Relatives opt for greener ways to pay their tributes
Source: Xinhua |
April 3, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
MORE people around the country are opting for environmentally friendly ways to pay tribute to their deceased loved ones during the Qingming Festival.
Zhang Kui, a 73-year-old resident of Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, wrote a letter and a check to his late wife at a funeral service a few days ahead of tomorrow's Qingming, also known as tomb-sweeping day.
After dropping the letter and the check into boxes labeled "Post Office" and "Bank of Heaven," Zhang said: "She's been gone for over 10 years, and I used to burn paper money for her during Qingming. But this year, I learned of some novel ways of remembering our loved ones and I decided to give them a try."
Chinese tradition holds that fake money or items made of paper burned by the living will be received by the deceased and contribute to their happiness in the afterlife. It is not unusual to see thick clouds of smoke in the streets during the festival as people burn thick wads of paper "money" on the sidewalk.
The China Consumers' Association says that more than 1,000 tons of paper is burned each year during the festival with the total value estimated at around 10 billion yuan (US$1.59 billion) nationwide.
"We arrived at the idea of using a single fake check instead of large amounts of fake paper cash, since it saves a lot of trouble and is good for the environment," said Han Jinrui, a funeral service official in Harbin.
Other environmentally friendly methods have taken off all over the country.
In Baotou, an industrial city in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, authorities have asked residents to exchange fake money for flowers to honor their loved ones. In the city of Nantong in east China's Jiangsu Province, the local government is calling on residents to plant trees in memory of the deceased.
"Burning paper was actually discouraged for the festival in the early days, until a change of custom during the Han Dynasty about 2,000 years ago," said Zhang Xiqin, a historian at Heilongjiang University.
"We want to explain to residents that burning paper is not the only way to honor their loved ones," Han said.
Harbin resident Li Rui said he was thankful for the opportunity to reconnect with his late relatives at the "Post Office."
"Men of my age do not want to appear sentimental or emotional in public, and are reluctant to say in words how much we miss our loved ones," Li said. "But it makes me feel at ease to put my thoughts down on paper privately."
Younger Chinese are using their technological expertise to bring a new twist to the holiday.
For 17-year-old Liu Xiaoling, laying flowers on her father's and grandparents' tombs was just one way to remember them.
"I think young people are more willing to try environmentally friendly ways of honoring our relatives," Liu said, referring to online memorials. Memorial websites allow visitors to present their deceased loved ones with flowers, songs and other gifts, as well as upload pictures and essays that reflect their feelings.
"Old habits die hard," said Qu Wenyong, a sociology professor at Heilongjiang University. "But it is undeniable that the Chinese people are turning to greener ways to pay tribute to their ancestors."
Zhang Kui, a 73-year-old resident of Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, wrote a letter and a check to his late wife at a funeral service a few days ahead of tomorrow's Qingming, also known as tomb-sweeping day.
After dropping the letter and the check into boxes labeled "Post Office" and "Bank of Heaven," Zhang said: "She's been gone for over 10 years, and I used to burn paper money for her during Qingming. But this year, I learned of some novel ways of remembering our loved ones and I decided to give them a try."
Chinese tradition holds that fake money or items made of paper burned by the living will be received by the deceased and contribute to their happiness in the afterlife. It is not unusual to see thick clouds of smoke in the streets during the festival as people burn thick wads of paper "money" on the sidewalk.
The China Consumers' Association says that more than 1,000 tons of paper is burned each year during the festival with the total value estimated at around 10 billion yuan (US$1.59 billion) nationwide.
"We arrived at the idea of using a single fake check instead of large amounts of fake paper cash, since it saves a lot of trouble and is good for the environment," said Han Jinrui, a funeral service official in Harbin.
Other environmentally friendly methods have taken off all over the country.
In Baotou, an industrial city in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, authorities have asked residents to exchange fake money for flowers to honor their loved ones. In the city of Nantong in east China's Jiangsu Province, the local government is calling on residents to plant trees in memory of the deceased.
"Burning paper was actually discouraged for the festival in the early days, until a change of custom during the Han Dynasty about 2,000 years ago," said Zhang Xiqin, a historian at Heilongjiang University.
"We want to explain to residents that burning paper is not the only way to honor their loved ones," Han said.
Harbin resident Li Rui said he was thankful for the opportunity to reconnect with his late relatives at the "Post Office."
"Men of my age do not want to appear sentimental or emotional in public, and are reluctant to say in words how much we miss our loved ones," Li said. "But it makes me feel at ease to put my thoughts down on paper privately."
Younger Chinese are using their technological expertise to bring a new twist to the holiday.
For 17-year-old Liu Xiaoling, laying flowers on her father's and grandparents' tombs was just one way to remember them.
"I think young people are more willing to try environmentally friendly ways of honoring our relatives," Liu said, referring to online memorials. Memorial websites allow visitors to present their deceased loved ones with flowers, songs and other gifts, as well as upload pictures and essays that reflect their feelings.
"Old habits die hard," said Qu Wenyong, a sociology professor at Heilongjiang University. "But it is undeniable that the Chinese people are turning to greener ways to pay tribute to their ancestors."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
