In addition, others praised the restrictions and suggested other ancestor worship practices like offering fresh flowers and performing virtual tomb sweeps, which they said were more eco-friendly and did not pose a danger of wildfires.
In 2021, Nantong recorded a total of 210 situations related to the trip, including 121 flames, according to an article published by capital officials that year.
Local governments in China have recently banned” superstitious” activities during traditional Chinese holidays like the Qing Ming Festival, the Hungry Ghost Festival, and Chinese New Year. They have also issued bans on” superstitious” activities.
This time, restrictions were also announced for a city in Ezhou in Hubei province, Xunyang in Shaanxi state, and Heyuan in Guangdong province.
Some institutions have prohibited sad song, the burning of joss papers, the development of mourning halls, and the display of corpses in common, in addition to prohibiting the production and sale of ceremony supplies.
Following the ban, Nantong officials urged people to “honor the dying in a humble and non-overt manner, using simple and plain techniques” and follow environmentally friendly techniques.
They argued that” we should consciously resist royal religious practices and advocate for a civilized new culture by integrating the remembrance of the dying with the promotion of excellent family values, shifting the focus from actual tomb-sweeping to moral inheritance.”
The restrictions prompted a protest from the country’s condition- run media, with China National Radio calling the measure” very crude and large- handed”.
” In people’s common understanding, burning joss paper is just one element of mausoleum- sweeping, equivalent to giving flowers as an expression of remembrance. It cannot be regarded as a feudal superstition”, the radio network’s news channel said.
” This kind of management is rigid, impractical, and lacks human touch. It should be treated with caution”.
According to China National Radio, an official from the Nantong Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau claimed the ban was made in the interest of” spiritual civilization construction and environmental protection” and was based on pertinent laws and regulations.
The official claimed that the solemn remembrance and respect for ancestors were unrelated. There is no mention of using or manufacturing, but instead we emphasize the prohibition of manufacturing and selling in terms of market behavior.
This article was first published on , SCMP.