Qingming Festival, means clear and bright in Chinese, is the day for mourning the dead. It falls in early April every year. It corresponds with the onset of warmer weather, the start of spring plowing, and family outings.

Before we talk about Qingming, we must say something about another ancient event, Hanshi, which always comes one day before the Qingming Festival. Hanshi literally means cold food.It is said that in the seventh century BC during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), Duke Xiao was the monarch of the state of Jin. His eldest son, Shen Sheng should have inherited the throne on the death of his father. But Duke Xiao had other plans. He wanted the son of his favorite concubine, Li Ji,to succeed him as the ruler of Jin. Not exactly a loving father, Duke Xiao had Shen Sheng murdered and would have done the same to his second eldest son, Chong’er, but Chong’er got wind of this and fled.