Zhongshan, Guangdong -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/04/2010 -- Qingming is an ancient festival but it was done away with in 1949. The idea in 1949 was that Qingming represented four olds, old idea, old custom, old culture and old habit. The current leaders of China reinstated the holiday in 2008. Even in these days of busy Chinese economic development, Qingming is considered an important time to honor forefathers.

Qingming is the Chinese day to remember ancestors. In English the day is called Clear Bright Festival, All Souls Day, Grave Sweeping Day, Ancestors Day, or Tomb Cleaning Day. It always falls on the 104th day after the winter solstice. This timing makes it a day to go out and celebrate the greenery of Spring as well as to remember departed ones.

The origins of Qingming go back to a previous holiday called Hanshi Day, literally a day with cold food. The reasons for it being a day with only cold food stem from the actions of the previously ousted Duke Wen in 636BC.

Duke Wen spent 19 years in exile and during this time there were some periods when food was scarce. During one such spell Jie Zitui,a servant of Wen’s, produced an excellent meat soup for his Duke. When the Duke discovered that the meat for the soup had come from Jie’s own thigh he was overwhelmed with gratitude. However, it was not until Wen was returned as a Duke that he repaid all those who had helped him during exile. Jie left for the forests with his mother once Wen was reinstated as Duke and so was not around to receive his praise. The Duke attempted to flush Jie out of the forest by burning it down. This resulted in the death of Jie and his mother. Duke Wen was very upset by his burning Jie alive and ordered that day to be remembered by not using fire to cook food and only to eat cold meals on that day. Later Hanshi Day was combined with the next day, Qingming, a day to remember all the dead forefathers.

Typically on Qingming people will commemorate the ancestors by burning paper money, paper cars, paper phones and maids. These symbols of material possessions are believed to make the afterlife more comfortable and wealthy for the dead relatives.

Over the weekend, roads will be very busy as people travel to their “old homes” to maintain the tombs. Jiangsu province has 900,000 grave sweepers travelling from nearby Shanghai every year.

For those Chinese overseas, or unable to stop work for Qingming a modern day solution has been found. Online tombs now exist where people can pay their respects to dead family members.