1、Spring is coming!第1頁/共12頁QuestionDoes Qingming Festival follow the solar calendar Or the lunar calendar？第2頁/共12頁Tomb Sweeping Day is held two weeks after the vernal equinox（春分）. It is a Chinese holiday that follows the solar calendar（陽歷）, not the lunar calendar（陰歷）. It usually falls early in April (

2、between the 4th and the 6th)， is one of the Chinese Twenty-four Solar Terms（24節氣）.第3頁/共12頁 From that date temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, indicating that it is the crucial time（絕好時機） for plowing and sowing （播種）in the spring. Qingming Festival therefore has a close relationship wit

3、h agriculture. However, it is not only a seasonal symbol; it is also a festival of paying respect to the dead, a spring outing and other activities. 第4頁/共12頁 noodlesflowersQingming Food(清明果)第5頁/共12頁In ancient times ，Qing Ming was celebrated with lots of dancing and singing. The people would go outdo

4、ors to fly kites and have family picnics. It was common to color boiled eggs and break them open to symbolize new life. The Emperor ordered that trees be planted on palace grounds as way to cherish springtime. Young men and women would court(追求) each other at this time of year, so there was plenty o

5、f love in the air in the villages.第6頁/共12頁 It is said that the Qingming Festival was originally held to commemorate a loyal man living in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 - 476 BC), named JIe ZituiJIe Zitui. . Jie cut a piece of meat from his own leg in order to save his hungry lord（大王） who was for

6、ced to go into exile (流放)when the crown was in jeopardy（處于險境）. 第7頁/共12頁Traditional Customs Qingming Festival is a time of many different activities, among which the main ones are tomb sweeping, taking a spring outing, and flying kites. The festival is a combination of sadness and happiness. 第8頁/共12頁

7、paying respect to the dead person第9頁/共12頁Spring Outing During March and April, everything in nature takes on a new look, as trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly. It is a fine time to go out and to appreciate the beautiful scenes of nature during the festival. This custom dates from the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) and followed by each dynasty later till today.