Chinese traditional Festival-Tomb Sweeping Festival

Tomb-Sweeping Festival, also known as Outing Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Festival, March Festival, Ancestor Worship Festival, etc., takes place at the turn of mid-spring and late spring. The Tomb-Sweeping Festival originated from the ancestral beliefs of early humans and is the most solemn ancestor worship festival of the Chinese nation. Tomb-Sweeping Festival has both natural and cultural connotations. It is not only a natural solar term, but also a traditional festival. Tomb-sweeping to worship ancestors and outings are the two major themes of Tomb-Sweeping Festival. These two traditional customs have been passed down in China since ancient times and continue to this day.

The ancients described the phenology of the Tomb-Sweeping Festival as follows: the tung trees begin to bloom: the white tung flowers bloom, and beauty arrives as promised. “Everything that grows here is clean and bright. That’s why it’s called Qingming.”

The folk customs of the Tomb-Sweeping Festival are quite rich: tomb-sweeping to worship ancestors and outings are two of the major themes. There are also leisurely fun such as planting willows, flying kites, swinging, and tug-of-war that are still popular today.