Qingtuan, or green rice ball, is a traditional delicacy in the region south of the Yangtze River around the Qingming Festival. Made from glutinous rice mixed with wormwood juice, the sticky rice balls are usually stuffed with red bean paste or meat to meet different preferences.

Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, falls on April 4 this year. This solar term indicates the right time for cultivation and spring outing. Alike to the Day of the Dead, Qingming is also an occasion for the Chinese to pay respect to the deceased. Qingming, literally meaning “clear and bright,” heralds a season of rising temperature and reviving nature. On the three-day Qingming Festival, people will have spring outing with their family members or friends to embrace the brightly-colored scenery. (Produced by People's Daily Online)

Swinging is another popular activity during the Qingming Festival among children and adults. As the folk saying goes, the higher the swing rises, the happier life is thought to possess.

The most important tradition of Qingming is to honor ancestors and commemorate deceased family members and relatives. A traditional memorial ritual includes praying, cleaning the tombstones and burning paper money to the deceased. Nowadays, people replace the burning practices with flower offering, which is more environmental friendly.