Qing Ming 2007

It’s April’s Fool today. I don’t play tricks on people for a long long long long time already. Also no one fools me for don’t know how many years already. However, was fooled by Lilian!! Eh.. But doesn’t count ok? Hahaha… Coz it’s not on 1st April, it’s yesterday.

The actual day of Qing Ming(in Mandarin, in Hokkien is “Cheng Beng”, what is it called in English?) should be 5.4.2007(to be exact the the 18th day of the second month of Lunar calender) but most people will start going to the cemetery to clean up and pay respect to the ancestors during the weekend before the actual day since the actual day falls on a weekday.

We went today. My dad went to clean it with my uncles and aunties last Sunday. Started from home at about 6am and reached there at about 6.30am. It’s very near to the Anglican Cemetary. Oppsss.. I had forgotten the cemetery’s name that we went though been going there every year ever since I’m in kindergaten. This year I’m crazy enough to bring my camera along and shot a lot of photos. Hmmm… My relatives were quite amused about me taking photos there but hmm… I think there’s somebody that was not very happy about it(I’m not sure but I think there is). They played along and arranged those “gifts” to my late grandparents for me to take photos. (-.-“) Not sure is the right thing to do or not taking photos there? Hmm… Phew… I didn’t snap “something”.

You know the Chinese cemetery is always such a spooky place. However, I dare to walk alone in the dark with torchlight to my grandparents’ grave. Hehehe… There’s no light there at all, it’s pitch black but the grave is not so far from the parking place, that’s why I dare hahaha… Well… I only walked there alone once, it was few years back. My cousin was shocked when they reached and saw me alone there while my parents were still unloading stuffs at the car. NO NO NO, it’s not what you’re thinking OK? I’m aware that I am walking there alone to put down those praying stuffs there and since I’m one of them with the torchlight, so I placed the torchlight there and waited for the rest to arrive. 😛

We were quite late this year. Usually we started from home at about 5.30am. It’s quite bright already when we reached there today and so many people there already.

Left: See the smoke from far far away? It’s from another cemetery. You know how much pollution cause by these burning activities? That’s why we alwasy go early so that we won’t be suffocated by all those smokes. No wonder the Taiwanese government urges their citizen to reduce burning activities during Qing Ming. Also, it’s not hot too. The sun was quite strong already at around 7.30am. Usually, we ended the ritual before 8am. This year, we dragged until 9am+ because we were waiting for my another cousin and aunt that couldn’t find the way to the cemetary. It’s about 8am+ when they arrived. Then when we wanted to leave, another cousin and aunt came. So couldn’t leave so soon. Gosshh… The sun was biting every inch of my skin even with umbrellas!

Right: The old fashion hell money and coloured papers scattered on the grave to symbolise that the children and grandchildren had came to visit them.

People busy cleaning up. Some clean the grave and pay respect the same day.

Left: Hahaha… Clothings. This is the old fashion type. It will be burn together with the hell money.

Right: Hell money from the The Hell Bank Corporation. Yes! You got it right! The human bought the money from hell and send it back to hell again. (-.-“) Oh… So there is no heaven at all. We die, we all go to hell. If those go to heaven, they won’t be getting anything right? Or heaven is already filled with all the things they need so there is no need to give them anything. So That’s why only got hell money no heaven money.

Hmm… Think from another perspective, since generally people always said that, if you are good you go to heaven; if you are bad, you go to hell. So you are very sure your love ones are bad, that’s why they go to hell. How disrespectful to them? I’m sure no one will want their love ones to go to hell. If they go to heaven, then I’m sure they will be very sad that you think that they are not a good person.

All these are just gimmick of the businessmen. I’m a Christian(most of my relatives are not), so I don’t believe in these stuffs. To us, hell is hell, where those in hell suffer from the burn of fire every single second. There is nothing else but fire. No matter how many things you had “sent” to hell they will not get it at all. There’s no such thing. What’s on earth, remains on earth. It won’t go anyway unless they have spirits or souls. You are just burning your money. It seems to be a sane way to burn money instead of burning the real money hahaha…

Modern clothings! Got heels, got shoes, got hat, got trousers, shirts, dress, skirts, wallet, mobile phone, pen even credit card from The Hell Bank! Branded wallet and belt summore! *LOL*

Left: Some food for offerings.
Middle: Another type of hell money. Every buddhist group has their own type of hell money.
Right: We have Darlie, they have Hellie. So funny… It comes with Toothbrush and towel too.

Left: These are money too. They are the money used in the olden days called silver ingot or “yuan bao”.
Right: Let’s burn them! Let’s burn money!

On the way out of the cemetery. See the long queue of cars, “smoking” hills(not so clear) and the tombs(not so clear also).

This year we made a last minute decision to visit the ashes storage place of my uncle and my cousin. It’s at the one and only crematorium in Kuching. I’m not sure the name of the place. This is my second time there. I didn’t attend the cremation of my cousin.

Left: They have quite a nice water feature there.
Right: The place where the worshippers place their joss sticks. Quite a tall one. What you see here is the top part.

This is where all the ashes are kept. You have to pay a yearly maintenance fee, not sure how much, depends on the “slot” too. To buy a “slot”, the price depends on the position too, the cheapest is RM6000. The most expensive is RM24,000(photo on the right).

Reached home, showered, slept, ate then online till now. This is my April’s Fool. How about you?