How Much Do You Know About Qingming Customs?—Beyond Tomb-Sweeping, There Are Other Traditions to Observe

When people think of the Qingming Festival, the first thing that comes to mind for many is visiting graves. But in fact, the customs of this ancient festival go far beyond that. Let’s take a closer look at how the Chinese celebrate Qingming.

I. Tomb-Sweeping: The Entire Process from Cleaning to Worship

Tomb-sweeping, also known as “visiting the graves” or “paying respects at the graves,” is the central activity of the Qingming Festival. Traditional tomb-sweeping typically involves the following steps:

Tending the Grave: After a year of wind and rain, graves are often overgrown with weeds. Family members first clear the weeds and add fresh soil to give the grave a fresh new look. This step symbolizes the descendants’ “care” for their ancestors.

Placing Paper Money: Placing a few pieces of yellow joss paper on top of the grave is called “hanging paper.” This serves as a sign to others that the grave is being tended and that the family is thriving.

Burning incense and offering food: Incense and candles are lit, and offerings are placed on the grave. Offerings typically include fruits, pastries, alcohol, and foods the deceased enjoyed during their lifetime.

Burning joss paper: Chinese people believe that burning joss paper (also known as “underworld currency”) provides ancestors with money to use in the afterlife. Joss paper comes in gold and silver foil, as well as in the form of printed banknotes.

Paying Respects and Bowing: Family members pay their respects to the tombstone in order of seniority, usually by kowtowing or bowing. At the same time, elders recount stories of the ancestors to the younger generation, ensuring that family memories are passed down from generation to generation.

II. Spring Outings: Springtime Joy After Mourning

You might wonder: Why go out for a spring outing on a holiday meant to honor the dead? This is precisely the unique Chinese wisdom regarding life.

The ancients believed that during the Qingming season, “yin and yang are in harmony,” making it an ideal time not only to honor the deceased but also to bond with the living. While the mood at the gravesite is somber, spring outings allow these emotions to be released. As families walk from the cemetery to the fields, shifting from mourning to laughter, they embody the Chinese philosophy of “may the departed rest in peace, and may the living find strength”—a truly open-hearted attitude.

III. Flying Kites: Letting Go of Bad Luck

Flying kites during Qingming is not just for fun. The ancients had a saying about “letting go of bad luck”—after sending the kite high into the sky, they would cut the string, allowing the kite to drift away with the wind. This symbolized sending away the year’s illnesses, worries, and misfortunes all at once. Of course, few people actually cut the string these days, but flying kites remains one of the most popular outdoor activities during the Qingming Festival.

IV. Wearing Willow Branches: A Spring Amulet

The willow tree is the symbolic plant of the Qingming Festival. A folk saying goes, “If you don’t wear willow on Qingming, even the fairest face will turn gray,” meaning that if one does not wear a willow branch on Qingming, even the youngest person will grow old.

Modern Evolution: From Burning Paper Money to Offering Flowers

In recent years, China’s Qingming Festival has been quietly evolving. An increasing number of cities are promoting “civilized memorial practices,” replacing paper money with flowers and burning incense with tree planting. Some young people choose to create “memorial halls” online to honor their loved ones digitally. These changes have made the Qingming Festival more environmentally friendly and better aligned with modern lifestyles.

Yet no matter how the forms may change, the essence of the Qingming Festival remains unchanged—namely, reverence for life, remembrance of loved ones, and a love for spring.