Out of 8 hours

     The Qingming (Pure Brightness) Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division
     points in China, falling on April 4-6 each year. After the festival, the
     temperature will rise up and rainfall increases. It is the high time for
     spring plowing and sowing. But the Qingming Festival is not only a
     seasonal point to guide farm work, it is more a festival of commemoration.
     
     The Qingming Festival sees a combination of sadness and happiness.
     
     This is the most important day of sacrifice. Both the Han and minority
     ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep
     the tombs of the diseased. Also, they will not cook on this day and only
     cold food is served.
     
     The Hanshi (Cold Food) Festival was usually one day before the Qingming
     Festival. As our ancestors often extended the day to the Qingming, they
     were later combined.
     
     On each Qingming Festival, all cemeteries are crowded with people who came
     to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices. Traffic on the way to the cemeteries
     becomes extremely jammed. The customs have been greatly simplified today.
     After slightly sweeping the tombs, people offer food, flowers and
     favorites of the dead, then burn incense and paper money and bow before
     the memorial tablet.
     
     In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy hope of
     Spring on this day. The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines
     brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively.
     Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of Spring outings. At
     this time tourists are everywhere.
     
     People love to fly kites during the Qingming Festival. Kite flying is
     actually not limited to the Qingming Festival. Its uniqueness lies in that
     people fly kites not during the day, but also at night. A string of little
     lanterns tied onto the kite or the thread look like shining stars, and
     therefore, are called "god's lanterns."
     
     The Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees, for the survival rate
     of saplings is high and trees grow fast later. In the past, the Qingming
     Festival was called "Arbor Day". But since 1979, "Arbor Day" was settled
     as March 12 according to the Gregorian calendar.