“The Qingming (Pure Brightness) Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4-6 each year. After the festival, the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases. It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing. But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work, it is more a festival of commemoration.
The Qingming Festival sees a combination of sadness and happiness.
This is the most important day of sacrifice. Both the Han and minority ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep the tombs of the deceased.”
So far for the official description of the Festival.
For our Chinese family it was an emotional day, to bury the ashes of Prof. Cai Zhong De (professor in music history). He passed away some 3 years ago.
The ceremony was held in a cemetery close to Fragrant Hills (“Beijing Wan An Gongyu”). The tomb of Prof. Cai is a big rock, next to the hall of Li Da Zhao, one of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party.
Cai was the late husband of Mrs. Feng Zhongpu who herself was the daughter of the famous philosopher Feng Youlan. For Sun Bin and me, Feng Youlan was same as a grandfather and Feng Zhongpu is our auntie. The family relation between Sun and Feng is through Feng Youlan’s sister in law – Sun’s grandmother.
part of the family; the tomb waiting for the urn; Feng Jue bring the urn
Zhongpu is a famous writer (see earlier blog entry). Their daughter is Ms. Feng Jue, well known in Beijing (Tom Online). She is a very close family friend. Jue brought the ashes and with her mother they deposited the urn inside the tomb. Then the tomb was sealed and we all threw a flower in the open pit. Close relatives and former students attended the ceremony.
the tomb is sealed; widow and daughter throwing the first flowers
tomb of Feng Youlan; tomb of Ren Rui with the commemorative plaque
Later we all went to pay respect to the tomb of Feng Youlan, as well as to the tomb of Mrs. Ren Rui, all in the same cemetery. Mrs. Ren, Sun’s grandmother, was called “Mama Tongzhi” (I think by Chairman Mao and others). The inscription on her tomb is from Premier Zhou Enlai who later adopted Ren Rui’s daughter, Sun Weishi (Sun’s auntie, sister of her father Sun Yang – both were killed by the Gang of Four).
All a bit complicated but many Chinese know those stories very well.
view of the main entrance and inside view; the hall for Li Da Zhao
The cemetery is very nice and quiet, the weather that day was gorgeous.
