Visitings tombs of lost relatives and showing respect to the them.
Decorating tombs of lost relatives
I found many tombs decorated beautifully with flowers along the Li River last week when I was hiking along the river. It was Qing Ming Festival a week ago.
The Chinese festival called Qing Ming is a time to express grief for lost relatives. Customs include grooming gravesites and taking walks with loved ones in the countryside. Legend has it that it began when a youth's rude and foolish behavior resulted in the death of his mother. So he decided that henceforth he would visit her grave every year to remember what she had done for him. Sadly, it was only after her death that he remembered her.
Starting from this year, our Government made this day a public holiday for people to show piety to the lost ones. The Bible teaches us to "Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; (Eph6:2)". That means to honour them when they are alive, not when they are dead.
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