Millions sweep up memories of their loved ones
For the first time in almost 60 years, the Chinese people observed Qingming or Tomb-Sweeping Day last Friday. It was the first public holiday for Qingming since the founding of New China.
"Going home to sweep my ancestors' tombs on Qingming Day is very important for me, but I couldn't do it sometimes in the past if I had to work on this day. Now I don't have to worry," says Ren Junwen, a lecturer with the Taiyuan Normal College in Shanxi province. The tombs of Ren's ancestors are located in his home village in Xiaoyi county, some 120 km from Taiyuan.
Meaning Pure Brightness, Qingming is a traditional Chinese festival that falls on the 106th day after the winter solstice, occurring usually around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar. On leap years like this year, Qingming falls on April 4.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs estimates that more than 100 million people commemorated the deceased at graveyards or memorial parks and halls last Friday. Statistics from the Ministry of Railways show that China's railways carried a record 5.3 million people nationwide on Qingming day this year, up 57 percent over the same day, last year.
Besides sweeping tombs, many Chinese also made use of the three-day weekend to take a holiday. At on-line forums, people discussed their travel plans and arranged to take short trips together.
"I went to Liugou township of Yanqing county with six friends. The weather was good, and I felt very relaxed there," says Lu Yifan, an art designer who lives in Beijing. "I wish there were more long weekends like this."
Visiting one's ancestors' tombs and taking a holiday may seem contradictory, yet traditionally the Qingming Festival has included both tomb-sweeping and entertaining activities such as holidaying, flying kites and playing football.
"Qingming Festival is not a sad occasion as when one's family member passes away, but a time for people to remember and receive the blessings of the deceased. It is also a time that marks the end of winter and the onset of spring, so it is natural for people to engage in some entertainment besides sweeping tombs," says Li Yaozong, a professor of folklore with the Central University for Nationalities.
Li was speaking at the Forum on Traditional Chinese Festivals and the First Qingming (Hanshi) Cultural Festival, held in the Mianshan Mountain in Jiexiu, Shanxi province from April 2 to 4.
Some 30 scholars and experts from all over China attended the forum to discuss the meaning of, and policies on, traditional festivals such as Qingming. Mianshan Mountain is the birthplace of the Hanshi or Cold Food Festival, which was assimilated into the Qingming Festival in olden times.
"As we gather at the Mianshan Mountain to discuss about the Qingming Festival, I feel like I'm lighting the Olympic torch at the Mount Olympus," said Feng Jicai, a famous writer and folk culture preservation activist. "The most important day for a person is his birthday, while the most important days for a people are festivals. Traditional folk festivals represent a people's collective pursuit of their ultimate values."
In the past, Spring Festival or Chinese New Year was the only traditional Chinese festival listed as a public holiday. On December 16, 2007, the State Council revised the nation's official holiday schedule to add three other traditional festivals - Qingming, Duanwu and Zhongqiu - in response to public calls. At the same time, the May Day "golden week" was shortened to three days.
Cai Jiming, a professor of economics with Tsinghua University, was one of those who called for the listing of traditional festivals such as Qingming as public holidays.
"Listing traditional festivals as public holidays is far more effective than preaching about preserving traditional culture. It is also a good way to showcase our culture to the world, as I believe these traditional Chinese festivals will attract many foreign tourists to China," says Cai.
(China Daily 04/11/2008 page18)
