Cemeteries host online tomb sweeping ceremonies
Cemeteries in 19 cities across China have kicked off a "cloud tomb-sweeping ceremony" scheme to avoid mass gatherings ahead of the Qingming Festival, operators announced on Tuesday.
Qingming, which falls on April 4 this year, is a traditional time for Chinese people to clean family tombs and pay tribute to their ancestors. This year, visits to many cemeteries are controlled via online reservations to prevent crowds.
Online broadcasts of commemorative activities for the festival are being hosted at cemeteries operated by Fu Shou Yuan International Group in 19 Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Anyang in Henan Province, Hefei in Anhui Province and Nanchang in Jiangxi Province beginning from March 28.
The ceremonies are performed by cemetery staff, while visitors can watch them via online live broadcast.
The first Qingming Festival commemorative ceremony hosted at the Dashushan Cemetery in Hefei on March 28 was attended by 10 workers, while it was watched by more than 10,000 viewers.
During another Qingming Festival ceremony hosted on March 29 at the Henan Fushouyuan Cemetery in Zhengzhou city, flowers were laid and a funeral oration was read.
The online ceremony aims to prevent the spread of coronavirus and pay tribute to the deceased at the same time, said Yao Yuan, secretary of the Zhengzhou City Funeral and Interment Affairs Center.
In Shanghai, a ceremony will be held at 9am on April 4 at the Shanghai Fushouyuan Cemetery in Qingpu District by the Qingpu District Civil Affairs Bureau, the district civilization office and the cemetery.
Similar events have been hosted at the cemetery for a decade, but this is the first time they will be held online.
During the ceremony, traditional rituals such as bell tolling, reading funeral orations, bowing, laying flowers, tea serving, and playing traditional music will be followed. There will also be willow picking to signify departure.
"Tribute will be paid to heroes sacrificing in the battle against the coronavirus and to commemorate people perishing in the epidemic, as well as ancestors," said Zhao Yu, assistant manager of Fu Shou Yuan Group.
"On the screen, the public can leave their messages to express how much they miss their deceased loved ones, as well as wishes for those who perished in the epidemic," said Zhao.
A reservation system in Shanghai during this year's festival has been implemented to prevent large gatherings by the city's civil affairs authorities. Those who wish to inter urns or sweep tombs in person between March 28 and April 12 are required to make reservations in advance.
Shanghai's 54 cemeteries and columbariums are encouraged to use online platforms enabling tomb sweepers to pay tribute online.