Taiwan News
Date: 2020/03/10
By: Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The government is encouraging the public to carry out tomb-sweeping
Interior Minister Hsu Kuo-yung. (CNA photo)
As one of the most important festivals for Chinese-speaking society, the Qingming Festival, which falls on April 4 this year, is when people visit the graveyard of their ancestors to clean tombs, make offerings, and pray. The Ministry of the Interior is now encouraging people who keep the cinerary urns of their ancestors in columbaria or who have given their diseased family members natural burials to carry out the tomb-sweeping rituals online.
It would prevent possible clusters of viral infection through people crowding in columbaria or cemeteries for hours. Several city governments have allowed citizens to pay their tribute to ancestors via designated websites, where they can leave messages and even offer virtual flowers, fruit, and offerings, said the ministry.
Cemeteries and columbaria will limit the number of visitors during the Qingming Festival, but they will open to the public early in March, according to the ministry. People are encouraged to arrange their visits earlier or later than the festival to prevent contact with large crowds.
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