Qingming series (清明节系列) 1
I have decided to post a series of entries dedicated to the history and poems of Qingming festival (清明节), a long-lived Chinese tradition to honor and commemorate the dead. Partially this is due to personal sentimental reasons as well as an inner urge to write a bit; also largely because eveninghawk’s mentioning about the festival tickled the right nerve. Anyway, I’m going to start with a brief intro of the origin of this festival, then follow up with a series of poems extracted from memory, books that are collecting dust on the bookshelf and other sources. I would like to make an effort to integrate as much Chinese with English, just bear with me if anything doesn’t make sense.

At the beginning:

The original story was recorded in shiji (史记, literally means history records), a monumental tome of historical stories (also regarded by many as superb literary pieces as well) that was edited by Sima, Qian (司马迁, 145 B.C. ~ ?, a legendary historian who overcame great personal and physical tragedies. I would include an entry just for him later if I can manage). 史记was first finished around first century B.C. which recorded more than 3000 years of Chinese History from the beginning of tribal wars to Han dynasty (汉朝). A must read for students in the centuries to follow. Although some stories might border on the margin of folklores, it is still considered one of the most accurate recording of ancient Chinese history.

Sorry, I digress.

The story started around 656 B.C., at the kingdom of Jin (晋国), a medium sized kingdom amongst more than a dozen various sized kingdoms consist of midland china at the time. These were monarchic kingdoms/states that constantly forged alliances and waged wars with each other. They were kind of like modern provinces, maybe a bit smaller. Sorry, digression again.

One of the king’s favorite concubines, Liji (骊姬), conspired to elect her son to the throne by setting up the lawful successors in a staged assassination plot. The king’s oldest son, shen sheng(申生) was ”given the right to commit suicide” ( in other word, forced to kill himself by the order of the king). The second son, a well regarded young man, chong er (重耳), escaped the country with his loyal followers and servants. The gang of the deposed wondered through other kingdoms, some political opponents of the 晋国, gathering support, dodging assassins, enduring hardship. After 19 years of exile life and several晋kings went through their short, often tumultuous rules, 重耳 finally returned and claimed the throne in 636 B.C. His ceremonial celebration was soon interrupted by complicated foreign affairs and warfare. In重耳’s words, in the midst of confusion, he neglected to reward one of his most faithful advisors, Jie Zitui (介子推), as he did to most of other followers that stood by his side during the 19 years of exile. 介子推 soon left and became a hermit. Eventually 重耳 was reminded or thought of his mistake, and sent for 介子推. 介子推 declined and went deeper into the mountains. In a desperate effort to find or in other words, forced 介子推 out, 重耳 took the advice of setting the hilltop ablaze where介子推 was hiding. (now I really start to doubt his intention or intelligence. Well supposedly he set fire to 3 sides of the hill, left one side open. But the blaze went on for 3 whole days. So haray to the master pyroman) After the ashes had settled, they found介子推, unfortunately, very much dead with his back to a willow tree and his mother, also dead, in his arms. In the hollow hole of the willow tree, 介子推 left some writings, using his blood on a piece of cloth, to the king with some sage advice include the sentence:
勤政清明复清明 ( be diligent at administrative duties and be honest and perceptive)
Deeply saddened by介子推’s death, (hopefully his own stupitidy as well), 重耳 decided to make this day hanshi jie (寒食节, cold food day), a day that no food can be cooked over fire (maybe because he had used up all the fire possible for the entire kingdom?), to memorialize his ill-fated loyal friend. The next year, 重耳 returned and found the willow tree came back to life and sprouting new branches. So重耳 rededicated the day as清明节, a national holiday until nowadays. On a happies end note, 重耳, his kingly name 晋文公, later became one of the wisest and most influential rulers for his age.



Reference:
白话史记， 冯作民译注，1982
http://www.chinavoc.com/festivals/qingming.htm
http://www.3qq.cn/mu/jr0405.htm

Footnote:

Supposedly, one day during 重耳’s exile days, at the brink of being starved to death, 介子推 cut off a piece of his own flesh from his thigh to feed 重耳 and thus saving his life. I haven’t found this in the 史记, but I have an abridged version and my ancient Chinese skills are fading fast. So forgive me for not mentioning it in the article. Although doubting its truthfulness, I have to admire 介子推’s loyalty and selflessness. Being a scientist by training, though, I have to marvel at the miracle that介子推 survived the incident. A man, half a step away from death by starvation, with blood pouring out of an open wound in the thigh on top of substantial muscle loss, without any antibiotics, living 2500 years ago on a treacherous journey, survived this unthinkable ordeal yet later to be burned to death on a hilltop by the very friend he saved. Isn’t that life’s irony?
Sorry, I digress again.

I apologize in advance to anyone being offended by my light-hearted approach to history. To me, history is what historians wrote, it could be as close to truthful facts as to complete outright lies. So I just can’t help but throwing in some of my personal comments.