Qingming is the fifth of the 24 solar terms in China, and it falls on April 5th this year. It embodies the traditional Chinese concept of the “unity of human and nature” and is a traditional festival in China. Nowadays, Qingming Festival, also called Tomb Sweeping Day, is regarded as one of the four major traditional Chinese festivals, along with the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Chinese New Year.
The Qingming Festival has its origins in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), as documented in the Chinese historical texts “Chu Xue Ji” and “Taiping Yulan”. Initially associated with the Cold Food Festival, the practice of tomb-sweeping was prevalent during ancient times. Each year on this day, people from all walks of life, including the emperor, honor their ancestors by visiting their graves. This tradition has continued to this day as an integral part of the festival’s customs.
In addition to the traditional practice of honoring ancestors, Qingming Festival is also a period during which outdoor activities such as spring outings are popular. In ancient times, Qingming was commonly known as “the Spring Outing Festival”, and the gathering of wild vegetables was a prominent activity during the festival. A customary dish consumed during Qingming Festival is Qingtuan, which is made from wild vegetables. Additionally, planting trees, flying kites, playing cuju (an ancient Chinese ball game), and swinging on swings are all common activities during Qingming outings.
//DANISH
Qingming er den femte solperiode i de 24 solperioder i Kina, og det falder på den 5. april i år. Det udtrykker det traditionelle kinesiske begreb om “menneske og natur i harmoni” og er en traditionel festival i Kina. I dag anses Qingming-festivalen for at være en af de fire største traditionelle kinesiske festivaler, sammen med Dragebådsfestivalen, Månefestivalen og det kinesiske nytår.
Qingming-festivalen har sin oprindelse i Tang-dynastiet (618-907) og er dokumenteret i de kinesiske historiske tekster som “Chu Xue Ji” og “Taiping Yulan”. Oprindeligt var det at besøge grave en udbredt skik i forbindelse med festivalen for kold mad. Hvert år på denne dag ærer mennesker fra alle samfundslag, herunder kejseren, deres forfædre ved at besøge deres grave. Denne tradition er fortsat op til i dag og udgør en integreret del af festivalens skikke.
Udover den traditionelle praksis med at ære forfædre er Qingming-festivalen også en periode, hvor udendørsaktiviteter som forårsudflugter er populære. I den gamle tid i Kina blev Qingming ofte kaldt “forårsudflugtsfestivalen”, og samlingen af vilde grøntsager var en fremtrædende aktivitet under festivalen. En traditionel ret, som spises under Qingming-festivalen, er Qingtuan, som er lavet af vilde grøntsager. Derudover er plantning af træer, drageflyvninger, cuju spil (en gammel kinesisk boldspil) og gyngen på gynger udbredte aktiviteter under Qingming-udflugter.
