This Friday is Tomb-Sweeping Day, one of the three traditional festivals that are included as the Chinese mainland's public holidays starting this year.
Together with the Dragon Boat Festival in June and the Mid-Autumn Festival in September, the authorities say observing these days are aimed at protecting folk culture and customs.
And Chinese nationwide should thank Chen Jing, a 68-year-old folk artist and professor from Nanjing University for the move.
"It is certainly a favorable gesture for the promotion and preservation of folk culture and customs," Chen said.
In 2006, Chen proposed to the authorities to have Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, made a public holiday. His suggestion received wide support from other folk artists.
"Tomb-Sweeping Day means a lot to the Chinese," Chen said.
"It is a day for people to commemorate and honor their ancestors."
As part of the festival, people clean family graves, touch-up tombstone inscriptions, burn incense and offer sacrifices to the dead.
Previously, without a day off, many people found it hard to carry out these activities.
Two years ago, on a trip to sweep the family tomb located in another city, Chen found himself in a train full of people carrying paper money and chrysanthemums, preparing to visit graves.
But he noticed most were elderly, since young people were still at work that day.
Chen immediately took a vote in the carriage and found that almost everyone supported making Qingming a national holiday.
He later found the elderly thought it necessary to include young family members in the festival's activities, while working people also wanted the chance to honor their ancestors.
Among those he spoke to was an elderly man from Hong Kong, who told Chen Tomb-Sweeping Day is a holiday in Hong Kong for paying tribute to ancestors.
Chen was inspired by the experience and insight from these people and put forward the suggestion for the holiday during an interview by mainstream media.
"If we do not take immediate action, our traditional folk customs will be forgotten by the younger generation," he said.
His idea soon spread all over the country and was echoed by many scholars and experts.
Chen will go to his hometown of Taizhou, Jiangsu province, to honor his grandfather this Friday. Thanks to the new holiday, his children and grandchildren will be joining him.
Questions:
1. Which three traditional Chinese festivals are now part of the Chinese mainland’s public holidays?
2. What do people do on Tomb-Sweeping Day?
3. Why do the elderly think it is important to make Tomb-Sweeping Day a public holiday?
Answers:
1. Tomb-Sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.
2.They clean family graves, touch-up tombstone inscriptions, burn incense and offer sacrifices to the dead.
3.So that young people can be included in the festivities and working people have a chance to honor their ancestors.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
