PETALING JAYA: Families paying homage to their dearly departed this coming Qing Ming festival have been urged to practise safety measures owing to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Malaysia Chinese Cemetery Association deputy president Lee Chun Kong said that visitors should start their tomb sweeping activities earlier without waiting for the actual day on April 4 to avoid the crowds.
He noted that there were already some families who had started visiting their ancestors’ graves at several cemeteries in the Klang Valley yesterday.
“This is a good sign. When more people clean the tombs earlier, there will be less crowd on the actual day,” he said.
Lee, who is also president of the Federation of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Chinese Cemetery Associations, suggested that families visit their ancestors’ graves on the weekends before the peak period of March 29 and April 4 to avoid the crowds that were expected to build up then.
“As 8am to 10am used to be the preferred time frame for visitors to come, they can also do it differently this year by coming earlier or later in the day.
“Most families tend to bring children and the elderly for the tomb sweeping, so we urge them to be vigilant and wear a mask,” he said, adding that workers at the cemeteries would also put on a mask while on duty.
“We also discourage families from staying too long at the graves,” he added.
Qing Ming is also known as Chinese All Souls Day or Tomb Sweeping Day.
The festival, part of a tradition that has been observed for more than 2,500 years, involves family members gathering to pay respect and homage to their departed loved ones.
It usually falls between April 4 and 6 each year and it is usually observed 10 days before and until 10 days after the actual day.
Malaysia Chinese Cemetery Association deputy president Lee Chun Kong said that visitors should start their tomb sweeping activities earlier without waiting for the actual day on April 4 to avoid the crowds.
He noted that there were already some families who had started visiting their ancestors’ graves at several cemeteries in the Klang Valley yesterday.
“This is a good sign. When more people clean the tombs earlier, there will be less crowd on the actual day,” he said.
Lee, who is also president of the Federation of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Chinese Cemetery Associations, suggested that families visit their ancestors’ graves on the weekends before the peak period of March 29 and April 4 to avoid the crowds that were expected to build up then.
“As 8am to 10am used to be the preferred time frame for visitors to come, they can also do it differently this year by coming earlier or later in the day.
“Most families tend to bring children and the elderly for the tomb sweeping, so we urge them to be vigilant and wear a mask,” he said, adding that workers at the cemeteries would also put on a mask while on duty.
“We also discourage families from staying too long at the graves,” he added.
Qing Ming is also known as Chinese All Souls Day or Tomb Sweeping Day.
The festival, part of a tradition that has been observed for more than 2,500 years, involves family members gathering to pay respect and homage to their departed loved ones.
It usually falls between April 4 and 6 each year and it is usually observed 10 days before and until 10 days after the actual day.
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