BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE QINGMING FESTIVAL
Chinese Grave 坟墓 (fénmù )
The Festival of Qingming 清明节 (Qīngmíng jié)
The festival of Qingming is held every year around the 4th or 5th of April (depending on the traditional agricultural calander). At Qingming time, families traditionally return to the home villages and visit the graves of their parents and forebearers to pay their respects and to clean their graves.
At Qingming time, it is common to see people sweeping away the leaves that cover the grave of a parent and exchanging withered flowers for fresh ones. It is also customary to light incense and pray to the ancestors during Qingming. Food is often brought to the grave as an offering to those being remembered.
Once the customary rituals have been completed, families often will have a picnic with the food brought as an offering. Qingming is a chance for families to have a day out together and so part of the time will be spent engaging in relaxing activities like enjoying the natural scenery or flying kites. For more information about kites in Chinese culture, click here.
Watch this video to learn more about the Qingming Festival:
Legend
Legend has it that during the time of the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period (around 475 – 221 BC), that the emperor Jin Wengong on ascending to the throne decided to invite a good friend to be a minister in his government. The festival is said to have originated from Hanshi Day, a day of having only cold food in remembrance of Jie Zitui. Jie was the person who helped Jin Wengong during his period of exile before he became the emperor. Folklore has it that once when Jin Wengong had nothing to eat, Jie cut a piece of meat from his own thigh and cooked it for Jin Wengong. Pleased with the dedication of Jie, Jin Wengong promised to reward him someday. However, to the new emperor’s surprise, his friend Jie Zitui was not interested in becoming a minister, and took off for the mountains with his elderly mother to live in seclusion.
The emperor was not pleased, and so ordered his underlings to set fire to mountain, thinking that his friend Jie Zitui would certainly flee from the fire with his elderly mother. However, the fire raged for three days and three nights, but Jie Zitui did not come down from the mountain.
After the death of his friend, the emperor felt great remorse, and issued an imperial decree that the day before the Qingming festival no fire should be lit anywhere throughout the country and that everyone should eat their meals cold on that day. This is the origin of the custom of not lighting fires and eating cold food on at Qingming.
Pay your respects Chinese style
Visit the Chinese graves on Chinese Island in Second Life:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Monash%20University%202/145/11/26
While you visit the grave of our two famous (fictional) lovers, 贾宝玉 (Jiǎ Bǎoyù) and 林黛玉 (Lín Dàiyù ), why not pay your respects. Use the broom to sweep the leaves on the ground away. Click on the flowers too to refresh them. You can even light the incense by clicking on it!
Qingming Poem
唐•杜牧(803–852)
清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。
借问酒家何处有? 牧童遥指杏花村。
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/294/8217036.htm#viewPageContent
Open audio file via Youtube:
Táng – Dù Mù
Qīng míng shíjié yǔ fēnfēn ，lùshang xíngrén yù duàn hún 。
Jiè wèn jiǔjiā héchǔ yǒu ? mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūn 。
Translation
A Tang poem by Du Mu
Qingming is here
the rain relentless
A passing traveler
his expression dazed
Seeks solace in wine
he asks
The herd boy points
to Apricot Blossom Village
(Translation by Kaylee)
Explanation
Qingming is a time where traditionally family memebers travel to the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects and to clean up and do maintenance on the graves. For some, the journey to their home village where their parents and grandparents are buried is a long one, as it is common, and has been historically, for many Chinese to move to other cities for work.
The forlorn traveller pictured in Du Mu’s poem is far from his home village when Qingming time arrives. This leaves him with a heavy heart because he cannot do his duty as a filial son and pay his respects to his parents. He seeks solice in food and wine and being unfamiliar with the area he is in, he asks for directions to the nearest inn from a herd boy he sees along the way. The herd boy points him to Apricot Blossom Village.
For information on the Tang poet Du Mu see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du_Mu
