Ching Ming Festival: What To Know About Tomb Sweeping Day In Hong Kong

Wondering what Ching Ming (Qingming) Festival is, and when it falls this year? Here’s a handy guide of all you need to know about “Tomb Sweeping Day” in Hong Kong!

Hong Kong is a great place to raise kids, as they are exposed to so many cultures and can learn about different celebrations, customs and religions. We’ve had a break since the Chinese New Year festivities, but we’re starting right up again with the Ching Ming Festival (also called 清明節, Qingming in Pinyin, and Tomb or Grave Sweeping Day), which this year falls on Friday, 4 April, 2025! While it may seem a bit morbid at first, there’s a reason why Tomb Sweeping Day is considered one of the most significant holidays within Hong Kong and China — keep reading to discover why, and how you can observe the festival with your children. 

Read More: Sassy Mama’s Guide To Festivities Around The Globe

Jump To
The History Of Ching Ming Festival
Qingming Festival In Modern Times
Tomb Sweeping Traditions
Final Notes On Ching Ming Festival 

What Is The History Of The Qingming Festival?

Origins of Qingming: The Hanshi Festival

One of the earliest fables associated with Qingming is linked to the Hanshi Festival, which dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC). According to legend, whilst Duke Wen of Jin was exiled, his loyal follower Jie Zhitui once sacrificed his own flesh to save the duke from starvation. When Duke Wen eventually returned to power, he rewarded many of his followers but forgot Jie. After years of waiting for a reward, Jie retired to the mountains with his mother. Later, in an attempt to find Jie, Duke Wen ordered the mountains to be set on fire (forcing him out), but instead Jie and his mother died in the flames. Overcome with remorse, Duke Wen declared that no fires should be lit on Jie’s death date — this became the Hanshi (Cold Food) Festival, observed on the eve of Qingming.

The Shangsi Festival

Separately, the Shangsi Festival was an ancient ritual celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month. Its origins trace back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC), when it was a purification ritual involving bathing in rivers to wash themselves of sins and bad luck. Over time, it evolved into a more social event, where unmarried men and women would gather by rivers to celebrate spring, enjoy poetry and even flirt — a rare occasion for freedom and romantic expression in traditional Chinese society!

The Merging of Hanshi and Shangsi

During the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the Hanshi Festival and Shangsi Festival were both widely celebrated. However, because they often fell within the same three-day period, they gradually merged into a single holiday. The Tang Emperor Xuanzong officially consolidated the festivals, declaring that Qingming would be a day for honouring ancestors and sweeping their graves, while also incorporating elements of spring celebration and outdoor activities. This formalised the Qingming Festival as a time for both ancestor veneration and springtime renewal.

Read More: The Mid-Autumn Festival In Hong Kong: Celebrate Its Traditions And Culture

Ching Ming Festival And Tomb Sweeping Day In Modern Times

Nowadays, as the term “Tomb Sweeping” indicates, this is a day when the family comes together to pay their respects to their loved ones who’ve passed. They visit and clean the burial sites of their ancestors. It’s also a time for families to gather, enjoy the spring weather and participate in outdoor activities like flying kites or planting trees. Because the holiday falls at the beginning of April (or in the third lunar month), when things are meant to be clean (ching) and bright (ming) and closely follows the spring equinox, Ching Ming Festival also reflects the joy of spring and renewal of life, embodying a balance between reverence for the past and celebration of the present.

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Tomb Sweeping Traditions And Practices On Ching Ming Festival

The most important tradition of Ching Ming Festival is for families to clean tombstones, remove weeds and refresh inscriptions as acts of respect. Offerings of roasted pork, steamed chicken, fruit and qingming cakes (cold, green glutinous rice dumplings) are placed at graves, alongside incense, wine and joss paper (spirit money), which is burned for ancestors’ use in the afterlife. The head of the household leads the rituals, bowing three times and pouring wine or tea as a libation, with each family member following. Firecrackers are sometimes lit to ward off evil spirits.

These practices reflect the Confucian value of filial piety and maintaining ties between the living and the deceased. In some regions, families share a meal at the gravesite, symbolising a communal gathering with their ancestors. Qingming is both a solemn and celebratory event, blending remembrance, cultural heritage and family bonds in a deeply meaningful tradition.

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Things To Remember On Ching Ming Festival

Bus routes to these (once-quiet) grave locations usually become very busy during the Ching Ming Festival (check this year’s transport arrangements here), as do many local restaurants. Even in modern Hong Kong, the festival remains a meaningful way to honour family traditions, pay respects to ancestors and spend time with relatives, blending remembrance with familial bonding.

Read More: A Beginner’s Guide To Chinese New Year In Hong Kong

Editor’s Note: Ching Ming Festival: How To Celebrate Tomb Sweeping Day In Hong Kong was most recently updated in March 2025.