Qingming Festival 2028: Tomb Sweeping Day
Festival guide · 2028
Qingming (清明節) — Tomb Sweeping Day — is a solar term festival falling around April 4 or 5 each year, 15 days after the Spring Equinox. It is a public holiday in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, observed by Chinese communities worldwide.
Unlike most Chinese festivals which follow the lunar calendar, Qingming is a solar term — its Gregorian date is nearly fixed. It combines solemn ancestor veneration with joyful spring outings.
2028 Dates
| Date | Tuesday, April 4, 2028 |
Dates are calculated automatically and may vary by ±1 day. Always confirm with your local religious authority.
Traditions & Observance
Tomb Sweeping (扫墓)
Families visit ancestors' graves to clean and maintain them — removing weeds, wiping tombstones, and tidying the area. Fresh flowers, food offerings, and incense are placed at the grave. Paper money and paper goods may be burned as offerings for the deceased. This act of care expresses filial piety — deep respect for parents and ancestors.
Food Offerings and Ancestor Worship
Traditional foods are brought as offerings: whole roasted pig, fruit, rice, wine, and dishes the deceased enjoyed in life. After the ceremony, families share a picnic meal near the gravesite — symbolically eating together with departed ancestors.
Spring Outings (踏青, Taqing)
Qingming falls at the height of spring in China, and taqing — 'stepping on the green' — is a parallel tradition of enjoying the spring scenery. Families fly kites, walk in parks, and admire blossoming landscapes. Traditionally, kites were cut loose to symbolise the release of misfortune.
Qingming Foods
Qingtuan — green sticky rice balls made with mugwort or barley grass juice, filled with sweet red bean paste — are the signature food, particularly in the Yangtze Delta. Their jade-green colour and earthy fragrance are distinctively associated with the season.
Other Years
Qingming falls on April 4 in Gregorian leap years and April 5 in other years. Public holiday dates may vary by country.