Qingming Festival
Qingming Festival, also known as outing Festival, Xingqing Festival, March Festival and ancestor worship Festival, is held at the turn of mid spring and late spring. Qingming Festival originated from the ancestors' beliefs and Spring Festival rites and customs in ancient times. It has both natural and humanistic connotations. It is not only a natural solar term, but also a traditional festival. Tomb sweeping and ancestor worship and outing are the two major etiquette and customs themes of Qingming Festival. These two traditional etiquette and customs themes have been inherited in China since ancient times.
Qingming Festival is an ancient festival of the Chinese nation. It is not only a solemn festival for tomb sweeping and ancestor worship, but also a happy festival for people to get close to nature, go outing and enjoy the fun of spring. In this season, the vitality is exuberant, the Yin Qi is declining, and all things "spit out the old and accept the new". The Earth presents the image of spring and scenery. It is a good time for outing and tomb sweeping. The Qingming ancestor worship Festival lasts for a long time, about 20 days.
Qingming Festival is a traditional major Festival. Tomb sweeping and ancestor remembrance have been a tradition of the Chinese nation since ancient times. It is not only conducive to carrying forward filial piety and family affection and awakening the common memory of the family, but also promote the cohesion and identity of family members and even the nation. Qingming Festival integrates natural solar terms and humanistic customs. It is the unity of time, place and people. It fully reflects the thought of the ancestors of the Chinese nation in pursuing the harmonious unity of "heaven, earth and people", and paying attention to conforming to the appropriate time and place and following the laws of nature.
Qingming Festival, the Spring Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid Autumn Festival are known as China's four traditional festivals. In addition to China, there are some countries and regions in the world that also celebrate the Qingming Festival, such as Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and so on. On May 20, 2006, the Qingming Festival declared by the Ministry of culture of the people's Republic of China was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list with the approval of the State Council.
The customs of Qingming Festival mainly include:
sǎo mù
扫 墓 Tomb Sweeping
tà qīnɡ
踏 青 Outing
zhí shù
植 树 tree planting