Families come together to honor, cherish and remember ancestors

Tomb Sweeping Day, or the Qingming Festival, which falls on Friday this year, marks the 15th day after the Spring Equinox.

Spring Equinox is one of the 24 solar terms that divide a year of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar into segments according to seasonal changes and is a valuable guide for farming purposes. In 2016, the 24 solar terms were added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

On Tomb Sweeping Day, Chinese families pay homage at the tombs of their ancestors, clean the grave sites and offer sacrifices. It is also a time when spring is in the air.