Life of Guangzhou - Food Conventions of Qingming Festival

April 4th in the solar calendar is a traditional Chinese festival, Qingming Festival, which has a history of more than 2,500 years. Its name has two meanings. This day is not only a festival but also a solar term. The Chinese adage, planting around Qingming, means that when Qingming arrives, farmers should begin to plough.

Besides the tradition of tomb sweeping, food conventions also make Qingming Festival a special day.

Cold Food Festival

Cold Food Festival is also called No fire day, Prepared Food Day, and Cold Day. It is the 105th day after midwinter, the day before Qingming Festival. It is said that the Cold Food Festival can be traced back to Spring and Autumn period (770－476 B.C.).

Jie Zitui did not like fame and money from the palace. So he refused to work for the King. He went to a remote mountain with his mother to get away from the king. But the king followed and set fire to the whole mountain to force them to return. However, Jie Zitui and his mother died in the huge fire. From then on, people have only eaten prepared or cold food on that day. This is the Cold Food Festival.

Green Tuanzi

Green Tuanzi is made from the juice of a wild plant. Tuanzi is a traditional Chinese food with a dumpling like appearance. Because the juice makes it green, it has the name, Green Tuanzi. On Qingming Festival, people from Jiangnan have the convention of eating green Tuanzi. (Jiangnan is the traditional name for the area south of the lower reaches of China.)

Sanzi

Eating Sanzi on Qingming Festival is a convention throughout China. Sanzi is a kind of fried food. People called it cold food in the old days.

Spiral Shell

The Qingming Festival is the right time for eating spiral shell. Spiral shell is abundant in this season.

Also on the day of Qingming Festival, people also eat other food such as eggs, cakes and porridge.

In Guangdong's Chao Shan (Chaozhou and Shantou) area, there are also some special snacks for the Qingming Festival like Juan Bao Bing (Thin Pancake Roll) and Po Zi Guo, which fully demonstrate Chao Shan people's distinctive food and culture.

Juan Bao Bing is a kind of thin pancake roll. To make it, first make the powder into a mass, next put it in a stove and bake it, finally roll the pancake and a Juan Bao Bing is produced.

Po Zi Guo is made of the leaves and fruits of the Po Zi tree. The plum blossom-shaped Po Zi Guo is made in a bamboo steamer.

Actually Qing Ming is not a sad Festival as many people think. Apart from tomb sweeping, Ta Qing (Spring Trip), swinging, playing Jiu Ju (something like playing football in the west), playing polo and planting willows are some of the happy customs that are held in different parts of China.

Flying kites is also another favorite for the people during Qing Ming. Kites are not seen only during the day but also at night. Many little lanterns are hung on the kites and flicker in dark skies, making a beautiful scene.

(By Luna Yang, Carrot Chan, Alan Devey)