How are you? I do hope that you are well, have an easy and relaxed weekend.

This Friday to Sunday ? April 4 to April 6, is Qing Ming of China, in English it is Tomb-sweeping Day. Usually, it is on April 5. But in leap year, it is on April 4. Since 2008, it has become a formal national holiday from a folk festival. So, we have a 3 days holiday this week.

As a traditional Chinese festival, in ancient times, people celebrated Qing Ming with dancing, singing, picnics, and kite flying. Colored boiled eggs would be broken to symbolize the opening of life. In the capital, the Emperor would plant trees on the palace grounds to celebrate the renewing nature of spring. In the villages, young men and women would court each other.

Along with the time, the main activity of Qing Ming has become to honor past ancestors. In Chinese culture, we admire the quality that no matter where we are, no matter we are successful or not, we can not forget our ancestors, we can not forget that we are Chinese and where our root is. We believe that the spirits of deceased ancestors would look after and bless a family prosper through good harvests and more children. So, every Qing Ming, thousands upon thousands people go back to the tombs of their ancestors, family members, lovers, friends, the heroes or the great people in the history and the contemporary era to yearn and to commemorate them. Usually, people put flowers, incense, food, fruit and something that the people who were in the tombs had enjoyed by the tombs...

It is said that several millions of people would come to my city -- Shenzhen and several million people will leave for their hometown during the holiday. There are also millions of oversea Chinese people coming back to the mainland via Hong Kong and Shenzhen customs during Qing Ming.

Besides the traditions of honoring the dead, people also enjoy flying kites on Tomb Sweeping Day. Kites can come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. Designs could include frogs, dragonflies, butterflies, crabs, bats and storks.

Since Qing Ming has become a national holiday in 2008, there are more and more activities and entertainments on the TV, in the parks to celebrate it now.

However, it has also brought a serious traffic problem and there are too many people everywhere. So, I rather than stay at home to read, paint and to work on my little web site. Can you imagine? Because I have 3 days free time this week, I have completed 3 little paintings already.

Is there any festival to honor the deceased people in your culture? How do you spend it usually?
I am just a learner on that art of painting, music, calligraphy, languages and to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do a little bit things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be An Electronic Bridge Of Culture Exchange, Friendship and Language Learning. To help the others while to improve myself.

I appreciate your understanding, directions and supports. I do hope to get your friendly help...

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, or to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Sun, April 6, 2008