Written by: Ushna Khan
Posted on: April 02, 2020 | 
| 中文
A Painting of Children Celebrating the Qingming Festival
Ancestors Day, Tomb Sweeping Day and Dead Festival are the names used to refer to the ancient festival called Qingming, which is celebrated in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. Qingming, which literally translates to ‘Clear and Bright’, is celebrated in the fifth term of the Chinese lunar calendar, which makes it the 4th of April this year. As the event is observed in East Asia this weekend, let’s delve into what it is really about!
The name rightly evokes a mysterious feeling, as Qing Ming is indeed linked to superstitious beliefs and ancient legends. The protagonist of this tale is Jie Zitui, a nobleman who lived in the 7th Century BC, in what is currently known as Shanxi in North China. He served at the court of the Jin prince Chong’er during the reign of Chong'er's father. A period of unrest began as ambitious rivals tried to occupy the throne, so Chong’er fled to north China with only a few of his men. One of these men was Jie, a devoted follower of the prince, whose loyalty is best narrated through an incident in which Jie cut his own flesh to serve Chong’er meat, when in exile.
It was in 636 BC that Chong’er finally became the ruler, and decided to reward his army for their loyalty. For whatever reason, he overlooked Jie Zitui in the process. Devastated, Jie left the court and went to the forest of Mount Mian with his mother. Some sources claim that Jie was appalled by the action of other men, who he described as greedy and vulgar, as they sought to receive rewards from the ruler.
After failing to lure Jie Zitui back to the court, the ruler decided to light the forest around the mountain, in an attempt to force Jie out of his self-imposed exile. Later, Jie’s burnt remains were found embracing a tree. The grief stricken ruler ordered that no fire should be lit for the next few days, and cold food was to be served. He also established a funerary monument in Jie Zitui’s memory, and to date Mountain Mian is referred to as Mount Jie. Thus, Cold Food Festival was developed in memory of Jie Zitui.
A Painting of Jie Zitui in the Burning Forest
The afterlife and immortality of the soul were two widely believed concepts in ancient China. The spirits of the dead were believed to live in the Netherworld, a non-physical space which was neither Hell nor Heaven, but a parallel existence of souls. Many believed that after dying, the spirts still needed their worldly belongings. Hence, people celebrated the dead, and the rich particularly held extravagant memorials. To avoid wasteful expenditure, in 732 AD Tang Emperor Xuanzong decided to restrict these memorials to only one day i.e. Qingming. It brought together the legend of Jie Zitui with a practical purpose by designating festivities to only one day, thus cementing the foundations for coming generations to celebrate Qingming.
Customs associated with this festival are quite intriguing, not unlike those of The Day of the Dead in Mexico or even the Zhongyuan Ghost Festival in China, which will take place later this year. People remember their ancestors and national heroes on this anniversary, and pay their respects by visiting their tombs to sweep and weed the graves. The graves are repaired, fresh flowers are placed, and incense is burned. A joss stick is placed by the grave, and some family members bow in respect and prayer for the dead. Sacrifices also take place to provide gifts to the ancestors in the Netherworld, usually food, tea and wine. Paper money and photographs of worldly possessions such as cars are also sometimes burnt by the stricter observers.
Lighting Incense Candles at a Grave
After the tomb sweeping activity, families feast on cold food, which is prepared a day in advance. Cooking on this day is a taboo, and is thought to bring bad luck. The most popular dish is sweet green dumplings made of rice powder and green vegetable juice, stuffed with sweetened bean paste. Some other dishes include peach blossom porridge, crispy cakes, Qingming snails, and eggs.
Green Rice Dumplings
Another popular ritual involves willow branches, which are believed to symbolize nature, fertility and life. Devotees wear soft willow branches on their clothes, and also place these on the graves to ward off evil spirits. People also set off firecrackers, both in celebration and to scare away evil spirits. Both young and old participate in kite flying during the festival, and lanterns are also attached to the kites. Instead of reeling back the kites, they are released into the sky, lighting up the dark sky. This also makes Qingming somewhat similar to Basant, in which kite flying celebrates the coming of spring.
Children Flying Kites
What started as a day of solemn remembrance, now stands as a cherished festival throughout China. It is an opportunity to remember the past, and celebrate the advent of spring with friends and family.
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