Shanghai tomb sweepers coming to a cemetery near you
In two weeks time (April 5), we Shanghainese are going to celebrate the Qingming Festival. Tomb sweeping, or honouring the deceased, is one of the important Qingming Festival rituals for most Chinese.
Eastday (in Chinese) said already around 30,000 Shanghainese went to Suzhou for tomb sweeping last weekend, and from the past years’ experience, the 10 days before and after Qingming Festival is the most frequent travel time for people, therefore, more people are expected to head out this weekend. (Does that mean we will see less people on the streets?)
Not only do people go out for tomb sweeping, but also in spring time people usually go out to enjoy "the greenery". Shanghai South Railway Station is now adding 45 more shifts to destinations including Suzhou and Wuxi, two major stops for Shanghai families to do tomb sweeping.
If you plan to leave town this weekend, remember to get your ticket in advance and prepare yourself for a stuffy train/bus and traffic at a snail's pace. As for Shanghaiist, we are looking forward enjoying a stroll on less crowded Nanjing Xi Lu — well, hopefully.
