Qingming"):
English translation
清明時節雨紛紛
清明时节雨纷纷
qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn
During the Festival of Qing Ming drizzling is the rain
路上行人欲斷魂
路上行人欲断魂
lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún
Breaking are the hearts and souls of mourners on the roads, pedestrians in sorrow and pain
借問酒家何處有
借问酒家何处有
jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu
Courteously inquiring where the nearest wine houses are located
牧童遙指杏花村
牧童遥指杏花村
mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūn
Only a herdsboy waving a finger pointing to a village - the Apricot Flowers Hamlet
Although the date is not presently a holiday in , the Qingming festival is mentioned (under the name Thanh Minh) in the epic poem , when the protagonist Kieu meets a ghost of a dead old lady. The description of the scenery during this festival is one of the best-known passages of :
Vietnamese
English translation
?春?燕迻梭，
Ngày xu?n con én ??a thoi
Swift swallows and spring da
韶光???外??。
Thi?u quang chín ch?c ?? ngoài sáu m??i
Of ninety radiant ones three score had fled.
??撑羡蹎?，
C? non-xanh t?n ch?n tr?i
Young grass spread all its green to heaven'
梗梨?點沒??花，
Cành lê tr?ng ?i?m m?t vài b?ng hoa
Some blossoms marked pear branches with white dots.
清明?節??，
Thanh Minh trong ti?t tháng ba
Now came the Feast of Light in the third month
礼羅掃墓，噲羅踏清。
L? là T?o m?, h?i là ??p thanh
With graveyard rites and junkets on the green.
?賒奴?燕?，
G?n xa n? n?c y?n oanh
As merry pilgrims flocked from near and far,
姉?懺所步行制春。
Ch? em s?m s?a b? hành ch?i xu?n
The sisters and their brother went for a stroll.
, three consecutive days starting the day before the Qingming Festival
, a Mexican celebration similar to the Qingming Festival
, the other day to visit and clean up the
in Hong Kong
, the Japanese counterpart of the
, a related Korean holiday on the same day
, a similar holiday of
. Macau Tourism.
. china.org.cn. .
. Taiwan.gov.tw. Archived from
on 7 April .
. Cathay.ce.cn.
. Archived from
on 15 April .
. UPIAsia.com. .
. Uiowa.edu. Archived from
on 19 November .
. Travelchinaguide.com.
. Cultural-china.com. Archived from
on 12 August .
. . 3 March .
. . 8 April 2009. Archived from
on 20 March .
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A.What happened to him?B.Is there a Chinese festival in June,too?C.Thank you for telling me.D.Yes,you are very smart.E.It sounds very interesting.F.What do you usually do on that day && &in China?G.What a pity!
Nathan:There is a festival in June in our country,it's Father's Day.1_____ Li Fei:Yes,it's on the fifth day of the fifth lunar (阴历) month.We call it Dragon Boat Festival Nathan:2_____& Li Fei:We make and eat zongzi and hold dragon boat races.Nathan:3_____& Why do you celebrate Dragon Boat Festival?Li Fei:Oh,it is a story about Qu Yuan.He lived about two thousand years ago.&&&&&&&& His job was to give advice to the emperor.But he wasn't trusted and often got punishment.&&&&&&& &So he jumped into the Miluo River and died.Nathan:4_____& Was the day that Qu Yuan died on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in that year?Li Fei:5_____& From then on,Chinese people began to eat zongzi and have dragon boat races on &&&&&&&& that day to memorize him.
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扫描下载二维码Our first day on site.
It started out cloudy with occasional wind and rain but by finishing time the sun was shining.
On arrival we were warmly welcomed by English Heritage. We then undertook a bit of orientation. Old Sarum was all strangely familiar to us, having written a 1500 word essay on the history of the site and the archaeological work which had been undertaken here since the start of the twentieth century.
Our project aims to add to the body of knowledge on Old Sarum with the aid of technology by carrying out topographic surveys and 3D building surveys.
Today, we (the A Team) set about a topo survey of the northwest quadrant of the hill fort. We started by mapping the tops and toes of the banks formed by the robbed out foundations of the cloisters of the cathedral. We then did the same on the radial bank which runs north from the northernmost point of the ditch surrounding the motte until it meets the rampart. Our survey then followed the rampart west until we reached the western gate which cuts through the defences.
Here’s the A Team demonstrating our skills in mastering the business end of the total station – the electronic optical equipment which measures heights and distances.
We finished the day by surveying part of the outline of the cathedral to see if we can improve upon the Ordnance Survey record of the site. First impressions suggest that we can.
To add a further interest to the day, two of us had the opportunity to explain what we are doing (and a little of the history of the site) to interested passers-by.
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