Qing Ming Festival (Honoring Ancestors and Filial Piety)

The Qing Ming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a cherished traditional Chinese custom observed by ethnic Chinese communities across the world.

Qing Ming Festival falls on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, which usually occurs between April 4 and April 6 each year. It aligns with the first day of the fifth solar term, also called Qing Ming. Families visit the tombs of their ancestors during the Qing Ming. The purpose is to clean the gravesites and to make ritual offerings to honor their forebears. Traditional food dishes play a central role in these offerings. Families prepare favorite meals of their ancestors, believing that the spirits will partake of the essence of the food. Additionally, they burn joss sticks and joss paper as offering gifts.

When a human is alive, they have 10 souls comprising 3 魂 (Hun) and 7 魄 (Po). 3 魂 (Hun) are made of 天魂 (Heaven Soul or Hun), 地魂 (Earth Soul or Hun), and 人魂 (Human Soul or Hun). When a human passes on, their 天魂 (Heaven Soul or Hun) will return to North Dipper Stars until the next rebirth of a human. 地魂 (Earth Soul or Hun) will be escorted to 地府 (Hell Court) for judgment on their posting to the next realm. If their karma is bad, they may be posted to serve their time punishment in Hell. The degree of punishment will be subject to the level of bad karma committed. 人魂 (Human Soul or Hun) will always follow their human remains, and they are also called 守尸鬼 (ghost guarding the corpse). That is also why good Yin House (Tomb) Feng Shui for the dead can help to bless their descendants due to genetic-related quantum entanglement.

As for the 7 魄 (Po), they are elements of the earth that will disperse back to earth after 49 days after death. As 人魂 (Human Soul or Hun) still possess the consciousness of material needs (before death), they still need food, clothing, and money (as a transactional currency in their world). If they have no lack and doing well in their world, they will possess the energy to bless their descendants in the real world through genetic-related quantum entanglement.

This is the reason Chinese families typically will offer their ancestors favorite dishes, burn joss paper clothing, and hell money during the Qing Ming Festival. Now we can see why Chinese traditions place so much emphasis on 孝道 (Filial Piety) as it is important to make offerings to your ancestors, deceased family members, and loved ones.

This is the time when we can make offerings and participate in spiritual pujas or rituals to dedicate merits to our ancestors and loved ones who had passed away and may still suffering in the lower realms. By dedicating the merits, we hope they can be ascended to a higher realm.