Qingming The SINGAPO人 Way

Literally meaning “clear” and “bright”, Qingming is considered one of the most important Chinese festivals of the year as families commemorate their ancestors and loved ones. 

Because of rapid urbanisation, there are now fewer burial grounds in Singapore. Today, most pay respects to their ancestors at the columbarium where the ashes are kept at or at the temple where the memorial tablets are placed. “Tomb-sweeping” has also taken on a different definition in Singapore for those who are cleaning their ancestor’s columbarium niches.

Waking up before sunrise and beating the jam towards the cemeteries, columbarium or temples—sounds familiar? You might be wondering why we pay homage to our ancestors on this day. Though Qingming has been celebrated by Chinese families in Singapore over generations, practices have differed and simplified distinctively to our way! 

Let’s look into the origins and interesting customs of Qingming!

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