Still in mourning and Qing Ming

[Cecil Lee]

1. These pictures were taken someting around 1963 still within the mourning period for my grandfather.

2. The grave site was located in Tampines, Singapore.

3. Family members gather around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar at my grandfather'stomb. This day is known as the Tomb Sweeping Day which also concides with the Clear Bright Festival.

4. If you are wondering; only family members who were still in mouring had to tag squarish pieces of cloth / colour and layers depending on the relationship with the deceased. Such cloth tags are worn on the left sleeve.

5. Can you spot those wearing such tags. Don't be surprised as somein the photos are not family members or immediate family members so they don't need to wearsuch tags.

[Cecil Lee]

1. This photo was sent by Chinese relatives that had migrated to Indonesia.

2. The photo dates to around 1963. Most likely, family gathering was on a Tomb Sweeping Day.

3. During that time, Indonesia feared communists and all Chinese are not allowed to have "Chinese Names". All Chinese have "Indonesian names, instead".

4. From the picture, even the traditional style of Horse-shoe protective design and elaborate Chinese carvings were not allowed for a tomb site. The only thing allowed was the carving on the tablet in Mandarin words.

5. This was the "penalty" for migrating to Indonesia. As a Chinese, you cannot be a "real Chinese" nor have elaborate Chinese festivities.

6. The writing on the attachment is in Malay language.

7. NO CHOICE, THIS WAS INDONESIA, WHICH FEARED CHINESE COMMUNISM. THUS COMPARE THIS RECTANGULAR DESIGN OF THE TOMB WITH MY GRAND PA'S TYPE OF ELABORATE DESIGN; FRANKLY, IT WOULD NOT GET A CHINESE CUSTOM "PASS MARK'.

[Cecil Lee]

Nowadays, offerings on Qing Ming includes:-
Source and Credit: REUTERS
Paper replicas of first-generation iPads and iPhones sit on a shelf among other electronic gadgets for sale for the Chinese Qingming festival or Ancestors Day at a prayer supplies shop in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Ethnic Chinese flock to cemetries during Qingming Festival and honour the dead by offering prayers, food, tea, wine, as well as paper replicas of bungalows, flashy cars, technological gadgets and Louis Vuitton bags, for their dead to enjoy in the afterlife. REUTERS