Tomb Sweeping Day in China

Tomb-sweeping Day The Chinese Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, falls on April 4 to April 6 every year. It is a time to remember the loved ones who have departed, to show respect for the deceased ones. The Tomb-sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival that dates back to more than 2500 years, and it is observed by millions of Chinese across the country, even oversea. Traditionally, people visit their ancestor’s or loved ones’ grave and sweep up the dirt, pay tribute to the dead. They burn incense and paper cash, because they believe it will make their ancestors prosperous in spirit. Nowadays, some people pay visits to the graves of the martyrs, who died in the war against foreign invasion and the Chinese civil war, as if they were of one big family. Since the Tomb-sweeping Day also has some relaxing activities, such as kickball, outing, Tug of war, flying kit and so on, it’s not a festival full of sorrow. As the low-carbon concept becomes increasingly popular, more people are developing greener ways for Tomb Sweeping Day. Some young people visit memorial websites where they can pay tribute online with various virtual objects. What’s more, some people plant trees and place flowers in front of the grave stones rather than burn incense and yellow paper cash for the deceased ones, in order that they can do their share for the low-carbon emission. These ways are greener than before. Though the ways of observing the festival has been changing over time, the core spirit of showing respect and gratitude for our ancestors remains the same. Wherever we are, we will always entertain gratitude for our