46-688: The Qingming Festival or Ching Ming Festival , also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English (sometimes also called Chinese Memorial Day , Ancestors' Day , the Clear Brightness Festival , or the Pure Brightness Festival ), is a traditional Chinese festival observed by ethnic Chinese in mainland China, Hong Kong , Macau , Taiwan , Malaysia , Singapore , Cambodia , Indonesia , Philippines , Thailand , and Vietnam . A celebration of spring, it falls on
92-503: A day, living in a mourning shack placed beside the house, and moaning in pain at certain intervals of the day. It is said, that after the death of Confucius his followers engaged in this three-year mourning period to symbolize their commitment to his teachings. Funerals are considered to be a part of the normal process of family life, serving as a cornerstone in inter-generational traditions. The primary goals, regardless of religious beliefs, are to demonstrate obeisance and provide comfort for
138-474: A household altar alongside other deceased ancestors. This act symbolically unifies the ancestors and honors the family lineage. Incense is lit before the altar daily, significant announcements are made before them, and offerings such as favorite foods, beverages, and spirit money are given bi-monthly and on special occasions, such as during the Qingming Festival and Zhong Yuan Festival . Prayer
184-614: Is also a part of spiritual and religious practices in China, and is associated with Buddhism. For example, Buddhism teaches that those who die with guilt are unable to eat in the afterlife, except on the day of the Qingming festival. The Qingming festival holiday has significance in the Chinese tea culture since this specific day divides the fresh green teas by their picking dates. Green teas made from leaves picked before this date are given
230-464: Is an aspect of the Chinese traditional religion which revolves around the ritual celebration of the deified ancestors and tutelary deities of people with the same surname organised into lineage societies in ancestral shrines . Ancestors, their ghosts, or spirits, and gods are considered part of "this world". They are neither supernatural (in the sense of being outside nature) nor transcendent in
276-418: Is done on other days. The young and old alike kneel 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 in memory of the ancestors. Depending on the religion of the observers, some pray to a higher deity to honor their ancestors, while others may pray directly to
322-577: Is mentioned (under the name Thanh Minh ) in the epic poem The Tale of Kieu (which takes place in Ming China during the reign of Jiajing ), when the protagonist Thúy Kiều ( 翠翹 ) 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 literature : List of observances set by the Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of harvests or prayer offerings. The most important Chinese holiday
368-428: Is often delayed according to wealth; the coffin would remain in the main room of the family home until it has been properly prepared for burial. More traditionally, this delay is pre-determined according to social status: the corpse of a king or emperor would be held in abeyance for seven months; magnates, five; other officers, three; commoners, one. In some instances, a "lucky burial" can take place several years after
414-564: Is often marked by people paying respects to those who are considered national or legendary heroes. The April Fifth Movement and the Tiananmen Incident were major events in Chinese history which occurred on Qingming. After Premier Zhou Enlai died in 1976, thousands honored him during the festival to pay their respects . In Taiwan , the Qingming Festival was not a public holiday until 1972. Three years later, upon
460-486: 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 Malaysia 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 filial piety to
506-472: Is prevalent. Some contemporary scholars in China have adopted the names "Chinese traditional patriarchal religion" ( 中國傳統宗法性宗教 Zhōngguó chuántǒng zōngfǎ xìng zōngjiào ) or "Chinese traditional primordial religion" ( 中國傳統原生性宗教 Zhōngguó chuántǒng yuánshēng xìng zōngjiào ) to define the traditional religious system organised around the worship of ancestor-gods. Mou Zhongjian defines "clan-based traditional patriarchal religion" as "an orthodox religion that
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#1732776070408552-669: Is the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), which is also celebrated in overseas ethnic Chinese communities (for example in Malaysia, Thailand, or the USA). Traditional holidays are varied from region to region but most are scheduled according to the Chinese calendar ; exceptions, like the Qingming and winter solstice days, fall on the respective jieqi (solar terms) in the agricultural calendar. Traditional holidays are generally celebrated in Chinese-speaking regions. For
598-450: Is to carry flowers instead of burning paper, incense, or firecrackers. Traditionally, a family will burn spirit money (joss paper) and paper replicas of material goods such as cars, homes, phones, and paper servants. This action usually happens during the Qingming festival. 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
644-538: Is when Chinese people traditionally visit ancestral tombs to sweep them. This tradition has been legislated by the Emperors who built majestic imperial tombstones for every dynasty. For thousands of years, the Chinese imperials, nobility , peasantry , and merchants alike have gathered together to remember the lives of the departed, to visit their tombstones to perform Confucian filial piety by tombsweeping, to visit burial grounds, graveyards or in modern urban cities,
690-688: The Cold Food or Hanshi Festival which is said to commemorate Jie Zitui , a nobleman of the state of Jin (modern Shanxi ) during the Spring and Autumn period . Amid the Li Ji Unrest , he followed his master Prince Chong'er in 655 BC to exile among the Di tribes and around China. Supposedly, he once even cut flesh from his thigh to provide his lord with soup . In 636 BC, Duke Mu of Qin invaded Jin and enthroned Chong'er as its duke, where he
736-479: The Qingming solar term in mid-spring. The present importance of the holiday is credited to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang . Wealthy citizens in China were reportedly holding too many extravagant and ostentatiously expensive ceremonies in honor of their ancestors . In AD 732 , Xuanzong sought to curb this practice by declaring that such respects could be formally paid only once a year, on Qingming. Qingming Festival
782-483: The public holiday was in the past observed on 5 April to honor the death of Chiang Kai-shek on that day in 1975, but with Chiang's popularity waning, this convention is not being observed. A confection called caozaiguo or shuchuguo , made with Jersey cudweed , is consumed there. A similar holiday is observed in the Ryukyu Islands , called Shīmī in the local language . The festival originated from
828-480: The Confucian religion traditionally lacked a social religious organisation while traditional patriarchal religion lacked an ideological doctrine. In Chinese folk religion , a person is often thought to have multiple souls, categorized as hun and po , commonly associated with yang and yin , respectively. Upon death, hun and po separate. Generally, the former ascends into heaven and the latter descends into
874-493: The ancestral spirits. People who live far away and can't travel to their ancestors' tombs may make a sacrifice from a distance. These rites have a long tradition in Asia, especially among the imperial who legislated these rituals into a 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
920-412: The burial. The bones are dug up, washed, dried, and stored in an earthenware jar. After a period of storage, the contents are then interred in their final resting place in a location selected by an augur to optimize the flow of qi . A bad qi flow could result in a disgruntled spirit who could possibly haunt their descendants. The deceased would often be buried with sacrifices, typically things one
966-470: The burning of joss sticks and joss paper . The holiday recognizes the traditional reverence of one's ancestors in Chinese culture. The origins of the Qingming Festival go back more than 2500 years, although the observance has changed significantly. It became a public holiday in mainland China in 2008, where it is associated with the consumption of qingtuan , green dumplings made of glutinous rice and Chinese mugwort or barley grass . In Taiwan ,
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#17327760704081012-508: The capital of the Song dynasty, but does not include any of the activities associated with the holiday, however, and the term "Qingming" may not refer to the holiday. Qingming was frequently mentioned in Chinese literature . Among these, the most famous one is probably Du Mu 's poem (simply titled "Qingming"): Although the Qingming Festival is not celebrated in Vietnam , the Qingming Festival
1058-401: The city columbaria, to perform groundskeeping and maintenance and to commit to pray for their ancestors in the uniquely Chinese concept of the afterlife and to offer remembrances of their ancestors to living blood relatives, their kith and kin. In some places, people believe that sweeping the tomb is only allowed during this festival, as they believe the dead will get disturbed if the sweeping
1104-456: The corpse, followed by its attiring in grave clothes; the transfer of symbolic goods such as money and food from the living to the dead; the preparation and installation of a spirit tablet or the use of a personator , often symbolic. Sometimes, ritual specialists such as Taoist priests or Buddhist monks would be hired to perform specific rites, often accompanied by the playing of music or chanting of scripture to drive away evil spirits. Burial
1150-454: The custom has also spread to ethnic minority groups. Ancestor veneration is largely focused on male ancestors. Hence, it is also called Chinese patriarchal religion . It was believed that women did not pass down surnames because they were incapable of carrying down a bloodline. Chinese kinship traces ancestry through the male lineage that is recorded in genealogy books . They consider their ancestral home to be where their patriline ancestor
1196-665: The death of Chiang Kai-shek on 5 April 1975, the Kuomintang government declared that the anniversary of Chiang's death be observed alongside the festival. The practice was abolished in 2007. Despite the festival having no official status, the overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asian nations, such as those in Singapore and Malaysia , take this festival seriously and observe its traditions faithfully. Some Qingming rituals and ancestral veneration decorum observed by
1242-405: The deceased. Other goals include: to protect the descendants of the deceased from malevolent spirits and to ensure the proper separation and direction of the deceased's soul into the afterlife. Some common elements of Chinese funerals include the expression of grief through prolonged, often exaggerated, wailing; the wearing of white mortuary clothes by the family of the deceased; a ritual washing of
1288-423: The duke ordered that thenceforth no one should light a fire on the date of Jie's death. The people of Shanxi subsequently revered Jie as an immortal 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
1334-399: The earth and/or resides within a spirit tablet ; however, beliefs concerning the number and nature of souls vary. In accordance with these traditional beliefs, various practices have arisen to address the perceived needs of the deceased. The mourning of a loved one usually involves elaborate rituals, which vary according to region and sect. The intensity of the mourning is thought to reflect
1380-580: The extent of visiting the graves of their ancestors in mainland China . During the Tang dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang promoted large-scale tug of war games, using ropes of up to 167 metres (548 ft) with shorter ropes attached and more than 500 people on each end of the rope. Each side also had its own team of drummers to encourage the participants. In honor of these customs, families often go hiking or kiting, play Chinese soccer or tug-of-war and plant trees, including willow trees . The Qingming festival
1426-553: The family's adherence to traditional values) before the tomb of the ancestors. The Kowtowing 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. Another ritual related to the festival is the cockfight , as well as being available within that historic and cultural context at Kaifeng Millennium City Park (Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden). The holiday
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1472-474: The first day of the fifth solar term (also called Qingming ) of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar . This makes it the 15th day after the Spring Equinox , either 4, 5 or 6 April in a given year. During Qingming, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites and make ritual offerings to their ancestors. Offerings would typically include traditional food dishes and
1518-1068: The most part however, only Chinese New Year , Qingming Festival , the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival are statutory public holidays. This is the case in both mainland China and Taiwan whilst Hong Kong and Macau also observe Buddha's Birthday and Chung Yeung Festival . In Singapore, Chinese New Year is the only traditional Chinese public holiday, likewise with Malaysia . Each region has its own holidays on top of this condensed traditional Chinese set. Mainland China and Taiwan observe patriotic holidays, Hong Kong and Macau observe Christian holidays, and Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Malay and Indian festivals. Ancestral veneration in China Model humanity: Main philosophical traditions: Ritual traditions: Devotional traditions: Salvation churches and sects : Confucian churches and sects: Chinese ancestor veneration , also called Chinese ancestor worship ,
1564-626: The other religions of China, as it is evident in the worship of founders of temples and schools of thought in Taoism and Chinese Buddhism . Ancestor veneration practices prevail in South China, where lineage bonds are stronger and the patrilineal hierarchy is not based upon seniority and access to corporate resources held by a lineage is based upon the equality of all the lines of descent; whereas in North China worship of communal deities
1610-410: The overseas Chinese community, the Qingming festival is very much a solemn family event and, at the same time, a family obligation. They see this festival as a time of reflection for honoring 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
1656-683: The overseas Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore can be dated back to the 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 honor 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
1702-489: The prestigious 'pre-Qingming tea' ( 明 前 茶 ) designation which commands a much higher price tag. These teas are prized for their aroma, taste, and tenderness. The Qingming festival was originally considered the day with the best spring weather when many people would go out and travel. The Old Book of Tang describes this custom and mentions of it may be found in ancient poetry. The famous Song dynasty Qingming scroll attributed to Zhang Zeduan may portray Kaifeng city,
1748-435: The quality of relationship one had with the deceased. From the time of Confucius until the 20th century, a three-year mourning period was often prescribed, mirroring the first three years in a child's life when they are utterly dependent upon and loved unconditionally by their parents. These mourning practices would often include wearing sackcloth or simple garb, leaving hair unkempt, eating a restricted diet of congee two times
1794-425: The sense of being beyond nature. The ancestors are humans who have become godly beings, beings who keep their individual identities. For this reason, Chinese religion is founded on veneration of ancestors. Ancestors are believed to be a means of connection to the supreme power of Tian as they are considered embodiments or reproducers of the creative order of Heaven. It is a major aspect of Han Chinese religion, but
1840-567: The spirits in the other world. Religious symbols of ritual purity, such as pomegranate and willow branches, are popular at this time. Some people wear willow twigs on their heads on Qingming or stick willow branches on their homes. There are similarities to palm leaves used on Palm Sundays in Christianity; both are religious rituals. Furthermore, the belief is that the willow branches will help ward off misfortune. After gathering on Qingming to perform Confucian clan and family duties at
1886-413: The tombstones, graveyards, or columbaria, participants spend the rest of the day in clan or family outings, before they start the spring plowing. Historically, people would often sing and dance, and Qingming was a time when young couples traditionally started courting. Another popular thing to do is to fly kites in the shapes of animals or characters from folk tales or Chinese opera . Another common practice
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1932-453: Was born (usually about five generations back) or the origin of their surname. Confucian philosophy calls for paying respect to one's ancestors, an aspect of filial piety ; Zhuo Xinping (2011) views traditional patriarchal religion as the religious organisation complementing the ideology of Confucianism. As the "bedrock faith of the Chinese", traditional patriarchal religion influences the religious psychology of all Chinese and has influenced
1978-433: Was generous in rewarding those who had helped him in his time of need. Owing either to his high-mindedness or to the duke's neglect, however, Jie was long passed over. He finally retired to the forest around Mount Mian 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,
2024-414: Was thought to be in need of in the afterlife. This was done as a symbolic demonstration of filial piety or grandeur. For the wealthy and powerful, bronze vessels, oracle bones, and human or animal sacrifices often accompanied the deceased into the grave. More common sacrifices included candles and incense, as well as offerings of wine and food. After the funeral, families often install an ancestral tablet at
2070-452: Was usually performed at the household altar in a separate room containing the po of their ancestors. The eldest male would speak to the altar on a regular basis. In some belief systems where special powers are ascribed to the deceased, he may supplicate the spirit to bless the family. When a family member dies in modern China and Taiwan, they are given various kinds of rewards such as "a toothbrush, money, food, water", "a credit card and[/or]
2116-460: Was widely accepted by all classes, and had been practiced for thousands of years in ancient China". Mou also says that this religion was subordinate to the state, it was "diverse and inclusive" and had "a humanistic spirit that emphasises the social, moral function of religion", and is closely related to politics. It refers to: According to Zhuo Xinping (2011), Chinese patriarchal religion and Confucianism complemented each other in ancient China, as
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