In April every year, the Chinese visit the graves of their ancestors. It is believed that on this day the dead return to earth as spirits and they are brought their favorite food and paper money, so-called death money, is burned at the grave so that the deceased have everything they need in the afterlife. The graves are cleaned and decorated with flowers, and when burning incense sticks, the spirits eat the food they have brought with them, after which the food is collected and consumed by the living descendants. Incidentally, only cold dishes are eaten on Qingming Day. Chinese go to the dead only once a year. The rest of the year they are left to sleep in peace and not disturbed. There is no grave care like here, where one goes to the grave according to one's own needs. Traditionally, Chinese were always buried next to their parents as a sign of reverence. This also results in the idea that when a Chinese grow old, they always return to the place from which they came, that the leaf falls from the tree onto the earth where the tree is rooted. Traditional burials Funerals are conducted differently in different parts of China, but there are some rituals that are similar. The dead are traditionally buried in coffins, after the death the family is notified, who came together earlier and stayed with the dead for three days. During this time, a Buddhist or Taoist monk was commissioned to determine the best day for the funeral according to the lunar calendar. The monks said prayers and accompanied the family. On the way to the burial place, it was necessary to placate or drive away any evil spirits that might lurk in corners and obstruct the path of the funeral procession, either by burning money to bribe them or by setting off fireworks to ward them off chase away. The place of burial was determined according to Feng Shui. It should be a nice place where the dead person feels comfortable, maybe near a river. Modern burials A lot has changed nowadays. Burning money is no longer practiced for environmental reasons, and space for funerals is scarce given the population density. A grave in Shanghai is priceless, which is why some choose to be buried in the provinces of their ancestors, even if they have lived in Shanghai all their lives. Many can be cremated and their ashes buried under trees, similar to our graveyards. There are also burials at sea. Society is in a state of flux and traditions that seem ancient but were still common until a few decades ago are disappearing.
The Qingming Festival always falls on the 15th day after the spring equinox, which is April 4th or 5th. It has been celebrated for 2500 years. It has been on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List since 2006 and a public holiday since 2008. In the Chinese holiday calendar, it is mentioned as a religious Buddhist festival. What does this day have to do with the Qingming Scroll, one of the most famous works of art in Chinese culture. It is a roll of paper about five meters long and about 25 centimeters high, painted by Zhang Zeduan. There you don't see any veneration of the dead, but a very lively city, teeming with people, perhaps comparable to paintings by Pieter Bruegel. What does that have to do with each other? Qingming falls in spring, a time when nature has fully awakened, when it is warm and when it is possible to wear light clothing again. It is comparable to our Easter festival. According to a now-forgotten custom, willow branches were worn in the hair on this day. Kites are flown in many places, not only during the day but also in the evening. Then small lanterns are tied to the kites. Today, on Qingming Day, in addition to worshiping the dead, spring excursion is also a popular tradition. This springtime revival of life is depicted on the Qingming Scroll. On Qingming Day, the mourning tears for the dead combine with the laughter of a spring outing.
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