【节气】清明 | Qingming: When Nature and Memory Are Both Alive

Qingming (清明), also known as the Pure Brightness Festival, is the fifth solar term in the traditional Chinese calendar. Arriving around on April 4th this year, it marks a moment when spring reaches its fullest bloom, and the world is refreshed with light, warmth, and clarity.

The word “清明” literally means "clear and bright"—a reflection of both the season’s gentle weather and the clarity it invites into our lives. As buds blossom and the sun shines longer, Qingming is a time of awakening, movement, and remembrance.

🌱 A Time for Nature

During Qingming, the landscape is alive with colour and energy. It’s a season of planting and walking—when people go “踏青” (tàqīng), or spring outing, to connect with the greening earth. Traditionally, families would fly kites, picnic, and celebrate the fullness of spring.

Qingming reminds us that life and growth continue, and it encourages us to take notice of the small, beautiful changes around us: a sprouting leaf, a soft breeze, or the quiet warmth of sunshine on skin.

🕯 A Time for Remembrance

Qingming is also a festival of honouring ancestors. Families visit graves to sweep tombs, offer food and flowers, and light incense, expressing gratitude and keeping memory alive across generations.

For many, especially those separated from their roots or homeland, Qingming may stir both longing and reflection. It is a moment to ask:

• Where do I come from?

• Whose hands shaped my beginning?

• How do I remember, even from afar?

At MBL, we believe Qingming offers a space to honour not only those we remember, but also the parts of ourselves that seek connection—with family, with culture, with origin.

💬 Qingming Across Cultures and Families

For adoptive families, Qingming can be a gentle way to introduce the idea of ancestral remembrance. It is not about obligation, but about pausing with intention—to acknowledge the people and places that came before us.

A simple candle, a handwritten note, or even a moment of silence can become meaningful acts of remembrance. In doing so, we create bridges—between generations, between cultures, and between hearts.

As the world brightens outside, may Qingming bring clarity, peace, and quiet strength to you and your loved ones.