Many people are conducting the annual tomb-sweeping ceremony online, rather than visiting physical tombs due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 epidemic.
The Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as the Qingming Festival, falls on April 5 this year. Keen to prevent mass gatherings and reduce cross-infection risks, authorities at all levels nationwide have issued documents recently advocating online tomb sweeping. Online tomb sweeping is not a new thing. In recent years, authorities in China have been promoting the practice to reduce air pollution and forest fires, which is considered safer and more environmental-friendly than the traditional approach. Some have argued that online sweeping is less respectful and sincere, and for a long time this attitude prevented such a new approach from becoming prevalent. However, with many Chinese cities now fighting the epidemic, the new approach has gained more popularity, and more people have changed their perspective. Experts say in the context of the Qingming Festival taking place under epidemic conditions, the practice of online sweeping is consistent with tradition, and both methods allow people to pay respects to their deceased relatives. The Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, is an important festival in China when people pay tribute to the dead. They visit the graves of their ancestors and offer sacrifices to them.
