Tag: spring

Chinese paintings portray Qingming Festival


Around Qingming Festival, by Jin Daxue, created in 2007 (L).
It Drizzles Endlessly at Qingming Festival, by Wang Mingming [Photo/Artron.net]

China’s fifth solar term, Clear and Bright, will begin on April 4, which coincides with a traditional Chinese festival, Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day.

The festival also marks a change in the weather, as temperatures begin to rise nationwide and rainfall increases, making it a crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring.

During the same time, Chinese will worship their ancestors, wear willow branches, take spring outings, fly kites and eat cold food, among other activities, during the festival. Qingming Festival dates back to the Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-256 BC) and many painters have left us a number of notable works portraying the traditional event.

Let’s take a look.

Beijing film festival drops poster for its main promotional film

Poster for film
As Spring Comes Along by Gu Xiaogang [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 14th Beijing International Film Festival, which will be held from April 18-26, released a teaser poster on Saturday for its main promotional film As Spring Comes Along by Chinese director Gu Xiaogang.

The poster for the upcoming film features the Summer Palace with lush spring scenery, embodying the beauty of traditional Chinese architecture and striking the viewer as a half rolled-up Chinese scroll painting, holding more for the eye.

Born in 1988, Gu is known for his first feature Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (2019) and its follow-up film Dwelling by the West Lake (2023).

Gu received the 2023 Kurosawa Akira Award, which honors the renowned Japanese auteur’s legacy and ongoing influence. This award is presented to filmmakers who have made waves in cinema and are expected to help guide the industry’s future, according to the Tokyo International Film Festival.