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How we celebrate one of the most important festivals in Chinese/Asian culture in the UK and everything you need to prepare. What is Qingming? Qingming Festival (清明节), also called Tomb Sweeping Day or Pure Brightness Festival, is an important traditional Chinese holiday. The festival is celebrated both in China and among members of Chinese communities around the world. The main activity that people engage in on this day is cleaning the tombs of their ancestors The holiday is c

It was always a taboo in our family to talk about the passing of my parents’ firstborn, my eldest brother, so I grew up knowing very little about what actually happened. Haiphong, North Vietnam In early 1978, tensions between newly reunified Vietnam and China led to a mass exodus. Around 150,000 ethnic Chinese fled Northern Vietnam for China due to fears of war. In April and May 1978, my family fled to Guangxi, China, to a county called Ningming. At the time, my mother was al

The feelings I felt and the words I didn't speak.. . during the 100 days and nights I stayed by my parents altar... When my dad passed away on 8th December 2020, we were in lockdown in the UK. I stayed at the family home with my mum, my sister, my brother, my niece and nephew, and we all mourned together. We had to burn incense continuously, day and night, until the funeral, which took place four weeks after my dad passed away. After the funeral, we no longer needed to keep t

Today is 10th January 2022. It’s my birthday - my first birthday without my parents. I am still in the 100 days mourning period, so birthday celebrations are prohibited. To be honest, birthdays will never feel the same without my parents, and I’ve decided that from now on, I want to spend every birthday visiting their grave.. The word orphan has always sounded like such a sad word to me. By definition, it means a child who has lost both parents through death. I know I still

When my mum unexpectedly passed away from covid-19, we had to make all the arrangements for the traditional Chinese funeral with Covid-19 as our obstacle. With no parents to guide and support us, we battle through a number of emotions. Monday 1st November 2021 It was 21:40 when my siblings and I sat around the hospital bed as my mum took her last breath... "she's gone now..." the doctor confirmed... It was only a couple of days ago that we spoke to Mum, and she was in good h

When someone dies, they are brought to Hell (DIYU/地獄) by cow head and horse face (Niútóu mǎ liǎn/牛頭馬臉). Here they will cross the bridge to hell (Nai He Qiao/奈何橋) where they are now at the entrance of Hell. Hell is beneath the sea bed. The kingdom of Hell has 10 palace halls with a respective king in each. In Each of the respective Palaces lies a Court in which the deceased will report to one by one. These courts are known to be as the Ten courts of HELL. Each court of hell h

Everything you need to know about preparing for Chinese new year Chinese New Year (新年), Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year , is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. Preparing for the Chinese new year Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the New Year. So make preparations at least a few days before the New Years. Clean the house Dee

Traditional Chinese funerals can feel overwhelming, especially if you have never had to prepare one before. When my father passed away during the pandemic, my family had to learn and organise many of these customs ourselves. This guide is based on how we prepared his funeral in the UK, and I hope it helps anyone going through something similar. Altar Arrangements Continuously burn candles and incense until the day of the burial to guide the deceased to the afterlife Incense p