Tomb Sweeping Day in China, or 清明节(Qing Ming Festival) fell on April 4th this year. To reduce crowds, the Chinese government has pushed for virtual grave-visiting options. This practical change goes against the culture of annual Tomb Sweeping trips and Spring excursions. Although people have become more used to purchasing on line, working from home, these special occasion practices are not as easy to change. How appealing is it? Think posting messages on mortuary sites when a personal attendance to an out of state funeral is not possible. The sympathy messages are received but these e-messages of condolence usually contribute to a smaller fraction of the full funeral attendance. Traditions are built on repeated social events and human contact. As one young man in his early 30s, whom I interviewed via WeChat, said, “The Chinese people are obstinate. The government can try but it is very hard to change practices that have lasted thousands of years.”
To learn more, watch a 4 min video.
Spring excursions and grave visits are common activities during Tomb Sweeping Weekend on April 4th-5th. Photos courtesy of Yin ZhiQiang.
Face mask wearing is still preferred in close quarters such as using public transportation.
Photo courtesy of Li Qi.
While it is common for Americans to bring cut flowers to graves, Chinese families traditionally bring food and picnic afterwards.
Photo courtesy of Li Qi.
