Clear and Bright (Chinese: 清明), the 5th solar term of the year, began this year on April 5 and ended on April 19. It begins when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 15°and ends when it reaches the longitude of 30°. The Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. The name suggests a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime, but it is mostly noted for its connection with Chinese ancestral veneration and the tending of family graves. [Photo by Wang Jin/Palace Museum]
|