It's that time of year once more! Every corner of Beijing will be bustling with people burning paper money, and the skies will be dotted with kites, sort of. The Qingming Festival (清明节), also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, occurs in early April and serves as a day to celebrate the living while honoring the departed. It marks the arrival of spring's gentle warmth, falling on April 4 this year.
Qingming Festival involves several rituals, the most notable being the visit and cleaning of ancestors' graves (hence the name Tomb Sweeping Day), along with placing lilies and chrysanthemums—flowers typically linked to death. Families also prepare food and burn incense in remembrance of those who have passed away. You might observe families burning paper money, often on the roadside at night, which are offerings intended for the deceased so they can acquire whatever they desire in the afterlife.
The origins of this sacred festival stem from a classic urban legend involving cannibalism and unintentional murder. Regardless, the festival has transformed into a cherished celebration for Chinese communities around the globe.
Qingming is also referred to as Taqing Festival. Tàqīng (踏青) translates to spring outing, an occasion that usually entails enjoying the delightful spring air of April, although chances of doing so currently seem quite low. A popular family pastime during this time is kite-flying, and it's customary to fly kites adorned with colorful lanterns. There is a belief that letting go of the kite can dispel illness and bring good fortune.
Judy Zhao, a local from Beijing, observes Qingming Festival by visiting the graves of her grandparents and her husband’s grandparents for cleaning. “I also enjoy spending the day riding my bike and flying kites to welcome spring,” she shares.
Minna Zhao, who hails from the northeastern city of Jilin, states, “Every Qingming Festival, my parents and other relatives bring flowers to my grandparents’ graves.” However, Zhao also noted that the festival is “just another public holiday for unmarried people,” considering that Qingming Jie is primarily a family occasion where married couples or parents bear a greater obligation to honor their late in-laws or grandparents. The younger, unmarried generation usually accompanies their parents or chooses to forgo the tomb-sweeping tradition entirely.
While we are mostly looking forward to three days off work, there are additional reasons to be excited during the Qingming Festival. A day of both celebration and remembrance translates to a day overflowing with food, food, and more food. In particular, a traditional dish enjoyed during the festival, especially in southern China, is sweet green rice balls, or 青团 qīngtuán, made from glutinous rice and vegetables—hence the color—and filled with sweetened bean paste. There's also a Qingming snail dish, prepared with ginger, soy sauce, and cooking wine; think of it as a Chinese version of escargots.
The Qingming Festival involves various rituals, with the primary one being a day dedicated to visiting and cleaning the graves of ancestors.
