Qing Ming underpins Chinese family values

To understand this concept it is necessary to take a look at the fundamental belief systems of the Chinese people. For many thousands of years Chinese society has been organised on lines of respect for elders and the recognition of rights and responsibilities. Observance of respect to ancestors is in fact an integral part of this system, and is a natural extension to the respect paid to living people who are older than oneself. It is the obligation of descendants to show respect to their elders (in this case deceased), but equally, it is the responsibility of the living to teach the younger such values. So, although the festival has a focus on the dead, it is very much about the living, and of the family.

Customs associated with Qing Ming

Most commonly, Qing Ming is associated with cleaning graves and paying respect to the dead. This includes offering food and goods to the dead. The food is very real and roast piglet is a common offering. The goods are far more likely to be made of paper (Joss Paper) and can take the form of anything from a shirt and tie to wristwatches and speedboats. These are transferred to the dead through burning them. Quite often "Bank of Hell" money will also be burnt at the same time. This money distract the evil spirits who will, given half a chance, intercept the goods and have them for themselves. While the evil spirits are chasing the Hell money, the valuable goods pass safely to the dead.
This is a family event, and there is an expectation that the whole family will make the trip to the gravesite. It is common for families not to have a gravesite - in this case there may be a "Hall of Remembrance" somewhat similar to those found in crematoria. A plaque is placed on the wall, usually with a picture of the person on it. Respects are also paid here, and the food and burnt offerings are also made.

Qing Ming is associated with outings, particularly to the countryside. There is no surprise in this, as in former times, the dead were buried outside of the city walls. Therefore to pay respects, one needed to make a trip out of the city. With the whole family making such an effort, it s not very surprising that the opportunity was taken to make the event a family affair, and from this a number of other customs emerged.

Garlands

Although not practised today, trips to the countryside were made and willow blossoms were plaited into wreaths, and worn by young women on their heads. The belief was that this would ensure the woman kept her youthful looks. There was a saying "A woman who does not wear a willow garland on Qing Ming will soon grow grey."

Kites

Another custom is flying kites on Qing Ming. The origin is thought to come from the Spring and Autumn period (770 – 476 BC). Story has it that Gongshu Ban created a wooden bird that he flew like a kite over the capital city of the State of Song in order to spy on the city. The kite was used to lift a person off the ground! By the Western Han period ( 206 - 4 BC) paper had replaced wood.

By the Five Dynasties (907 - 960 AD) a new addition had been made to the kite, a bamboo tube was placed on the kite by Li Ye. When the wind blew through the tube, it created a sound, similar to that of the Chinese musical instrument, the zheng. From that time the Chinese have called kites "feng zheng" - wind instrument.

Qing Ming is kite-flying season, and in many places the festival is used to hold kite competitions, with individuals and groups vying to create the most stunning and imaginative kite.

Riverside Scene at Qing Ming

Of national importance in Chinese art is the painting by Zhang Zeduan of the Northern Song dynasty (960 - 127 AD). The painting is entitled "Riverside Scene at Qing Ming" and vividly depicts the festival of Qing Ming in the city of Bianliang (modern day Keifeng). Zhang was from the school of realism, and so the painting has minute detail of the life of the city on the day. The scroll starts with a depiction o people paying respects at the gravesite outside the city. From these simple beginning the painting reveals life in the city from busy commercial scenes to life on the river. There are sedans, mules and camels, carts and yolks - indeed all dorms of transportation for both people and goods. There are shops, temples, stalls and houses, restaurants and teahouses. Merchant ships, coasters and tugs. Shoppers, merchants, coolies and traders. In short everything and everyone. What is particularly staggering about this painting (now held in the Palace Museum in Beijing) is its scale. There are some 1,643 people shown, 208 animals, 20 ships and more than 30 buildings - all in detail. It is a priceless record of the ordinary life of the people of the time, showing the full range of social backgrounds.

Source: Chinatown Online