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My First Bai Qīng Míng Jié  by Precious Diamond
I remember when I was a child growing up in Singapore, whenever
Qīng Míng Jié （清明节）， “All Souls Day” came along, my parents
would prepare some fruit and food, incense sticks and paper, meet up with my aunt and uncle to go and visit our ancestors’ graves. We were not allowed to go because my parents thought that we might get nightmares after the visit. Little did I know that I would get invited by two Bai families in Jian Chuan (剑川) to join them for this year’s Qīng Míng Jié.

With both families, I had to be present with them to eat breakfast and a mid-morning meal. Then, the families prepared some food to take along as offerings for their ancestors’ spirits and some other food to be eaten for lunch. The food offered to the ancestors was neatly packed into a red, round wooden tray divided into several compartments with a round one in the center. Each compartment contained different kinds of food like meat (sliced ham/sausage), smoked meat slices, fish fried with chili, bean sprouts, mashed tofu with some vegetable, some rice in the middle of the tray and slices of boiled or steamed salty, duck’s eggs.

Pix
The red, wooden tray and other food they prepared.


White Rice
The head of the family lays out the offerings.

Then, they load up their rattan basket with all the food, incense paper and sticks, a big knife to clear away overgrown weeds, wine and some old newspapers. The strong ones in the family carried the basket like a bag-pack and off we went, heading for our destination. Along the way, they would stop to cut some branches off the liŭ shù (柳树)， “weeping willow tree，” which they would later use to place on top of each grave they visit; it signifies a close relationship. The first family I was with used those branches to weave a crown for me so that I was properly shaded from the hot sun and nicely blended with my surroundings!

As most of the graves are located on mountain slopes, we had to hike for a couple of hours or more. By the time we arrived at our destination, I was too glad to find a good, shady spot to rest my poor, tired legs! Fortunately, breezes were blowing and so that helped to cool us down.

After we rested for a while, the head of the family initiated laying out the offerings. They place the tray of food and wine in front of the tomb stone, put some joss sticks on the grave and then kòu tóu (叩头) “kneel and bow” a couple of times before rising to their feet again. Then, a member of the family takes the wine in small cups and pours it on top of the tombstone.

Next, they take a separate bowl of rice and using a pair of chopsticks, pick some food from the tray and mix it with the rice. They first put some on their ancestor’s tombstone and then spread the rest all around the area, paying careful attention to include the tŭ dì shén (土地神), “the Earth god,” which is marked by a stone tablet.

After that, the family members relax to enjoy their picnic. Both the families I went with are such excellent cooks and so I had such a feast with them – there was quān fěn (圈粉), “rolled steamed pastry”; for Singaporeans – it’s like our zhū cháng fěn (猪肠粉) mixed with a nice, spicy peanut sauce with vinegar and soy sauce in it! My other family prepared liáng fěn (凉粉) which is a jello-like type of floppy, transparent cake, cut into medium sized strips and eaten with some cold noodles topped with sesame and walnut sauce, some vinegar and salt as well as lots of ground chili ! (If you’re like me, the hotter the better! Hee, hee, hee.)

As we each find a comfortable spot to sit and eat, we chat and basically enjoy each other’s company and the refreshing, natural surroundings. When everyone has finished their lunch, the host starts to pack up and soon we’re on our way back home!

I was sure glad to reach home and the first thing I did was to have a nice warm shower, and then relax and soak my feet in warm salty water (this is a local remedy for achy legs after a long, long hike!) True enough I was able to go to bed early without feeling aches all over my body! You try it out too and let me know!