Families keep to centuries-old rituals of Qing Ming Festival honouring ancestors despite pandemic gloom
Updated 5 years ago · Published on 05 Apr 2021 4:17PM
Families flocked to the Kwong Tong cemetery in the heart of Kuala Lumpur yesterday to observe the Qing Ming Festival. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021
KUALA LUMPUR – The solemn pall cast by the Covid-19 pandemic over the recent Qing Ming Festival this year did not deter Chinese communities across the country from fulfilling their filial duties by visiting their ancestors’ graves over the past few days.
Wary of the SOPs that need to be adhered to, families trickled into cemeteries to pay respects to their deceased forebears by cleaning their graves, lighting fragrant incense and offering prayers.
The Vibes’ SADIQ ASYRAF recently caught the pensive activities at Jalan Dewan Bahasa and Jalan Cheras in Kuala Lumpur, all in an atmosphere charged with tradition, reverence and hope for the future. – The Vibes, April 5, 2021
During the festival, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors and make ritual offerings. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021One of the traditional offerings is the burning of joss sticks and joss paper. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021During the Qing Ming Festival, families visit their ancestors’ graves to clean and sweep them. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021The Qing Ming Festival also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English, and is sometimes also called Chinese Memorial Day or Ancestors’ Day. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021Offerings, such as paper money, believed to be a valid currency in the afterlife, are usually burnt during the festival. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021For the Chinese community, the Qing Ming Festival is very much a solemn event and a family obligation. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021The Qing Ming Festival falls on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, making it the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, either April 4, 5 or 6 in a given year. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021Families at the Kwong Tong cemetery observing the traditional festival under strict adherence to SOPs. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021Dating back about 2,500 years, it is believed the festival is among the most ancient of Chinese observances. – SADIQ ASYRAF/The Vibes pic, April 5, 2021
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![[PHOTOS] A tradition steeped in honour](https://media.thevibes.com/images/uploads/covers/_large/01042021_-_KUL_-_Qingming_Festival_Tomb_Sweeping_Day-_SADIQ_ASYRAF_-15-2.jpg)
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