Govt buries concerns over cemetery fees

2011-04-06 07:25:34

Despite reports that burial plots leased under nearly two-decade old legislation would soon expire, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said the leases would comply with the standard national durations of 50 or 70 years.

Burial traditions blasted after fire kills 2

2011-04-05 22:29:18

People used to crowd the city of Qingdao's Hushan Mountain in east China's Shandong Province to pay homage to deceased loved ones during the annual Tomb Sweeping Festival. But not on this year's Tomb-sweeping Day, which fell on Tuesday.

460m mourn for deceased during holiday

2011-04-05 20:52:53

An estimated 460 million people mourned the deceased at graveyards or memorial parks during this year's Tomb Sweeping Day holiday from Sunday to Tuesday, roughly the same number as last year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.

Teacher urges inclusion of death education in curriculum

2011-04-05 17:39:25

Education on death, a core part of education on life and living, can help people become less worried or anxious about death, develop a rational thinking of death as a natural ending of everything in the world, and improve their quality of life, said Dong Changhong, a teacher at Jinhua High School in East China’s Chengdu city.

Floury flower buns

2011-04-05 07:39:38

As the saying goes, "China has the world's best flour-made food; and Shanxi is the home of China's flour-made food." Shanxi boasts more than a thousand kinds of flour-based food, and huamo is only one of the very many. The buns or mo, is simply a fancier hand-molded form of the familiar mantou.

Spring roll picnic

2011-04-05 07:39:38

Xiamen spring rolls are the ultimate fast food. A thin wheat pancake wraps up a delicious cooked filling made from mainly vegetables, and on Qingming, the Tomb Sweeping Day when most families will not start the fire on the stove, it is the perfect dish.

Sweep, pray and eat qingtuan

2011-04-05 07:39:38

During the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, we sweep, pray - and eat qingtuan.

Planning to capture beauty of life

2011-04-05 07:37:30

Zhu Chenyan never expected a dramatic change in her job when she was a wedding planner three years ago. Now, she plans funerals.

History, evolution of ancient festival

2011-04-05 07:37:30

The Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese event, which usually falls on April 5.

Jackstraws come to life for spring

2011-04-05 10:54:31

A quartet of jackstraws are displayed in a field of cole flower blossoms during the Qingming Festival in Xianju county, East China's Zhejiang province on April 4, 2011.

Untended tombs in Beijing

2011-04-05 07:40:15

It's probably one of the least visited mausoleum complexes in the Beijing area. And, when I visited the Eastern Qing Tombs on the first warm weekend of 2011, about a week before the tomb-sweeping festival, the grand array looked almost forlorn.