The Qing Ming Festival serves as a cherished tribute to ancestral heritage. Explore the rich customs and heartfelt traditions that honour departed loved ones, fostering respect and unity across generations.
Paying Respects
The roads of Kuching, where I live, are much busier these days. The streets are thronged with the diverse races of the city; if they are not preparing for the upcoming Hari Raya festivity, then it is for the Qing Ming Festival.
Qing Ming, which translates to “clean” and “bright”, is a day of tomb sweeping, practiced by the Chinese culture since ancient times. Here in Malaysia, it is not unusual to see rows of cars lining the streets near graveyards in the days leading up to and during the festival.
On these tombs, fruits, various foods, and lighted incense can be seen. The festival’s significance evokes a sense of nostalgia among the people who observe it. Out of a sense of filial piety, the Chinese — regardless of religion — pay respects to their ancestors.
As shared in the book “Chinese Auspicious Culture”, historical records indicate that the custom of honouring ancestors at burial grounds already existed during the Qin (221 BC-206 BC) and Han (202 BC-AD 9) dynasties. The Qing Ming Festival is usually observed in the third month of the lunar calendar.
At the Nirvana graveyard in Bau, its Executive Director, Siaw Chow Jin, shared that visitors normally begin their Qing Ming Festival activities by first praying at the Tua Pek Kong temple there.
“Then, upon entering the vicinity of the graves, they would pray to the land deity before moving on to their ancestors’ tombs.”
The rituals at the site include:
- Lighting three joss sticks and bowing to pay respects. In the past, descendants had to kowtow before the tomb; today, it is sufficient to bow three times.
- Repairing the tomb, adding fresh soil to the grave, removing weeds, or even planting a sapling for tombs located in community graveyards. It is also necessary to clean the surroundings after the worship ritual ends.
Today, prayer paraphernalia beyond paper money and joss sticks accompanies visitors to the graves. These items include cars, banks, buildings, assorted bags and clothing, among others. This is a common sight during ancestor commemorations, whether it is the Qing Ming Festival or death anniversaries, as burning these items is believed to reach their ancestors.
In the past, Siaw shared that society was much simpler, and people would only burn paper money and paper servants for their ancestors. However, the construction and detailing were not as elaborate as they are today.
The same sight can be seen at the Columbarium of Nirvana. With cremation being a common practice today, relatives bring bags of paper offerings to be burned and food to offer to their ancestors.
Sharing further, Teo Seng Kai, the store manager of 688 Hot Market at Jalan Kempas in Kuching, said that to commemorate the festival, items purchased are burned as offerings for their ancestors to use in the afterlife.
“While each item carries different meanings, they generally symbolise prosperity, respect, and filial piety.”
The 688 stores around Kuching are filled with items such as paper clothing, paper food and beverages, paper buildings, paper vehicles, and others. With plenty of selections available, Teo said that continuing such traditions can help maintain a connection to their respective cultural heritage, honour ancestors, and strengthen family bonds.
“It also serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting and remembering one’s roots and history,” he added, noting that a sense of family and kinship are important qualities in an average Chinese family, similar to other cultures.
