Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Roundtable.
Qingming festival is a day of remembrance, but also renewal.
From green memorials to the call of the open road, how did Chinese people observe this day?
Coming to you from Beijing, this is Roundtable.
I'm He Yang. For today's program, I'm joined by Steve Hatherly and you should in the studio first on today's show Qing Ming Festival also known as Tomb Sweeping Day is observed on April the 4th this year it's a day to honor the past while welcoming the vitality of spring beyond tomb sweeping new traditions are taking root eco -conscious rituals spring outings and a fresh perspective on this centuries -old festival.
So guys, let's take a look back on history of this clear and bright day.
So first of all, it is a solar term.
Traditional Chinese calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms and the Qingming, directly translated in English, was clear and bright, or it is the fifth solar term that we say.
this year it is the April the 4th it has a close relationship with agriculture the words clear and bright described the weather during this period from that day temperatures are beginning to rise and rainfall increases indicating that it is the crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring and also the mild weather also makes the day for spring outing and Steve you're new to China are you new to this festival?
I'm not. I am new to this festival but I'm not new to the concept living in Korea for a long time this is an important thing to do obviously as well I don't think it's one particular day of the year I think it depends on the family and in Canada it depends on the family too I don't think we have one particular day it's just whenever you feel like you want to go and visit that's when you go and visit and then when you're there you can do things like bring flowers and maybe clean up the grass around the area a little bit.
Quite similar I suspect in that sense but it's not done on a particular day.
Yeah that is interesting and we will get into the rituals and there are some similarities and definitely differences too.
And guys let's look at the origin story of the Qingming Festival and some people would bring up and that is the cold food festival and you shouldn't please help us to understand this better i i do not like what i've just done that is bring up a new term to explain a previous term so help us out so basically this is quite a traditional and old idea or concept we have to be honest i'm not quite, you know, familiar with this idea because I don't think it's widely observed here in China nowadays, but anyway, to the origin, the Cold Food Festival or Hanxiu Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday
observed one day before Tomb Sweeping Day, and on that day, making fire is kind of a taboo and only cold food is available and that is why it's called cold food.
Oh I see Yeah So legend has that Prince Chonger of the state of Jin during the spring and autumn period which is 770 to 476 BC endured many hardships while he was exiled from his home state So basically on that day or during that period of time of Qingming festival people will have that kind of habit of not having hot food or not cooking a lot of things.
Instead, cold food is something that is more available during this period of time.
You may wonder how has Qingming Festival become a day to honor our ancestors?
Yes, this day has roots deeply embedded in ancient Chinese traditions that emphasize filial piety and ancestor worship.
These remembrance practices underscore the confusion principle of filial piety, which stresses respect and devotion to one's parents and ancestors.
Over centuries, Qingming evolved to incorporate various customs including cleaning grave sites, making ritual offerings, and engaging in spring outings.
and all these practices continue to be an integral part to Chinese culture, symbolizing the enduring bond between the living and our ancestors.
So, in contemporary society, what do people do on Qingming Festival?
As we said, during Qingming Festival, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites and pray to their ancestors and make ritual offerings, And you know offerings would typically include traditional food dishes and the food may vary according to you know different regional dietary habits but generally includes some you know fruits pastries and fish or meat and The burning of jaws sticks and joss paper the holiday recognizes the traditional reverence of one's ancestors in Chinese culture What's Joss sticks are Joss paper?
Mmm in a way It's just paper and something good in the shape of paper.
For example, I remember like when I was a child, we burned a huge paper house for my grandmother.
Which means it could be something that you wish that she could have. So, that is something I think, good wishes from people to their ancestors.
I see. Does the family typically all gather together and go together or do individuals go or does it depend on the family?
It probably depends on the family.
If you want to organize and go together as a group, fine, but considering maybe for some of the families, the family size is quite small these days and then just see what fits you best, I suppose.
And also, this is a great time for flying kites and enjoying all the spring activities as well.
Is this, I guess it's still quite typical for Chinese families these days.
I think especially in the springtime flying kites is an activity that is favored by many Chinese during these tomb sweeping day or in this period of time actually.
Kites are not only flown during the daytime But also in the evening while little lanterns are tied to the kite or to the kite string and When the kites are flying in the sky the lanterns look like like twinkling stars at night What makes flying high during this day special is that people cut the string?
while the kite is in the sky to let it fly free and it is that that this brings good luck and that Diseases can be chased away by doing this interesting.
Yeah, where's where's the location for the kite flying?
Can that just be anywhere or does that have to be at the grave site?
There aren't any like specific place that you can do that but I would say most people would do that in a like open area but these are rather I think traditional customs you know nowadays they have mostly I would say disappeared especially these lantern kind of things it's quite dangerous right So, due to these safety concerns, at least in my childhood, these practices were no longer observed.
But, we do like fly kites, since it's a very suitable activity for spring.
I see. And for every major Chinese festival, it seems like it has a great food association.
And for Qingming Festival, then you gotta have some qingtuan.
Oh yes. So, what are these green dumplings with fillings, or you know explain to everyone.
Yes, qingtuan is also a you know traditional Chinese snack, right, mainly popular actually in the southern and southeastern or jiangnan region, that's in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River region.
So, especially during the Qingming Festival, it is made from glutinous rice flour mixed with the juice of mugwort or like other green plants, giving it a vibrant, you know, green appearance.
So it's, it looks like a bun, but it's green.
The texture is soft, chewy, and a little elastic.
So, chintuan is round or oval in shape with a fresh green color that embodies the spirit of spring, of course.
And also, traditional chintuan is typically filled with sweet red bean paste.
But in recent years, innovative flavors such as salted egg yolk with a pork floss, that kind of thing, that it's a little bit salty, but I would say tastier compared to some red bean paste and also peanut and even durian.
That kind of filling have emerged.
People are getting more creative with the flavors and they're always green.
And the reason they're green is because...
It's called green bun or something like that.
Uh -huh, and that's because it's springtime.
And it goes back to the mugwort, which is a very important ingredient here.
It's an aromatic herb that is often used to treat asthma, inflammation, and infections in traditional Chinese medicine.
So I think it's a comforting thing to note that the green comes from this plant instead of artificial coloring.
In this day, it is primarily associated with honoring the deceased and how are people commemorating this Qingming Festival?
Yeah, this year also marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese aggression and the Global war against fascism.
So in commemoration, take Beijing as an example, it is hosting a series of memorial activities during the Tianming Festival to honor fallen heroes, especially among the younger generation.
Also a lot of activities are being held.
The official citywide initiative includes visits to historical war sites, retracing battle routes, watching films, and paying respects at martyrs' cemeteries.
Schools are actively engaging students in history learning, educational tours, that kind of thing, ensuring the heroic stories of the past are passed on to the future generations.
this is an important I'm learning more now and I'm learning more as we speak but this is an important day for individual families but also to remember the things that happen in the past and remember the people who sacrifice their lives so that we can be where we are today would that be a correct assessment yes I think that's a very up -to -date and thoughtful way to look at this and how Are old traditions being observed in a new way?
As we say, a lot of habits or customs of Qingming Festival is to like clean the grave sites.
In the, nowadays society, first of all online activities is being observed.
Online memorial platform allows citizens to pay tribute virtually by dedicating digital flowers, trees, and leaving heartfelt messages to the people they miss, and we miss.
Also the rise of proxy tomb -sweeping services.
Many people who cannot visit their lost ones' graves in person feel regret to address this kind of idea.
Cemeteries across China have introduced these proxy tomb -sweeping services, allowing clients to remotely arrange Memorial rituals.
Basically, you can place an order and people who can do this for you.
And then this is something that maybe if you are not available during this time, maybe you can place an order like this.
Sure. I mean, on the surface, it might seem a little bit impersonal, but with modern day times, people living in different parts of the country, It's just not possible to be in two places at one time, right?
So I think this is a really wonderful thing that these services are available.
It really is. And for nowadays, some people might not even live in the same country anymore.
That's right. And especially, just given what happened in the last five plus years, maybe the reality has helped to give rise to more of these kind of services.
And also in recent years, we've seen that environmentally friendly tomb sweeping practices have been promoted, and gradually, I would say, wildly accepted in recent years.
Instead of burning joss paper and sticks, which could cause wildfires, what are the popular eco -friendly and safe tomb sweeping practices these days?
For example, some sites are offering free flowers instead of paper money or jas paper and incense, and they are providing these free flowers at cemeteries.
Like quite a famous one here in Beijing, it's called Ba Bo Shan.
People can write messages to their loved ones and place them in like time -space mailboxes and hand them on trees or use water -soluble paper to, uh, dissolve messages in water and reducing pollution, because something that reminded me of is the movie called Coco, you know, as long as you are remembered, um, you are there.
Um, and, um, I think the saddest thing is that you are forgotten.
So as long as like you are remembering these kinds of things, no matter what kind of methods you are using, the remembrance is always there.
See, that's already a very different and maybe modern way of looking at this.
Like, the movie you just mentioned, I believe it derived its central death concept from Mexican culture, and the Chinese culture versus maybe Canadian is very different.
And you asked why do people burn these paper made, special paper made items of like I've seen on the internet.
Paper made iPhones, houses that you should mention, luxury handbags, mansions, it could be anything.
I think it derives from our culture here back in the day, like in ancient culture, which has passed on till today to some extent, is that we believe there is afterlife.
And you want to take care of your deceased loved ones, even when they're in that other life.
It's not like they go straight to heaven.
And then, so to take care of them, it's like you're supporting them, even when they're in a different world.
I get it in the paper house and the paper smartphone.
I have a question about that though.
Is that something that you make at home, or is that something that you buy in the store?
Or how does that work?
So usually you would buy it in a store, because rarely do we have the skills.
That's why I was asking, right?
But for the folded paper money, then some of the older folks in the family might be able to, they still know how to do it.
But for younger people, like myself, I have no idea how to do it.
But what Yuxuan said just now, I think it represents the younger generation.
Because for people nowadays, well, it took maybe a couple of decades of education and public awareness campaigns.
Do you want to see the air quality of your city significantly diminish on that day because of all this burning of stuff?
And also, a lot of the cemeteries, they take place in the suburban areas, or maybe near forests and woods.
Could be a fire hazard. And you do not want that.
So now with the younger generation, yeah, I think it's really widely spread and accepted now that we just think having that memory in your heart is the most important thing.
And also treating your beloved ones when they're alive.
That is the most important thing.
And then paying respects.
This is definitely important.
But it's no longer so strictly observed as in you have to burn stuff so that your loved ones in after life could enjoy a lovely living, so to speak.
Yeah, I agree with that concept.
It's more important about the remembering of your family members as opposed to the method.
And if the method could somehow pose a danger to your neighbors, then it just makes sense to maybe look for other alternatives.
Yes, indeed. And not only is Qiming a period for commemorating the deceased, it's also time for people to go out and enjoy nature in this beautiful springtime.
Folks have already booked tickets and planned itineraries.
What do we know about the travel figures so far?
So the Qiming Festival holiday this year has a three -day break from April the 4th to 6th.
and it is also driving a surge in domestic short -distance travel.
Data from multiple online travel booking service providers such as trip .com and chunar .com are saying that short distance oriented with frequent passenger flow observed within the two -hour high -speed rail zones, for example, Beijing Tianjin Hebei Area, you can get to any of these cities from one of these cities to another in basically within two hours.
Also Yangtze River Delta area.
Chengdu Chongqing area.
Yangtze River Delta area is in Southern China and Chengdu Chongqing area is in Southwest of China and also Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau, Greater Bay Area is also in Southern China.
all of these itineraries are basically, can be achieved within two hours by high speed rail.
So people are chasing these kind of options and this is quite a kind of convenient way for people to spend like a three day holiday.
Yeah, because we only get one day off.
Sure, so it's a quick getaway.
Yeah. Like a long weekend.
And also hotel bookings are seeing some new figures come in as well.
Yeah, so, hotels' reservations in a lot of areas such as Guangming in Yunnan province, Bijie in Guizhou province, Uyen in Jiangxi province, and Wuxi in Jiangsu province, most of them are in southern China, have grown by 30 % year on year, and destinations like Hot spring hotel saw a 23 % increase in bookings.
Also, local homestays in cities like Chengdu, Sanyadali, Juhai, and Siamen are also in high demand.
These are mostly popular travel destinations that people would go.
Oh, the railways must be busy, too, high -speed rail I guess.
Oh yeah. As we mentioned in previous shows, actually, a lot of special designated rail lines will be opened And the railway network of Yangtze River Delta area expects to handle more than 17 million passengers averaging like three million per day, that is a 6 .8 % increase year on year.
How about flight bookings, does that increase a lot during this time of year?
Because I remember learning during the spring festival time that getting an airplane ticket it might be even a little bit easier than getting a train ticket.
Would that be true for this time of year, as well?
Or no, no real relation there.
Mostly, it could be more popular when people are trying to get a train ticket.
And for flight ticket, it's basically the same situation, I would say.
According to data from umetrip .com, which is a flight ticket information platform, as of March 18th, domestic flight ticket reservations for this Qingming holiday exceeded more than 1 Million, reflecting a year -on -year increase of about 12%.
While surprisingly, international flight bookings surpassed 480 ,000, marking a 24 % rise compared to the same period last year.
Ah, extending their holiday, perhaps?
Yeah, that's that's kind of a quite Trick that make your holiday a little bit longer you can you can ask for a couple of your annual days leaves and then plus with this holiday maybe Originally there are three -day holidays and you can have two days of your annual leave for sure five day distance travel and a lot of destinations like Japan South Korea like Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Bangkok, and Bali.
Among top destinations, people would choose.
So I guess we're bracing for a travel surge.
And, do folks just want to get out?
I mean it's springtime and not everything is so heavy in thought.
And it'd be nice to take advantage of the time.
Yeah I mean it's warmer weather right?
We're coming out of winter.
or even March is a little, it's warm and then it's cold and then it's warm and then it's cold, right?
So spring is officially officially here in April.
There's a lot of different festivals happening around this time of year.
Lots of beautiful flowers to be seen, right?
So this is a good opportunity for people to get out and take some pictures and spend some time with their loved ones.
And we're here in Beijing in the Northern part the country but it would be even warmer in the southern parts right so maybe even prettier in early April.
Another custom I would say during Chinming Festival or just the spring time people will have is or just spring outing right with all of these fresh air of nature and the trees are getting green grass are getting green flowers are blooming So it is a good season and a good time for people to go out and enjoy the nature.
Yes, you can definitely do that.
And also remembering that Qingming is emblematic of honoring those who came before us.
And it's not a ritual of the past, but a living tradition.
Through respect and reflection, the wisdom and spirit of our ancestors remain with us as long as we carry their memory forward.
