Post by galvatron prime on Mar 30, 2017 9:46:11 GMT
History of Qingming Festival & Hanshi Festival
Talking about Qingming Festival in China,you will surely be informed by another festival, Hanshi Festival (Cold MealFestival). To some extent, Qingming Festival originated from the HanshiFestival.
Usually falling on April 4th, the daybefore Qingming Festival, Hanshi Festival is also a day for commemorating, notthe ancestors, but a person named Jie Zitui.
Jie Zitui was a famous state man and afaithful follower of Chong'er (the later Duke Wen) in Jin State (739 - 403 B.C.) during the Springand Autumn Period (722 - 481 B.C.) in China. At that moment, Jin State was messedup by series of murders concerning to throne succeeding. Chong'er was forced toflee to other states to avoid being assassinated because he was one of the StateRuler's sons and a possible heir to the throne.
In the next 19 years, JieZitui followed Chong'er and fled hither and thither, doing whatever he could to surpport and protect him. Once upon atime, Chong'er was very starving, nearly to death, and then Jie Zitui magically got him somemeat soup, which saved the upcoming Duke's life. Chong'er wondered where and howJie got the soup and it turned out that Jie had cut a slice of muscles from hisown thigh to make the soup. Chong'er was so moved and promised to reward himlater. However, Jie was not the person to do this for rewards. Instead, hewanted to help Chong'er return to Jin State and take the power, and brought hiscountry fellows happy lives and the State prosperity.
Finally, Chong'er took throneand became Duke Wen of the Jin State; however, Jie resigned and stayed away from him. Duke Wen rewarded everyone who assisted himduring his exile except Jie Zitui, for some reason he forgot. When someonereminded him of the life-saving soup, Duke Wen recalled Jie Zitui, felt soregretful to Jie and wanted to compensate the loyal follower. To his disappointment, he was toldthat Jie had moved out of the town into a remote mountain with his mother.
Inorder to find Jie, the Duke ordered hundreds of soldiers to search the mountainbut found nothing. Then, one of Duke Wen officials suggested that if Wen setfires to the mountain in three directions at the same time, Jie Zitui would beforced out of the mountain from the only direction that left. Duke Wen took theadvice and burned the trees and grass. After 3 days' burning, the fire wasfinally out, not getting Jie out of the mountain as expected. Jie Zitui and his mother werefound dead with a note in a hole beside them. The note wrote Jie followed DukeWen to pursue a better life for the people and a stronger State of Jin, not forthe treasures or something, and he hope Duke Wen should become a good ruler andbring prosperity to his people and state. Duke Wen was so remorseful and sadabout Jie's death that he ordered three days without fire in his state to honor Jie. Theplace where Jie died was also renamed Jiexiu County, meaning a place in which Jie Zituirested forever.
From then on, people like to worship Jie for his loyalty onhis death day, which was just before Qingming Festival. Because Jie was burnedto death and people were not willing to cook food on that day and would rathereat cold food. That day is called Hanshi Day or Hanshi Festival.
After thousands of years, Chinese peoplecombine Hanshi Festival with Qingming Festival and the two festivals arecelebrated together in many places on April 4, 5 or 6. So the legend of Jie Zitui was also esteemed as the history of Qingming Festival. Nowadays, it is a little bit difficult to tell Hanshi Festival from Qingming Festival. No matter how the twofestivals may vary, the brilliant festival cultures and history have become invaluabletreasures for Chinese.
www.chinaodysseytours.com/news/hanshi-festival-and-history-of-qingming-festival.html#sthash.ktPZs9Ld.8scwxIwJ.dpuf
Qingming Festival (Tomb-sweeping Day), a Festival for Ancestors -
Qingming Festival, also known asTomb-sweeping Day or Ancestors Day, always enrolls in the list of the most important Chinesetraditional festivals in and outside the mainland. It is a special memorial festivalfor the ancestors, a time to pay respects to one's ancestors and to tidy up theirgravesites.
Typically falling on either April 4 or 5, QingmingFestival is a precious heritage of brilliant Chinese cultures and customs, with a history of more than 2000 years. InChina, "Qing Ming" literally means "Clear Brightness", which not only indicatesthe honesty and probity of people but also hints the coming of late spring. So the Qingming Festival signifies two crucial things to Chinese.
First, one should never forget the passedbeloved ones and their ancestors, and strive to be a person of honesty andprobity. So, people in China, just as the name "Tomb-sweeping Day" suggests, often visit their family graves to tend to anyunderbrush and weeds that have grown out of hand around the grave. Weeds arepulled, dirt swept away and joss sticks, food and paper money is offered to thedeparted. In this way, they believe that the spirits of deceased ancestor willknow that they have not been forgotten and return their offspring blessing andprosperity. School students are often organized to go to the Martyrs' Park to pay their respect to national heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives in battles for the happy life and prosperous country now.
Second, the planting season has come and oneshould begin his farm work. Qingming Festival is a symbol of rebirth of Natureafter the long harsh winter. From that day on, warm weather and nice rainfallwill come to the Chinese farms; everything is perfect for spring plowing and planting. Itis said that if farmers work hard then, they will probably enjoy a considerableharvest in the autumn.
Nowadays, for those who are engaged in busylife & indulging work in big cities, Qingming Festival becomes an ideal time forthem to stop for a while, get away from concrete buildings to the green fields, sweeptheir ancestors' tombs, recall the sweet memory of them and take a deep breathin nature. Outdoor activities like taqing (also calledStepping-the-green, means taking a walk in the green world), swing, polo,willow-planting, kite-flying are favorite spring funs of the Qingming Festival, some of which even have developed into rituals of Qingming Festival.
www.chinaodysseytours.com/news/qingming-festival-tomb-sweeping-day.html#sthash.c77q0NvV.dpuf
Talking about Qingming Festival in China,you will surely be informed by another festival, Hanshi Festival (Cold MealFestival). To some extent, Qingming Festival originated from the HanshiFestival.
Usually falling on April 4th, the daybefore Qingming Festival, Hanshi Festival is also a day for commemorating, notthe ancestors, but a person named Jie Zitui.
Jie Zitui was a famous state man and afaithful follower of Chong'er (the later Duke Wen) in Jin State (739 - 403 B.C.) during the Springand Autumn Period (722 - 481 B.C.) in China. At that moment, Jin State was messedup by series of murders concerning to throne succeeding. Chong'er was forced toflee to other states to avoid being assassinated because he was one of the StateRuler's sons and a possible heir to the throne.
In the next 19 years, JieZitui followed Chong'er and fled hither and thither, doing whatever he could to surpport and protect him. Once upon atime, Chong'er was very starving, nearly to death, and then Jie Zitui magically got him somemeat soup, which saved the upcoming Duke's life. Chong'er wondered where and howJie got the soup and it turned out that Jie had cut a slice of muscles from hisown thigh to make the soup. Chong'er was so moved and promised to reward himlater. However, Jie was not the person to do this for rewards. Instead, hewanted to help Chong'er return to Jin State and take the power, and brought hiscountry fellows happy lives and the State prosperity.
Finally, Chong'er took throneand became Duke Wen of the Jin State; however, Jie resigned and stayed away from him. Duke Wen rewarded everyone who assisted himduring his exile except Jie Zitui, for some reason he forgot. When someonereminded him of the life-saving soup, Duke Wen recalled Jie Zitui, felt soregretful to Jie and wanted to compensate the loyal follower. To his disappointment, he was toldthat Jie had moved out of the town into a remote mountain with his mother.
Inorder to find Jie, the Duke ordered hundreds of soldiers to search the mountainbut found nothing. Then, one of Duke Wen officials suggested that if Wen setfires to the mountain in three directions at the same time, Jie Zitui would beforced out of the mountain from the only direction that left. Duke Wen took theadvice and burned the trees and grass. After 3 days' burning, the fire wasfinally out, not getting Jie out of the mountain as expected. Jie Zitui and his mother werefound dead with a note in a hole beside them. The note wrote Jie followed DukeWen to pursue a better life for the people and a stronger State of Jin, not forthe treasures or something, and he hope Duke Wen should become a good ruler andbring prosperity to his people and state. Duke Wen was so remorseful and sadabout Jie's death that he ordered three days without fire in his state to honor Jie. Theplace where Jie died was also renamed Jiexiu County, meaning a place in which Jie Zituirested forever.
From then on, people like to worship Jie for his loyalty onhis death day, which was just before Qingming Festival. Because Jie was burnedto death and people were not willing to cook food on that day and would rathereat cold food. That day is called Hanshi Day or Hanshi Festival.
After thousands of years, Chinese peoplecombine Hanshi Festival with Qingming Festival and the two festivals arecelebrated together in many places on April 4, 5 or 6. So the legend of Jie Zitui was also esteemed as the history of Qingming Festival. Nowadays, it is a little bit difficult to tell Hanshi Festival from Qingming Festival. No matter how the twofestivals may vary, the brilliant festival cultures and history have become invaluabletreasures for Chinese.
www.chinaodysseytours.com/news/hanshi-festival-and-history-of-qingming-festival.html#sthash.ktPZs9Ld.8scwxIwJ.dpuf
Qingming Festival (Tomb-sweeping Day), a Festival for Ancestors -
Qingming Festival, also known asTomb-sweeping Day or Ancestors Day, always enrolls in the list of the most important Chinesetraditional festivals in and outside the mainland. It is a special memorial festivalfor the ancestors, a time to pay respects to one's ancestors and to tidy up theirgravesites.
Typically falling on either April 4 or 5, QingmingFestival is a precious heritage of brilliant Chinese cultures and customs, with a history of more than 2000 years. InChina, "Qing Ming" literally means "Clear Brightness", which not only indicatesthe honesty and probity of people but also hints the coming of late spring. So the Qingming Festival signifies two crucial things to Chinese.
First, one should never forget the passedbeloved ones and their ancestors, and strive to be a person of honesty andprobity. So, people in China, just as the name "Tomb-sweeping Day" suggests, often visit their family graves to tend to anyunderbrush and weeds that have grown out of hand around the grave. Weeds arepulled, dirt swept away and joss sticks, food and paper money is offered to thedeparted. In this way, they believe that the spirits of deceased ancestor willknow that they have not been forgotten and return their offspring blessing andprosperity. School students are often organized to go to the Martyrs' Park to pay their respect to national heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives in battles for the happy life and prosperous country now.
Second, the planting season has come and oneshould begin his farm work. Qingming Festival is a symbol of rebirth of Natureafter the long harsh winter. From that day on, warm weather and nice rainfallwill come to the Chinese farms; everything is perfect for spring plowing and planting. Itis said that if farmers work hard then, they will probably enjoy a considerableharvest in the autumn.
Nowadays, for those who are engaged in busylife & indulging work in big cities, Qingming Festival becomes an ideal time forthem to stop for a while, get away from concrete buildings to the green fields, sweeptheir ancestors' tombs, recall the sweet memory of them and take a deep breathin nature. Outdoor activities like taqing (also calledStepping-the-green, means taking a walk in the green world), swing, polo,willow-planting, kite-flying are favorite spring funs of the Qingming Festival, some of which even have developed into rituals of Qingming Festival.
www.chinaodysseytours.com/news/qingming-festival-tomb-sweeping-day.html#sthash.c77q0NvV.dpuf