 The Qingming (means clear and bright in Chinese) Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4th – 6th each year. After the festival, the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases. It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing. But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work; instead, it is more a festival of commemoration.
People often go to sweep and weed graves with the entire family and take a walks in the countryside. At this time, spring returns and dominates the earth again. The feel of growing life is in the air, with sap ascending in trees and buds bursting. The willow branches inserted on each gate add vigor and vitality to the surroundings, but it actually means more than that. In Tang Dynasty, the habit of taking an excursion on this day was developed. However, this custom can be traced back to over one thousand years ago.
It is said that in the 7th century B.C. during the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Xiao was the monarch of the state of Jin. His eldest son, Shen Sheng should have inherited the throne upon the death of his father. But Duke Xiao had other plans. He wanted the son of his favorite concubine, Li Ji, to succeed him as the ruler of Jin. Not exactly a loving father, Duke Xiao had Shen Sheng murdered and would have done the same to his second eldest son, Chong'er, But Chong'er got wind of this and fled.
For 19-long years, Chong'er and his entourage of loyal officials and servants wandered homeless. One day when Chong 'er was actually starving and close to death, one of his most faithful followers, Jie Zitui, cut a slice of muscle from his own leg and served it to his master, thereby saving his life. Finally in 636 BC, Chong'er managed to take the throne that was rightfully his and took the official title of Duke Wen of the state of Jin.
After becoming the ruler of the state, Chong'er decided to reward the officials who had stayed with him through his years of wandering. But he forgot about Jie Zitui who had sacrificed the flesh of his leg. Jie Zitui was heartbroken and went away. Later Chong'er remembered Jie Zitui's sacrifice and sent people to look for him. Eventually they found him. Chong'er went in person to apologize and ask him to return to the royal court. But Jie Zitui left them and went deep into the mountains, so no one could find him again. Someone advised Chong'er to set fire to the area in order to force Jie Zitui into the open, where he could be talked into returning to the comforts of life in the royal house. Chong'er took this advice and set fire to the mountain where Jie Zitui was believed to be hiding. The fires raged for three days and Jie Zitui was found leaning against a large tree, carrying his old mother on his back. Both Jie Zitui and his mother were dead. Chong Er was so overwhelmed with regret that he ordered people to hold memorial ceremony for Jie. Therefore, in memory of Jie, every year on that day people mourned for him and ate cold meals the day before. Later the custom of inserting willow branches on gates was also added.
In ancient China, Qingming Festival was by no means the only time when sacrifices were made to ancestors. In fact, such ceremonies were held very frequently, about every two weeks, in addition to other important holidays and festivals. The formalities of these ceremonies were in general very elaborate and expensive in terms of time and money.
In an effort to reduce this expense, Emperor Xuanzong (712A.D. - 756A.D.) of the Tang Dynasty (618A.D. - 907A.D.) declared in 732 A.D. that respects would be formally paid at the tombs of ancestors only on the day of Qingming Festival. This is the custom that continues to date. People will visit their ancestors' graves. They will tidy up, remove weeds and sweep away leaves. This is why Qingming Festival is also known as the Grave Sweeping Day.
Qingming Festival is not just a day of remembrance; it is also a day to celebrate the coming of spring, often by going out for a picnic. With the coming of spring, nature wakes up, dressing the world in green. All is new, clean and fresh. Therefore, Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees, for the survival rate of saplings is high and trees grow fast later. In the past, the Qingming Festival was called "Arbor Day". But since 1979, "Arbor Day" was settled as March 12th.
Springtime, especially in North China, is the windy season, just right for flying kites. It is not surprising that kite flying is very popular during the Qingming Festival. The history of the kite in China is very interesting. It is said that the kite was invented by the famous legendary carpenter Lu Ban over 2,000 years ago.
The following is a poem written by Du Mu, a great poet of Tang Dynasty. In the poem, the poet walking alone in the ceaseless spring drizzles in a strange place, feels all the more lonely, melancholy and dismayed. He is so troubled and disheartened that he is on the brink of breaking down. However, he won't lie down under loneliness and distress. Stirring himself up, he hurries along to find a tavern for a drink so that he can mix with cheerful people and wine. So the carefree boy points to the apricot woods. The poem ends on a broad vision graced with freshness and delight. |
