Qingming Festival
Qingming, meaning clear and bright, is the most important springtime festival.It is also called Tomb Sweeping Festival, on which people visit the gravesites of their ancestors, pay respects to the dead at their tombs and hold memorial ceremonies in honor of their ancestors.This is one of many ways to demonstrate filial(子女的) piety（虔诚）.As part of honoring the dead, people would also spend some time cleaning the gravesite area.They would uproot the weed near the gravesite, plant some new trees, wipe the tombstones and decorate the tombstone with fresh flowers.
But it is not just a day for mourning the dead.The festival is celebrated two weeks after the Vernal Equinox（春分）, and the dates usually turn out to be the 4th, 5th, or 6th of April, thus people also go out to celebrate the new season, the onset of warmer weather, the start of spring plowing as well as of family outings.Nowadays,Qingming is not just a day of remembrance; it is also a day to celebrate the coming of spring.With the coming of spring, nature wakes up, dreing the world in green.All is new, clean and fresh; therefore, Qingming is also a happy occasion for outdoor activities, such as picnicking, tug-of-war, kite-flying, swinging, dancing, etc.This might be an important reason why this festival has been very popular for thousands of years.
Customs of Tomb Sweeping or Ancestor Worshipping
The major custom in Qingming Festival is tomb sweeping.According to the folk religion, the spirits of deceased ancestors still live under the ground and look after the family; the tombs are said to be their houses, thus it is very important to keep the tombs clean.
The Qingming Festival is spent by honoring the dead, which is one of many ways good Confucians demonstrate filial piety.On this day, people visit their family graves to remove any underbrush that has grown.They would uproot weeds near the gravesites, wipe the tombstones and decorate the tombstones with fresh flowers.And then they will set out offerings of food and paper money.
Burning Paper Treasures
Part of honoring the dead is to make sure that they are well-provided for -- even after death.Not only are food offered to the dead, but also, as some people figure, material goods are needed in the land of the dead.Until the Sui Dynasty ( 581-618 ), genuine articles were burnt as offerings.Eventually, people thought this practice was wasteful.It was also said that there was word from the dead that where they resided, counterfeits were just as good as the real thing.So a paper house offered by fire was just as good as a real one.
Nowadays, paper gifts to the dead may even include paper money, houses, lawn furniture, TVs, VCRs, stereo systems, refrigerators, and even cars.
Cold Foods
Because Jie Zitui had been killed by a fire, it became a tradition to abstain（戒除） from lighting fires on the day of Qingming, when people could only eat cold foods that had been prepared the day before.Today, the occasion for eating cold foods translates into a picnic for the family.
Willow Trees
Because Jie Zitui died embracing a willow tree, the willow is believed to have miraculous powers against evil.During the Qingming Festival, willow branches are hung on door fronts and used to sweep the tombs.
Kite-Flying
Today in China, Qingming is also known as an occasion for kite-flying.Kite-flying has been an old Chinese pastime.Records about the activity were mentioned as far back as 2,500 years ago.Over the centuries, people have developed kites known for their beauty.
Besides the tradition of honoring the dead, people also often fly kites on Tomb Sweeping Day.Kites can come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors, designing in the shape of swallows, geese, frogs, butterflies, peacocks, frogs, dragonflies, butterflies, crabs, bats and storks（鹳）.They are even able to fashion kites with whistles.
Swinging
The common swing has offered sport to many children throughout the world.During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), swinging was a designated recreation on the Qingming Festival, also known as the Clear and Bright Festival or the Tomb Sweeping Festival.Because the festival generally occurs in mid-spring, many also use the occasion for family outings.
According to the Annals（年鉴） of the Ming Court, this day was also called Swing Festival, when swings were suspended in the Hall of Earthly Peace of the Forbidden City and in all the residential complexes where palace ladies resided.Ladies of the imperial household wore colorful silks especially made for the occasion, and amused themselves on swings.
Legend of the festival
In the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) of China\'s history, Duke Xian(晋献公) was the monarch of the State of Jin .His eldest son, Shen Sheng(申生) should have inherited the throne on the death of his father.The King very much doted(宠爱) on his concubine Li(骊姬) who wanted to make her own son the crown prince.So she killed the crown prince Shen Sheng by scheme.Soon afterwards she began to persecute Chong\'er, the son of the crown prince.As soon as Chong\'er got wind of this, he fled abroad together with his henchmen（亲信，支持者）.
On the way of exile Chong\'er and his henchmen went through all kinds of hardships and difficulties.One day they came to a remote and uninhabited place where Chong\'er, worn out and hungry, suddenly, collapsed down the ground and was not able to go a step further.Actually, he was starving and dying.
His henchmen searched for a long time but could find nothing to eat.So everyone was deeply worried.Seeing this, Jie Zitui, an official following him, retreated to a secluded（使隔绝） place and cut a piece of flesh off his thigh.He cooked a bowl of soup with his flesh and held it to Chong\'er in his hands.
Chong\'er devoured the soup ravenously（极饿地）and then recovered his vitality gradually.When he asked where they got the flesh, the officials looked at Jie Zitui whose gown was stained with blood and told Chong\'er everything with tears in their eyes.
Chong\'er was so moved that, with all sorts of feelings welling up in his heart, he embraced Jie Zitui and said, shedding tears, \"What shall I do to repay you?\" \"You have tasted to the full the bitterne of the people through your exile.I hope you will be a king clear and bright in the future.\" replied Jie.
Nineteen years later Chong\'er finally became the King of Jin State who was named Jin Wengong in China\'s history.After his ascending the throne, Jin Wengong conferred（授予） titles and awards to the meritorious officials who had followed him in exile, but only to forget Jie Zitui who had sacrificed the flesh of his leg.
Quite a few people felt indignant at the injustice done to Jie Zitui.They advised him to see the king and ask for awards.Jie Zitui, however, disdained（鄙视） very much those who contended for merits and asked for rewards.He tidied up his things and went quietly with his mother to the Mianshan Mountain to live in seclusion.
When Jin Wengong heard of that, he was only too ashamed and regretful.Bringing his men, he made a personal call to Jie\'s house to invite him, but only to find the door was locked.Some neighbors said that Jie was not willing to be an official and had gone to the Mianshan Mountain(绵山), carrying his mother on his back.
The Mianshan Mountain was very high with a dangerous and difficult mountain pa and a dense forest.And it was by no means easy to look for Jie and his mother.Someone offered an advice of setting a fire to force Jie out.Jin Wengong readily agreed.So a soaring fire immediately spread from the three sides of the mountain.
The fire burned all over the Mianshan Mountain, yet not a shadow of Jie was found.When the fire went out, however, people found Jie dead sitting under an old willow tree with his mother on the back.Seeing this Jin Wengong felt unbearably painful and nearly cried his heart out!
When putting Jie\'s dead body into the coffin, people found in a hole of the tree trunk a letter written by Jie in his own blood which read, 割肉奉君尽丹心，但愿主公常清明。
柳下作鬼终不见，强似伴君作谏臣。
倘若主公心有我，忆我之时常自省。
臣在九泉心无愧，勤政清明复清明。
“I cut off my own flesh to dedicate to you only to expre my devotion.And I only wish my king will always be clear and bright.If you will bear me in mind, make self-examination whenever you recollect me.”
The letter written in blood accompanied Jin Wengong to spend the rest of his life.In order to keep in memory of Jie Zitui, he iued an order to turn the name of Mianshan Mountain into Jieshan and make the day Hanshi Day (or Cold Food Day).And on the Cold Food Day every year, no fire or smoke was allowed and people should eat cold food for the whole day.
On the Cold Food Day the next year when Jin Wengong led his officials to hold a memorial ceremony for Jie up the mountain, to his surprise, he found the dead old willow tree had revived with luxuriant foliage.He braided（穗带） a wicker（编结的树枝或藤条） ring and put it on his head to expre his sincerity.And the officials followed his example one after another.
There and then Jin Wengong bestowed the old willow tree the name of Willow Clear and Bright.As soon as he returned to the court he made known all over the country that the day after Cold Food Day was fixed as the Clear and Bright Festival, or Qingming Festival in Chinese.The festival and customs were thus handed down from generation to generation.In addition, people began to visit Jie Zitui\'s tomb and pay their respects to him.
It was not until the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) about 300 years ago that the practice of Hanshi (or eating cold food) was replaced by that of Qingming, which had now become an important occasion for people to offer sacrifices to their ancestors.
