On Monday, April 10, 2017, Wenzhou-Kean University Student Association (WKUSA) will be celebrating the Qingming Festival at the Kean University clock tower during college hour.

This year, the Qingming Festival, or known as Tomb Sweeping Day in English, falls on Tuesday, April 4, 2017. WKUSA will celebrate with Kean University students by going outside, having a picnic and flying kites.

"Qing Ming" is a term chosen by the people of China to commemorate and show respect to their ancestors by visiting graves and cleaning and putting delicious foods in front of it. Based on different regions, people have other sorts of traditions for tomb sweeping, like burn “paper money” or eating “cold food” because they would not be allowed to set up a fire for cooking on this date, hence, food will need to be prepared in advance.

"From time to time, people start flying kites and picnic[ing] during the Qing Ming Festival. By flying kites, people wish good luck and eliminate disease for this new year. Again, the festival usually falls on a day not long before plants turn green; people could enjoy spring blossom, breath the freshest spring," said Shengda Zhou, senior finance student from Wenzhou-Kean. "After our Chinese students come to America, we still want to celebrate this festival with our family here. Also, for sharing luck and breathing spring together, we host this event open to all Kean students and faculty."

No one is required to bring in their own kite! WKUSA will be providing DIY kites that students can make themselves so everyone can participate.

Originally, the event was planned to take place on Thursday, April 6, 2017, but has been moved because of the rain.

From 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. around the clock tower, students can write a thoughtful or love message to friends, family or a loved one. While participating in the activity, WKUSA will be providing little finger foods such as sandwiches.