The Qing Ming or Pure Brightness Festival, is also known as the Tombs Sweeping Festival. Traditionally, the Chinese can start worshipping their dead ancestors 10 days before and after this date because this it is believed to be the “grace period” for the souls of the departed to leave the underworld and enter this worldly realm to accept offerings from their living relatives.

Far from being a morbid affair, graveyards are akin to picnic sites as relatives from far and wide gather to make offerings of joss sticks, Hell money, luxurious worldly goods (they are made of paper, though) and food for the deceased.

Visitors may find it interesting to see pop by shops selling these items because there are the latest sports cars, lingerie, the latest mobile phones, mansions and anything you can think of, really! These are later burnt or “sent” to the deceased in the underworld.