Tomb-sweeping Day

Tomb-Sweeping Day （“Qing Ming Jie” in Chinese） is a major Chinese festival. “Qing Ming” literally means “clear” （Qing） and “bright” （Ming）. This festival falls in early spring， on the 106th day after the winter solstice. It is a time for the whole family to leave the home and to sweep the graves of their forebears. Chinese being practical people this sweeping of the graves is given an extended period， that is， 10 days before and after Qing Ming day. Among some dialect groups a whole month is allocated.

Origin Qing Ming is popularly associated with Jie Zi Zhui， who lived in Shanxi province in 600 B.C. Legend has it that Jie saved his starving lord’s life by serving a piece of his own leg. When the lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small principality， he invited his faithful follower to join him. However， Jie declined his invitation， preferring to lead a hermit’s life with his mother in the mountains. Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain， the lord ordered his men to set the forest on fire. To his consternation， Jie chose to remain where he was and was burnt to death. To commemorate Jie， the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put out on the anniversary of Jie’s death. Thus began the“cold food feast”， a day when no food could be cooked since no fire could be lit. The “cold food” festival occurs on the eve of Qing Ming and is often considered as part of the Qing Ming festival. As time passes， the Qing Ming festival replaced the “cold food” festival. Whatever practice is observed，the basic observation of Qing Ming is to remember one’s elders by making a special effort to visit their graves， ashes or ancestral tablets. To make the visit even more meaningful， some time should be spent to remind the younger members of the family of the lives and contributions of their ancestors， and the story of Jie Zi Zhui who choose death over capitulation.

Customs of Qing Ming Festival

The various customs of Qing Ming Festival are very interesting. In addition to fire prohibition and tomb sweeping， there are also lots of customs and foods. This festival includes not only sorrows from sweeping new tombs， but also laughter. This is a festival of diverse emotions. As the legend tells， fire is prohibited during the Qing Ming Festival， so people come to join some sports activities to keep warm and avoid harms caused by cold dishes.

Swing It is a custom of Qing Ming Festival in ancient China. The swing means swinging with hide ropes in hands. It has a long history and was called “qianqiu” in the earliest period， then renamed as “qiuqian” to avoid taboo. In ancient times， tree branches were often used as the frame of a swing， which were tied to colored ribbons. Later， it was developed into a swing with two ropes and one seat. Playing on a swing is not only a healthy exercise but also it also raises one’s courage； therefore， it is a beloved activity among Chinese， especially children， to these days.

Cuju

Ju is a kind of ball made of leather， which is plugged with hairs. Cuju means to kick the ball with feet. In ancient China， it was one kind of game loved by people during Qing Ming Festival. According to legend， it was invented by Yellow Em-peror with the initial purpose of training warriors.

Spring Outing

It is also called spring excursion， which was called spring exploration， spring seeking and so on in ancient times. Qing Ming arrives in the third month in the lunar calendar， when spring rolls up the ground and the nature world is filled with vigor. This is the perfect time to go for an outing. The tradition of spring outing in Qing Ming has been maintained among people in China for a long period.

Planting Trees

Flying Kites

It is also a popular activity of Qing Ming among people. When Qing Ming draws near， people fly kites during day and night. When flying kites in nights， people hang bunches of small lanterns below kites or on bracing wires， and these lanterns look like twinkling stars， which are called “magic lights”. In the past， someone cut strings after sending kites into the sky， allowing them to go to the end of the world with refreshing breeze， which was said to remove diseases and disasters while bringing in fortune. This festival’s food is also rich and colorful.

Qing Tuan

In regions south of the Yangtze River， people eat Qing Tuan （sweet green rice ball）. Like glutinous rice dumpling， Qing Tuan is made from glutinous rice and stuffed with red bean paste. The difference is that squeezed wormwood or brome grass is used in the making of wrapper. It is a musthave offering at ancestral rituals.

San Zi

Eating San Zi （or deep-fried dough twist） on Qing Ming Festival is a convention throughout China. San Zi is a kind of fried food. People called it cold food in the old days.

Qing Ming Fruit

In the south of Zhejiang province， people offer Qing Ming fruit at ancestral rituals. It looks like dumplings in shape， but tastes different from dumplings. The wrapper of Qing Ming fruit is made from squeezed wormwood， rice and glutinous rice. Finally， it is stuffed with bean filling and cooked by steaming. Aside from sweet fillings， people also use diced bacon， dried bamboo shoot， diced mushroom and dried beancurd as substitutes.

Date Cake

In northern China， people use fermented grains to make dough， and put date in it and then steam. They used to make the date cakes in the shape of swallows and string them with a willow twig on a door. They can be eaten immediately.

Thin Pancake

In Guangdong’s Chao Shan （Chaozhou and Shantou） area， there is a special food for the Qing Ming Festival――Thin Pancake， which fully demonstrate Chao Shan people’s distinctive food and culture. To make it， first make the powder into a mass， next put it in a stove and bake it， finally roll the pancake and finally you can eat it.