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| All Souls’ Day | ||
| The Chinese have always adhered to family values and one of the strictest rules is to always respect the elders. To go against them is likened to treachery and hence it is an obligation to pay respects to the elders, even after their deaths. The 'Qing Ming' (meaning Clear and Bright) festival has been observed by the Chinese for thousands of years. Qing Ming arrives at the beginning of spring, hence associated with a new life and beginning (similarly to Christians' Easter). This festival boils down a lot to family tradition and the older ones carry the responsibility of teaching the younger ones the importance of filial piety. On Qing Ming, families would gather and make a trip to their ancestors' graves. If their ancestor's were cremated then the descendants would go to a "Hall of Commemoration" and pay their respects there instead. What does the term 'pay respects' means to the Chinese? Chinese graveyards are usually located on hills. Graves on hills usually have good Feng Shui and it is believed that the locations of the graves will determine the well-being of the descendants. If the Feng Shui of the grave is not good the descendants will suffer ill luck and misfortunes. On the other hand if the Feng Shui of the grave is properly done, the descendants of the person will enjoy prosperity and success. (You can read about an example of the relation between Feng Shui and graves in this article by Joey Yap. So if your ancestors were buried on a very high spot (like mine), be prepared for an arduous climb up the hill. Upon reaching the gravesite, family members would lay everything they have brought in front of the grave. After offering some incense they would proceed to clean the gravesite area - getting rid of overgrown grass and dirt. Food and wine would then be offered (real, authentic food and quite a feast) along with candles and more incense. There is no cause to worry about 'wasting' good food. After the food had been offered, family members would enjoy a picnic by the gravesite or divide the food among them to be brought back home. Every measure is taken to ensure a comfortable life for the ancestors in the spirit world. Items made from paper such as paper shirts, trousers, mobile phones, watches, televisions and so on (sometimes even houses, cars and yachts) are burnt as offerings to the dead. In ancient times, real items such as fabric clothes were burnt (television was not invented yet) until a 'voice' from the underworld told the people that spirits and humans are not the same - their necessities differ. For the spirits, paper made products would be sufficient. From then on Chinese have been burning paper products to their dead ancestors. Joss paper with silver and gold imprints are shaped like ingots and burnt. The fear of having evil spirits seize the offered money and goods cause the Chinese to burn "Hell notes", money-like paper with imprints under the authorization of the 'Bank of Hell'. This will distract the evil spirits and the ancestors can 'receive' their belongings safely. Fancy uncooked food? During the spring and autumn period (722 - 481 B.C.) there was a ruler of the Jin Kingdom called Duke Xiao. He wanted the son of his favourite concubine to succeed him, and so he had his crown prince killed. The next in line was his 2nd son called Chong Er. Chong Er would have suffered the same fate as his brother if he had not fled immediately. Chong Er and his loyal officials and servants wandered around, homeless and tired for 19 years. One day Chong Er nearly died of hunger. A very loyal official, Jie Zitui cut a muscle from his thigh, cooked and presented it to his young master. Chong Er was deeply moved and prostrated to Jie out of gratitude. When Chong Er finally managed to become the ruler of Jin, he rewarded all his loyal followers. For some reason he forgot Jie. Jie was heartbroken and decided to live in a mountain with his aging mother. Not long after Chong Er remembered Jie's sacrifice and sent people to look for him. However Jie refused to rejoin the court and the splendors Chong Er offered. Someone advised Chong Er to set fire to the mountain so that Jie would be forced out. The fire raged for 3 days and Chong Er found Jie dead against a willow tree, with his mother on his back. Chong Er was overwhelmed with sadness and regret. He ordered a temple be built in memory of Jie a memorial ceremony (later known as Qing Ming) be held. Fire was also not allowed, hence leaving the people with cold meals. So every year on the eve of Qing Ming, the Chinese ate cold food. Nowadays not many Chinese families observe this custom but the meaning of it remains. Of kites and paintings A custom associated with Qing Ming is kite flying. Kites are believed to have originated from the spring and autumn period when Gongshu Ban (a legendary carpenter) made a wooden bird and flew it like a kite all over his city to spy on his people. The wooden bird was strong enough to carry a person in the air. Wood was gradually replaced with paper and during the Five Dynasties period (907 - 960 AD), Li Ye added a bamboo tube to the kite. When the kite is up in the air, the wind blew through the tube and a kind of sound is created. Since the sound was similar to that of 'zheng' - a Chinese musical instrument, the Chinese named the kite as 'feng zheng' (wind instrument). During Qing Ming, the Chinese would hold kite competitions for the most beautiful and impressive kites. The kite was 'invented' a millennium later in Western civilization.  Image courtesy of Dragon-Gate.com A very important Chinese art depicting life in ancient times during Qing Ming was a painting by Zhang Zeduan. Zhang lived during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127 A.D.) and his art "Riverside Scene at Qing Ming" is one of China's most famous works of art. The silk scroll of nearly 5 ½ meters long and a quarter meter wide vividly portray the ambiance and feel of Qing Ming in ancient times in Bianling (now Keifeng). The painting consists of 1,643 people, 208 animals, 20 ships and more than 30 buildings in detail. It is a one-of-its-kind record of ancient China. The painting is now in exhibition in the Imperial Palace Museum in Beijing. |