Chapel Of The Chimes’ Ching Ming Festival In Hayward Commemorates Traditional Chinese Holiday with Lion Dancers

Chapel of the Chimes Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Hayward will celebrate Ching Ming 2015 with a performance by Chinese lion dancers to scare away “bad” spirits, a traditional blessing from Buddhist and Taoist monks and the Wall of Honor. The ancient Chinese grave-sweeping ritual is conducted each spring to honor the memory of deceased loved ones. Chapel of the Chimes will host a Wall of Honor where attendees can place the names of their departed loved ones as part of a longstanding Ching Ming tradition. The memorial park will host more than 1,000 guests from a variety of backgrounds for the two-day Ching Ming festival to witness and participate in time-honored rituals. Participants will also have the chance to win a trip for two to Hong Kong at the event.

The observance of Ching Ming dates back more than 2,500 years and is linked to the Chinese culture of ancestor worship. Each year, celebrants visit ancestral graves where they conduct ceremonial rites and make offerings. Ching Ming traditions remain a significant part of cultural life in modern Chinese communities.