What to Eat during Qingming Festival Qingming Festival is a traditional Chinese festival that falls on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, usually around April 4th or 5th each year. It is also known as Tomb-sweeping Day or Remembrance Day, which is a time for people to pay tribute to their ancestors by visiting their graves, cleaning the tombstones, and offering them food and wine. Therefore, food plays an important role in Qingming Festival, and there are several traditional dishes that people typically eat during this holiday. 1. Qingtuan: Qingtuan, also known as Green Sticky Rice Cake, is a popular Qingming Festival food in southern China. It is made of glutinous rice pounded with Chinese mugwort, which gives it a distinctive green color and a refreshing aroma. The filling is usually made of red bean paste, but other flavors such as sesame, jujube, or lotus seed can also be used. The Qingtuan is then steamed or boiled and served hot or cold. 2. Cold Noodles: Cold noodles, also called Liangpi, are a traditional dish in northern China that is commonly eaten during Qingming Festival. The noodles are made of wheat or rice flour, sliced into thin strips, and served with a spicy sauce made of sesame oil, chili oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. Some people also add shredded cucumber, bean sprouts, or shredded chicken to make it more flavorful and nutritious. 3. Tujia Bacon: Tujia Bacon is a famous specialty of the Tujia ethnic group in western China. It is made of pork belly that has been cured with salt, sugar, spices, and wine, and then smoked over a fire. The bacon has a rich flavor and a tender texture, making it a popular Qingming Festival food that can be eaten as a snack or used as an ingredient in other dishes, such as fried rice or stir-fried vegetables. 4. Wuren Mooncake: Wuren Mooncake, also known as Five Kernels Mooncake, is a unique type of mooncake that originated in northwestern China. It is made of a mixture of five types of nuts and seeds, including sesame, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and melon seeds, which are coated with a layer of sweet pastry. The Mooncake has a delicate taste and a crispy texture, and is usually eaten as a dessert or a gift for relatives and friends during Qingming Festival. In conclusion, Qingming Festival is not only a time for people to pay their respect to their ancestors, but also a time for them to enjoy delicious foods that have a special significance in Chinese culture. Whether you prefer sweet or savory, spicy or mild, there is always a traditional dish that suits your taste and helps you experience the essence of this meaningful holiday.