Th Qingming (Pur Brightnss) Fstival is on of th 24 sasonal division points in China, falling on April 4-6 ach yar. Aftr th fstival, th tmpratur will ris up and rainfall incrass. It is th high tim for spring plowing and sowing. But th Qingming Fstival is not only a sasonal point to guid farm work, it is mor a fstival of commmoration. Th Qingming Fstival ss a combination of sadnss and happinss. This is th most important day of sacrific. Both th Han and minority thnic groups at this tim offr sacrifics to thir ancstors and swp th tombs of th disasd. Also, thy will not cook on this day and only cold food is srvd. Th Hanshi (Cold Food) Fstival was usually on day bfor th Qingming Fstival. As our ancstors oftn xtndd th day to th Qingming, thy wr latr combind. On ach Qingming Fstival, all cmtris ar crowdd with popl who cam to swp tombs and offr sacrifics. Traffic on th way to th cmtris bcoms xtrmly jammd. Th customs hav bn gratly simplifid today. Aftr slightly swping th tombs, popl offr food, flowrs and favorits of th dad, thn burn incns and papr mony and bow bfor th mmorial tablt. In contrast to th sadnss of th tomb swprs, popl also njoy hop of Spring on this day. Th Qingming Fstival is a tim whn th sun shins brightly, th trs and grass bcom grn and natur is again livly. Sinc ancint tims, popl hav followd th custom of Spring outings. At this tim tourists ar vrywhr. Popl lov to fly kits during th Qingming Fstival. Kit flying is actually not limitd to th Qingming Fstival. Its uniqunss lis in that popl fly kits not during th day, but also at night. A string of littl lantrns tid onto th kit or th thrad look lik shining stars, and thrfor, ar calld god's lantrns. Th Qingming Fstival is also a tim to plant trs, for th survival rat of saplings is high and trs grow fast latr. In th past, th Qingming Fstival was calld Arbor Day. But sinc 1979, Arbor Day was sttld as March 12 according to th Grgorian calndar.