About Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping Day)
Qingming, known in English as Tomb-Sweeping Day or Pure Brightness Festival, is a Chinese festival devoted to remembering and honouring ancestors. It is one of the most important days for filial piety, observed not only in mainland China but also in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and across the Chinese diaspora. The festival has roots stretching back more than two and a half thousand years and is both a solemn occasion of remembrance and a celebration of the arrival of spring.
On Qingming, families visit ancestral graves to sweep and clean them, pull weeds and add fresh soil, then make offerings of food, tea, wine and flowers. A common custom is burning joss paper and paper replicas of money and goods, believed to provide for relatives in the afterlife. Because it falls in bright early spring, the day is also traditionally a time to enjoy the outdoors, take spring walks and fly kites, some of which are released into the sky and let go for good luck.
Qingming is set by the solar calendar rather than the lunar one, falling on the 15th day after the spring equinox, which places it around April 4 or 5 each year. The live countdown above always tracks the next Qingming for you. If you would like to keep the day in view, you can add this countdown to your own page in a few clicks.
Upcoming dates
| 2027 | Monday, April 5, 2027next |
| 2028 | Tuesday, April 4, 2028 |
| 2029 | Wednesday, April 4, 2029 |
FAQ
When is Qingming this year?
Qingming is set by the solar calendar and falls around April 4 or 5, on the 15th day after the spring equinox. The exact date varies slightly each year, so check the live countdown above.
Why is Qingming celebrated?
Qingming is a day to honour ancestors and express filial piety by tending their graves and making offerings. It also marks the arrival of spring and the renewal of nature.
How is Qingming celebrated?
Families visit and clean ancestral graves, add fresh soil and offer food, tea, wine and flowers. Many burn joss paper for relatives in the afterlife and enjoy spring outings and kite-flying.
Why is Qingming also called Tomb-Sweeping Day?
The festival's central custom is cleaning and tidying ancestors' graves, literally sweeping the tombs, which gives the day its common English name. It combines remembrance of the dead with the celebration of spring.