| |
NEW from ChineseVoice! Chinese-Character.com - a FREE English-Pinyin-Chinese dictionary. Here you can find hundreds of popular phrases and their translation to Chinese. Enjoy.
Learn Chinese from the comfort of your home, Online with the best teachers in Beijing!
Enjoy the beauty and depth of the Mandarin language. The April semester is open for registration! The course starts April 5th.
We have a limited number of places available, so don't be left out.
Hurry up and register!
|
|
| |
|
|
Or call us - USA & Canada: 1-888-563-7370, UK: 0845-869-7519,
Worldwide: 972-3-7554142 |
|
|
|
|
|
Qing Ming (Pure Brightness) is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4th-6th each year, on the 106th day after the winter solstice. After Qing Ming, the temperature rises and rainfall increases. It is the right time for spring plowing and sowing. But Qing Ming is not only a seasonal point to guide farm-work; it is actually more of an occasion dedicated to commemoration.
It is a time to remember the dead and the dearly departed. More importantly, it is a period to honor and to pay respect to one's deceased ancestors and family members. Because it reinforces the ethic of filial piety, Qing Ming is a major Chinese festival.
It is an occasion for the whole family to leave the home and to sweep the graves of their forebears. Being practical people, the Chinese give an extended period of time to this sweeping of the graves, 10 days before and after Qing Ming day. Among some dialect groups a whole month is allocated.
Origin
Qing Ming is popularly associated with Jie |
 |
Zi Zhui, who lived in Shanxi province in 600 B.C. Legend has it that Jie saved his starving lord's life by serving a piece of his own leg. When the lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small principality, he invited his faithful follower to join him. However, Jie declined his invitation, preferring to lead a hermit's life with his mother in the mountains.
Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set the forest on fire. To his consternation, Jie chose to remain where he was and was burnt to death. To commemorate Jie, the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put out on the anniversary of Jie's death. Thus began the "cold food feast", a day when no food could be cooked since no fire could be lit.
The "cold food" festival occurs on the eve of Qing Ming and is often considered part of the Qing Ming festival. As time passed, the Qing Ming festival replaced the "cold food" festival. Whatever practice is observed，the basic observation of Qing Ming is to remember one's elders by making a special effort to visit their graves, ashes or ancestral tablets. To make the visit even more meaningful, some time should be spent reminding the younger members of the family of the lives and contributions of their ancestors, and the story of Jie Zi Zhui who chose death over capitulation.
Custom
In ancient times, Qing Ming, was actually a bright spring day dedicated to planting and enjoying green seasonal changes. It was also a good time for people's spring |
 |
traveling. They had to be pure and clean to have an outing and to open the custom of the exhibition of a series of athletic activities, such as dancing, singing, picnics, and kite flying. Colored boiled eggs would be broken to symbolize the beginning of life. In the capital, the Emperor would plant trees on the palace grounds to celebrate the renewing nature of spring. In the villages, young men and women would court each other.
With the passing of time, this celebration of life became a day to honor past ancestors. Following folk religion, the Chinese believed that the spirits of deceased ancestors looked after the family. Sacrifices of food and spirit money could keep them happy, and the family would prosper through good harvests and more children.
The Chinese regularly provide scrumptious offerings to their ancestors at altar tables in their homes. The food usually consists of chicken, eggs, or other dishes a deceased ancestor was fond of. Accompanied by rice, the dishes and eating utensils are carefully arranged so as to bring good luck. Sometimes, a family will put burning incense along with the offering, so as to expedite the transfer of nutritious elements to the ancestors. In some parts of China, the food is then eaten by the entire family.
Today, the Chinese visit their families' graves to tend to any underbrush that has grown. Weeds are pulled out, dirt is swept away and the family will set out offerings of food, flowers and favorite dishes of the dead, then burn incense and paper money and bow before the memorial tablet. Unlike the sacrifices at a family's home altar, the offerings at the tomb usually consist of dry, bland food. One theory is that since there could be any number of ghosts around a grave area, the less appealing food should be brought there and not to the home.
|
| Honoring ancestors begins with proper positioning of a gravesite and coffin. Experts in feng shui, or geomancy, determine the quality of land by the surrounding aspects of streams, rivers, trees, hills, and so forth. An area that faces south, with groves of pine trees creates the best flow of cosmic energy required to keep ancestors happy. Unfortunately, nowadays, with China's burgeoning population, public cemeteries have quickly overtaken private gravesites. |
 |
Family elders visit the gravesite at least once a year to tend to the tombs. On each Qing Ming, all cemeteries are crowded with people who come to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices. Traffic on the way to the cemeteries becomes extremely congested.
In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy hope of spring on this day. The Qing Ming is a time when the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. People love to fly kites at this time. Kite flying is actually not limited to the Qing Ming. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that people fly kites not only during the day, but also at night. A string of little lanterns tied onto the kite or the thread look like shining stars, and therefore, are called "god's lanterns".
| Qing Ming is also a time to plant trees, for the survival rate of saplings is high and trees grow fast later. In the past, Qing Ming was called "Arbor Day". But since 1979, "Arbor Day" was commemorated on March 12 according to the Gregorian calendar. |
 |
|
|
 |
Weekly Chinese Words |
 |
|
|
犁地
Transcription: lí dì
Part of speech: Verb
Meaning: plow
|
|
播种
Transcription: bō zhǒng
Part of speech: Verb
Meaning: sow
|
|
伦理
Transcription: lún lǐ
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: ethic
|
|
虔诚
Transcription: qián chéng
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: piety
|
|
隐士
Transcription: yǐn shì
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: hermit
|
|
骨灰
Transcription: gǔ huī
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: ash
|
|
野餐
Transcription: yě cān
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: picnic
|
|
墓碑
Transcription: mù bēi
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: tablet
|
|
鞠躬
Transcription: jū gōng
Part of speech: Verb
Meaning: bow
|
|
棺材
Transcription: guān cai
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: coffin
|
|
墓地
Transcription: mù dì
Part of speech: Noun
Meaning: cemetery
|
|
|
Weekly Chinese Phrases |
|
|
|
伦理孝道
Transcription: lún lǐ xiào dào
Meaning: ethic of filial piety
Topic: custom
|
|
扫墓
Transcription: sǎo mù
Meaning: sweep the grave
Topic: custom
|
|
|
Weekly Chinese Poem |
|
|
|
清明
Transcription: qīng míng
Meaning: Qing Ming
|
|
杜牧（唐朝）
Transcription: dù mù (táng cháo)
Meaning: Du Mu (Tang Dynasty)
|
|
清明时节雨纷纷，
Transcription: qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn
Meaning: It drizeles endlessly during the rainy season in spring,
|
|
路上行人欲断魂。
Transcription: lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún
Meaning: Wayfarers along the road look gloomy and miserable.
|
|
借问酒家何处有？
Transcription: jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu
Meaning: When I ask a shepherd boy where I can find a tavern,
|
|
牧童遥指杏花村。
Transcription: mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūn
Meaning: He points at a distant hamlet nestling amidst apricot blossoms.
|
|
|
ChineseVoice Newsletter - Readers' Feedback |
|
|
|
"
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am teaching Chinese in a high school registered in Chinese Voice Newsletter since November last year, and I started receiving letters from you. I found the contents are fabulous, they are wonderful to be used to teaching foreign students. Is it possible for you to send previous newsletters to me?
Regards,
"
|
| - Eve |
|
"
thank you Chinese Voice for keeping me informed on most Chinese cultures. I really appreciate especially the weekly new words! I am most grateful.
"
|
| - Ada Winifrey |
|
"
Zunjing de...
Once again, thank you for the monthly newsletter! I always knew March 8 marked Women’s Day. In fact, my father often joked with my mother on how he will actually iron his own clothes just for that particular day. However, this will not apply to other chores that have always been her responsibilities! Hehehe!
Xie Xie
"
|
| - Le Khac Minh Giao |
|
| Tell us about your ChineseVoice experience. We wil be happy to post your feedback here. |
|
|
|
ChineseVoice Students' Feedback |
|
|
|
"
My name is Sergi Tarimo, a Tanzanian who is studying here in Italy.
I have received the first lesson Learning Chinese, and I have the followint to say.
I could follow all the lessons without any problem.
The teacher is very qualified and experienced. Very friendly in a way that everyone will love her. Congratulations. She knows all the metodology of teaching a new language.
I will appreciate to have more lessons.
Thanks.
"
|
| - sergi tarimo |
|
| Tell us about your ChineseVoice experience. We wil be happy to post your feedback here. |
|
|
|
Contact Us |
|
|
|
Contact us
Feedback
Sign up for a trial lesson
or call us:
- USA & Canada: 1-888-563-7370
- United Kingdom: 0845-869-7519
- Worldwide: +972-3-7554142
Send this newsletter to a friend
|
|
|
|
