Qingming Festival Celebrated on 5th April,2026

Core customs: Memorializing ancestors and spring outings
‌Cleansing graves and paying respects to ancestors‌: This is the most core and grand custom of the Qingming Festival, embodying the "thoughtful respect" towards one's ancestors. People will go to the ancestral graves, remove weeds, place offerings, burn incense and pray, and burn paper money or offer flowers to express remembrance and mourning. With the development of society, civilized memorial activities have become increasingly popular, and green methods such as flower offerings and online remembrance have also been widely accepted. 

Spring outing: During the Qingming Festival, as spring returns to the earth, it is an ideal time for outings. It was formerly called "Exploring Spring" or "Searching for Spring". People take the opportunity of visiting graves to go on a trip with their families, enjoying the vibrant scenes of spring and expressing their emotions. This activity originated from the ancient tradition of "Spring Play" on the Upper Euphrates River, which later merged with the Qingming Festival.

Common traditional activities
1.During the Qingming Festival, there are also a series of distinctive folk sports activities and prayer events, many of which aim to exercise the body and ward off evil spirits and disasters. 
Planting and Wearing Willows: When people go for a spring outing, they pick willow branches and either weave them into a ring and wear it on their heads, or take them home to plant on the door lintel or eaves. This custom has multiple meanings: First, willows have strong vitality, and planting willows symbolizes the reproduction and continuous existence of descendants; second, ancient people believed that willow branches could ward off evil and prevent diseases, protecting family safety.

2.Flying kites: Flying kites is a beloved activity during the Qingming Festival. In ancient times, people would write illnesses or disasters on the kites and cut the string when the kites flew high, symbolizing letting the diseases and disasters blow away with the wind and praying for good health and luck. Nowadays, it has evolved into a popular spring-time entertainment activity.

3.Swinging on a swing: The history of swings is ancient. They were originally called "Qianqiu" and later changed to "Qiuqian" to avoid offending the emperor. Swinging on a swing became popular during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and became an important custom during the Qingming Festival in the Tang Dynasty. It not only provides entertainment but is also believed to enhance health and cultivate courage. During the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the Qingming Festival was even designated as the "Swing Festival".

4.Kicking Ball: It was a solid leather ball used in ancient times. It was an interesting outdoor game during the Qingming Festival and can be regarded as the predecessor of modern football. It is said to have been invented by Emperor Huangdi and was initially used for training warriors. It was particularly popular during the Tang and Song dynasties.

5.Tree Planting: During the Qingming Festival, the temperature rises and the spring rain moistens the soil, making it easier for tree seedlings to survive. Therefore, our country has had the custom of planting trees during the Qingming Festival since ancient times. This custom is also related to the tradition of planting willows and wearing willow branches during the Qingming Festival.

6.Pulling the rope: In ancient times, it was called "Qian Gou". It originated in the late Spring and Autumn period and initially became popular among the military. In the Tang Dynasty, it was called "Pai Er" and became part of the customs during the Qingming Festival.

Special dietary customs
1.The food during the Qingming Festival is also quite distinctive, closely related to the tradition of Chongyang Festival and the seasonal foods of spring. 
Eating Tangyuan: Tangyuan made from colored glutinous rice flour (colored with millet grass juice, etc.), filled with fillings such as bean paste, are the signature food of the Qingming Festival in the Jiangnan region. In ancient times, they were mainly used for sacrifices, but nowadays they have become popular seasonal snacks, symbolizing a sweet life.

2.Eating Eggs: The custom of boiling eggs and coloring them in various colors (referred to as "colorful eggs") during the Qingming Festival has a long history. Ancient people had the custom of throwing the colored eggs into the river and letting them float downstream for people to compete for. They believed that eating them could prevent illness or be beneficial for having children. In some areas, children also play the "egg bumping" game.

3.Other food customs: There are also various seasonal foods in different regions. For example, in Shanxi and other places, "child blessing" buns are steamed. In some areas, there are customs of eating zongzi and snails.

At the same day is Easter. Yongheng Hydraulic wish all of our clients Happy Easter and enjoy your holiday with family !