Qingming Festival

[natopronto]

My better half told me today that the Qingming festival starts today or Sweeping of the tombs. It it the Chinese way of honoring their past ancestors similar to our Memorial Day here in USA.

[xiaozhu]

My better half told me today that the Qingming festival starts today or Sweeping of the tombs. It it the Chinese way of honoring their past ancestors similar to our Memorial Day here in USA.

 

 

Your better half is right. Qingming also indicates Spring is here for sure. Willows are greening and flowers are blooming! It is time to go out for hiking and camping etc. A tradition of Qingming is that children walk on greens/grass and eat green long onions. This is a hope to bless them grow up cleverly and healthily.

[david_dawei]

Here is a historical story I have never shared here due to the complexity of understanding it... but there is a time and a season for everything.

 

In traditional chinese medicine (TCM), there is the 5 element theory which shows the correspondence of all things; the bottom line is how everything affects the individual person and their organs and their life...

 

In this theory, as one example, the Kidneys (water) can overtake the heart (fire).

 

When the Manchu conquered china and setup the Qing dynasty, it took over the Ming dynasty...

 

Qing took over Ming; Clear took over Bright; Water (clear) took over Fire (bright).

 

It was said during the ancient times that the next ruling dynasty could be predicted due to the five element theory.

 

Shun was ruled by earth; Xia by wood; Shang by metal; Zhou by fire... this is the very ancient description of the "controlling cycle" applied to the dynasties...

 

It is quite clever that the Manchu, a foreign nation, choose to name their dynasty as Qing [which implies, took over Ming]... perfect fit to the 5 element theory...

 

No relation to the festival. But a very little know story of Qing [took over] Ming.