Qing Ming

Qing (pronounced Ching) Ming means Tomb-Sweeping Day and falls on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. It is a traditional Chinese festival and is a day of sacrifice.

Who celebrates?

Chinese people around the world.

How do people celebrate?

• Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites and make ritual offerings. Offerings would typically include traditional food dishes, and the burning of joss sticks and joss paper
• Other activities include kite flying and spring outings
• In China the day is associated with eating green dumplings called qingtuan.

What should I know?

• Qing Ming is an important day of showing respect to ancestors
• The holidays themes of rest, reflection and respect reflect the Chinese philosophy of ‘yin and yang’ where opposites are complementary and create true balance in life
• In the 2011 Census 0.7% of the UK identified as Chinese ethnicity.

How can I support others?

• Ask people if they or their families will be celebrating
• Encourage celebrations internally and externally
• Talk to your team about the ethnic representation among your volunteer, employee and service user population and if it’s representative of your area.

The British Chinse Centre: Qing Ming: http://www.britishchineseheritagecentre.org.uk/insights/item/qing-ming

The story behind Qing Ming: https://thenanyan.com/2017/04/03/tomb-sweeping-day-the-story-behind-qingming-festival/

Qing Tang recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEJWaUCw1NQ

Cli: Qingming Festival, Explained: https://studycli.org/chinese-holidays/qingming-festival/