A growing number of young Chinese are marking Tomb-Sweeping Day by paying tribute not only to ancestors, but to historical icons.
From the resting place of poet Li Bai in Anhui Province to the mausoleum of strategist Zhuge Liang in Shaanxi Province, increasing numbers of visitors, many of them Gen-Z and millennials, leave handwritten notes, snacks, flowers and even beer as offerings for Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, which was observed on April 5 this year.
Social media platforms such as RedNote and Douyin are filled with posts showing visits of reverence, often with offerings tailored to the historical figure's known preferences. For example, Li Bai's grave is surrounded by bottles of wines and spirits for the liquor-loving poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), while visitors to Cao Cao's tomb left bottles of medications such as ibuprofen, as the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) general was recorded to have suffered from chronic headaches and tooth pain.
According to the Hunan Daily, the trend reflects a search for meaning in the distant past among young people living in a fast-changing society. Historical figures, admired for their character and achievements, are becoming sources of inspiration and emotional connection.
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