Ching Ming (Tomb Sweeping Festival)

The exact date for Ching Ming this year is 5th April which will be on Monday. But normally Chinese can visit their forebears' graves before the festival itself.

My sister and I travelled to Sibu to visit our loved ones' graves on Saturday. We would normally go as early as five thirty in the morning when day light breaks. It has always been practised this way even in the days when my other relatives had to travel by river boats and then walked all the 3 miles to the Methodist Episcopal Mission Cemetery in Sungei Merah. These days we can drive right to the hill slopes of the cemetery.

The moon was still in the sky when we walked towards the cemetery near Tiong Hin Primary School.

In the dim lights of dawn the young generation said their prayers and remembered their dear ones.


My father's friend Mr. Ngu a famous Sibu photographer with his family. He kindly posed for me. He had been taking early morning pictures too.


One of his relatives offering a joss stick and prayer for the dearly departed.


At another tomb paper money had been burnt in the concrete urn specially prepared for this purpose.


Candles had been lit here with lots of floral arrangements and food offerings including a stack of Leh Pian.

These days the young people need to bring these offerings and they can buy paper plates and cups already packed for this purpose in the shops in Sg. Merah.


One of my favourite angels in this cemetery.

Mr. Siaw came all the way from Singapore to pay his respects to his grandfather. He even brought a cangkul to clear the road adjacent to the grave. This is an act of filial piety.


A shot up the the hill we call the Henghua's Hill. The cemeteries in Sg. Merah are under clan and church supervision.



A view of the ST. Teresa Catholic Church from the Methodist Cemetery just before it started raining.