Public Holiday Notice: Qingming Festival Apr 2-4 2017

Beijing EXQUISITE International Development Co., Ltd will have Qingming Festival on Apr 2 to 4 2017, wish all staff have a good spring!

Qingming Festival (also known as Pure Brightness Festival or Tomb-sweeping Day), which falls on either April 4th or 5th of the gregorian calendar, is one of the Chinese Twenty-four Solar Terms. From that date temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, indicating that it is the crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring. The festival therefore has a close relationship with agriculture. However, it is not only aseasonal symbol; it is also a day of paying respect to the dead, a springouting, and other activities.

Origin

It is said that the Qingming Festival wasoriginally held to commemorate a loyal man living in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 - 476 BC), named Jie Zitui. Jie cut a piece of meat from his ownleg in order to save his hungry lord who was forced to go into exile when thecrown was in jeopardy. The lord came back to his position nineteen years later,and forgot Jie Zitui but later felt ashamed and decided to reward him. However,Jie had blocked himself up in a mountain with his mother. In order to find Jie,the lord ordered that the mountain should be set on fire. Later Jie was found dead with his mother. In order to commemorate Jie, the lord ordered that the day Jie died was Hanshi (Cold Food) Festival - the day that only cold food could be eaten.

Spring Outing during Qingming Festival

Spring Outing during Qingming Festival Thesecond year, when the lord went to the mountain to sacrifice to Jie, he found willows revived, so he gave instructions that the day after Hanshi Festival wasto be Qingming Festival. Later, the two festivals were combined as one.