QingMing -清明
Written by: Zoey Gong & Tiffany Yeung
Qing Ming (清明）is the 5th seasonal point, falling on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, Chun Fen (春分). It is also a holiday known as Qing Ming Festival (清明節 )or Tomb Sweeping day. Traditionally, families spend the day sweeping the graves and honouring their ancestors. Usually after paying their respects, many would enjoy a Spring Outing (踏青) or even fly a kite to ward off misfortune and bad luck.
Credit: Youlin Magazine
Qing Ming festival dates back more than 2500 years to the Qin Dynasty, it originally grew out of HanShijie (寒食節/Cold food festival), which was to commemorate the sacrifice of Jie Zitui. Held on the day before Qing Ming, no fire could be lit, leaving people with a habit of eating preprepared cold food. By the Tang dynasty it was declared a formal holiday by Emperor Xuanzong. To this day, it remains a public holiday in several countries including, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan.
Wild weeds and greens like Mugwort (艾草）flourish during Spring, so it is no surprise it is featured in Qingtuan (青團), an emblematic seasonal food of Qing Ming. Originating from Southern parts of China, it is a glutinous dumpling made with Barley Grass or Mugwort with red bean filling. QingMingGuo (清明果) is the savory version stuffed with bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Up North, SanZi (饊子) a deep friend wheat pastry is more commonly enjoyed.
QingTuan Credit: Medium.com
SanZi Credit: KKnews
Here’s a look at how QingTuan is made:
