Clear and Bright (Qīngmíng)
The sky clears and brightens — an important day for tomb sweeping and ancestor worship. Corresponds to Taiwan's national Tomb Sweeping Day public holiday.
Clear and Bright (Qīngmíng) — Dates by Year
| Year | Gregorian Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4/4 | Thu |
| 2025 | 4/4 | Fri |
| 2026← this year | 4/5 | Sun |
| 2027 | 4/5 | Mon |
| 2028 | 4/4 | Tue |
| 2029 | 4/4 | Wed |
| 2030 | 4/5 | Fri |
Introduction
Clear and Bright (Qīngmíng) is the fifth solar term, falling around April 4–6. Taiwan designates April 5th as the national Tomb Sweeping Day public holiday. With the sky clear and temperatures rising, "qīng míng" aptly describes the season. Qīngmíng is both a solar term and a major folk festival of ancestral reverence deeply embedded in Taiwanese culture.
Tomb Sweeping Customs
Qingming tomb sweeping (sǎomù) is a nationwide family ritual. Families visit graves or columbaria, clear weeds, tidy the site, offer food (meat, fruit, cakes), burn spirit money, and light incense to express remembrance. Southern Fujianese (Hoklo) communities focus on Qingming while Hakka communities often sweep graves at Winter Solstice. Eco-friendly offerings — fresh flowers instead of paper money — are increasingly common.
Spring Outings
Qingming's pleasant weather gave rise to the ancient custom of "stepping on green" (tàqīng) — going outdoors to enjoy spring scenery. Across Taiwan, flower festivals coincide with this period: Alishan's cherry blossoms, Wuling Farm's peaches, and hillside tung blossoms all peak in this window. The Qingming long weekend is one of Taiwan's busiest travel periods.
Festive Foods
Qingming foods vary by ethnic group in Taiwan. Hoklo families eat runbǐng (fresh spring rolls) — thin wrappers filled with bean sprouts, daikon, pork, and more, sprinkled with peanut powder and sugar, shared at the graveside. Hakka families make cǎo zǎi guǒ (green sticky rice cakes) using mugwort or cudweed. These seasonal wild herbs are at peak freshness during Qingming.