I’ve been in China for a little bit over a month now, and I finally felt comfortable enough to travel for the first time this weekend. I went to Chongqing, a neighboring city to the southeast of Chengdu where I currently live. I live in Chengdu with two other classmates of mine, both of whom are also Baruch College students like myself. Three New Yorkers living together in China! When we arrived in Chengdu, we decided that we would find an apartment together, and after a stressful couple of days, we managed to find one that fit all of our needs. The best part is that the apartment is across the street from our campus. A big improvement from New York, where I travel 1.5 hours each day to go to school!
One of the reasons that we felt comfortable enough to travel this weekend, even with our busy schedule, is because this Monday was a holiday here in China. It’s called the Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day. On this day, Chinese people visit graves of ancestors so that they may pray. This festival allows the Chinese people to remember and honor their ancestors. As the name suggests, the graves are swept and tidied up and then food and drinks are offered to the ancestors. Some people carry willow branches with them on this day, because they believe that it will ward off evil spirits.
