Qinming Festival originated from Hanshi Day (寒食节, literally, Day with cold food only), a memorial
day for Jie Zitui (介子推, or Jie Zhitui, 介子推). Jie Zitui died in 636 BC in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was
one of many followers of Duke Wen of Jin before he became a duke. Once, during Wen's 19
years of exile, they had no food and Jie prepared some meat soup for
Wen. Wen enjoyed it a lot and wondered where Jie had obtained the soup.
It turned out Jie had cut a piece of meat from his own thigh to make the
soup. Wen was so moved he promised to reward him one day. However, Jie
was not the type of person who sought rewards. Instead, he just wanted
to help Wen to return to Jin
to become duke. Once Wen became duke, Jie resigned and stayed away from
him. Duke Wen rewarded the people who helped him in the decades, but
for some reason he forgot to reward Jie, who by then had moved into the
forest with his mother. Duke Wen went to the forest, but could not find
Jie. Heeding suggestions from his officials, Duke Wen ordered men to set
the forest on fire to force out Jie. However, Jie died in the fire.
Feeling remorseful, Duke Wen ordered three days without fire to honour
Jie's memory. The county where Jie died is still called Jiexiu
(介休, literally "the place Jie rests forever"). Source from Wiki.
My parents ashes were kept at the columbarium (N5 24.790 E100 17.648) between Penang United Hokkien Cemetery and Batu Gantong Crematorium. There are thousand and thousand ashes urn are kept it tidy in the building.
We went to pay respect and the normal ceremony to my parents in the early morning. And the area was packed of peoples, that is normal for every year 5th of April.
Inside the building
I meet one old lady who come every year. She told us that she do the praying for her son...sad stories are everywhere...
Beside the building is the Penang United Hokkien Cemetery
The Qing (Ching) Ming season is meant for the everyone to remember their 'Anchestors', but today...most of the peoples I know, they are mostly mean for themself! Example, you pray and follow the ceremony, you are bless! Or else...you will in troubles! My goodness! Almost nobody remember who are their 'Ancestors' anymore...many of the local youngsters also quite superstitious...
Every time during Qing Ming Festival, it's always make me recall the Chinese poem from Du Mu :-
"清明時節雨紛紛,路上行人欲斷魂,借問酒家何處有,牧童遙指杏花村."
"A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; the mourner's heart is breaking on his way. Where can a winehouse be found to drown his sadness? A cowherd points to Almond Flower (Xing Hua) Village in the distance."
If you wanna read more about Qing Ming Festival, please click here.
The map location for above building
