Drizzling without end during the showers of spring， Travelers along the road grow gloomy and glum. When I ask a shepherd boy where Id find a tavern， He points to far hamlet nestling midst apricot blossoms.

THIS poem is among the best known of Chinese depictions of Qingming Festival， also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day. Du Mus （803-c.852） lines evoke the weather typical of the season and also its distinct ambience， as people clean the tombs of deceased relatives and hold ceremonies to honor their ancestors.

Qingming refers to a solar term on the Chinese lunar calendar as well as a festival. Through continuous centuries of farming practices， ancestors of the Chinese people discovered the close ties between agriculture and climate. To explain the relation- ship between the Sun and the Earth， they divided the year into 24 parts to indicate the changes and characteristics of different seasons. Qingming， literally meaning pure brightness， is the fifth of the 24 seasonal division points and usually falls around April 4 or 5 （or the beginning of the third month of the lunar calendar）. This year， it falls on April 4. At the onset of spring when the temperature rises and everything comes back to life， Qingming is the ideal time to plough and sow.

Qingming is associated with tomb sweeping and ritual offerings. With a history of over 2，500 years， this day， also an occasion on which to honor ancestors and go on spring outings， is one of the most important traditional Chinese festivals. In China it is considered， along with the Zhongyuan and Hanyi festivals on the 15th of the seventh lunar month and the first of the tenth lunar month respectively， a festival of spirits. In 2006， the Qingming Festival was granted National Intangible Cultural Heritage status by the State Council.

This is a day that blends the traditions of the Cold Food Festival and the Shangsi Festival in which people consume cold food and go on outings. Before the seventh century， the Cold Food Festival and Qingming were celebrated in succession but with different objectives. The former， to mourn the deceased， took place one or two days before the latter， with people praying for renewal and protection of life. Showing their respect for both life and death， the two events complemented each other.

The Cold Food （or Hanshi） Festival dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period （770-476 BC） in memory of Jie Zitui， a senior official loyal to the Jin State. The use of fire was forbidden to express tribute. Therefore， foods were prepared in advance and served cold during this period. Different regions in China serve different dishes during this festival. In the north， people usually eat swallow-shaped steamed cakes made of flour and dates， named after“Zitui Swallows.” In the south， sweet rice balls are the customary treat. This steamed dessert is made with sticky rice flour and bromegrass juice filled with date or red-bean paste.

Tomb sweeping constitutes an important part of the Cold Food Festival. Honoring ancestors was essential in ancient China， a tradition dating back to the third century BC. In the Tang Dynasty （618-907）， the sweeping of tombs during the Cold Food Festival was considered the requisite ritual to com- memorate ancestors. Emperor Xuanzong （685-762） issued an order during his reign， stipulating the folk ceremony of cleaning tombs as a fixed Cold Food Festival ritual. Since Qingming comes right after the Cold Food Festival， such tomb-sweeping rituals came to be deferred little by little toward Qingming.

During the Song and Yuan dynasties （960-1368）， Qingming， once linked with the Cold Food Festival， gradually replaced the latter. Rituals to commemorate ancestors were held during Qingming， along with such customs of the Cold Food Festival as eating cold food， playing soccer， and reveling on swings.

What is more， some of the customs of the timehonored Shangsi Festival could also be observed in the Qingming Festival. Celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month， the Shangsi Festival offered a chance for people to go on spring outings and bathe in rivers in hopes of purging misfortune. As winter turns to spring， people yearn to be closer to nature in the wild. In the Tang Dynasty， a tradition took shape of going on outings along with cleaning tombs， which were usually in the countryside. Hence， it became a good time to enjoy the splendors of spring after commemorating ancestors.

During the Song and Yuan dynasties， Qingming Festival merged the customs of the other two festivals， which after the 14th century were gradually celebrated less and less. Qingming consequently became a major spring event. On this day， people clean the tombs of departed relatives， honor ancestors， and then enjoy the beautiful scenery while joining in such recreational activities as soccer， swings， and flying kites. Thus， sad tears and joyous laughter intermingle， giving the festival a peculiar ambience. The famous painting Qingming Festival at the Riverside by Zhang Zeduan （1085-1145） portrays festive scenes along the banks of the Bianhe River in Bianjing （todays Kaifeng in Henan Province）， the capital city of the Northern Song Dynasty（960-1127）.

Traditions in Different Regions

Cold Food in Jiexiu

Jiexiu in central Shanxi Province is regarded as the cradle of the Qingming Festival. Folk customs during this festival have been well preserved to this day. In 2011， Cold Food in Jiexiu was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage inventory.

In the Spring and Autumn Period， Jie Zitui， a senior official in the State of Jin， remained loyal to the exiled prince Chonger for over 19 years. Having gone through all manner of hardship， the prince eventually returned to his kingdom and ascended the throne. He began to reward those who had rendered him outstanding service on his journey to the throne， but Jie Zitui was not among them. Not one to jostle for merit and reward， Jie had resigned and lived in seclusion with his mother on Mianshan Mountain in Jiexiu. Later， Chonger regretted this injustice to Jie and traveled to the mountain in the hope of meeting him. However， his request was in vain. In desperation， Chonger ordered the surrounds burned down， in an attempt to force Jie out. With a determined heart， Jie burnt to death under a willow tree. Chonger was filled with remorse. The following year， when he went up to the mountain to commemorate Jie， he saw a willow tree blooming with green branches and leaves. He placed a twig on his head and named the tree “The Qingming Willow.” In memory of Jie， he forbade the use of fire across the state on every anniversary of Jie Zituis death， and required that all food be consumed cold.

Today， various traditional rituals are still carried out in Jiexiu to celebrate the Cold Food and Qingming festivals， including， observing rituals， sweeping tombs， wearing circlets of entwined willow twigs， watching cock fights， putting willow twigs on gates， going on outings， and holding poetry readings. Locals also make dough figures， clean their roofs and perform folk operas on this occasion. Moreover， a good variety of food is served， including steamed cakes in different shapes named after Jie Zitui， steamed paste buns resembling rabbits （symbolizing Jie Zitui） intertwined with snakes （symbolizing Jies loving mother）， date-stuffed cakes， and sesame seed candy， to name a few.

Qintong Boats Gathering

With a history of nearly 1，000 years， the Qintong Boats Gathering is a popular folk tradition in the ancient town of Qintong in Taizhou， Jiangsu Province. It is also known as the Qingming Grand Gathering.

Though different versions about the origins of this event may be heard， they are all aimed at commemorating soldiers who sacrificed themselves for their homeland. Orginally， local people voluntarily punted their boats as a memorial ceremony for martyrs. As time passed， it became traditional for large numbers of boats to gather on the day after the Qingming Festival. The event is usually held in the region between the Lihe River and the Xiahe River in central Jiangsu， covering hundreds of square kilometers.

Ten days before the Qingming Festival， flags are raised in the villages about to join the gathering， signifying the onset of boat selection. The chief organizers in each village， usually local administrators， are responsible for safety. Owners of new， lightweight boats are most likely to be the honored selectees. Participants then practice for days and both clean and decorate their boats.

On the big day， boats gather in the competition area after the ritual offerings ceremony held at dawn. The sounds of gongs， drums and waves resound as beautifully decorated boats move to the starting line on the lake. The boat race， the main part of the grand gathering， is always exciting. Competing in pairs， participating boats set off like flying arrows. The beating of gongs and drums gets faster and faster as the competitors go at full speed towards the finishing line， as villagers cheer on the banks – it is a day to rejoice.

The boat race is often followed by folk opera performances and drinking parties. At wine parties， it is a tradition for the leading boatman of each boat to give his pole to a childless couple， to wish them sons in the next year. The couples then set off firecrackers to welcome the poles and thank the boatmen with tea and candies. If their dream comes true， the couple buys a new pole for each of the boatmen. Some may also invite them to a celebratory banquet.

The Qintong Boats Gathering showcases peoples wishes for a prosperous country and a peaceful and affluent life. The formalities of this event have been passed down for centuries. To this day， it is the best-conserved and most ancient water festival in China. It was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008.

Compiled and edited by China Today.