The poem Qing Ming was commonly attributed to
Du Mu ( 杜牧 ), a famous Tang poet.
唐诗《清明》- 杜牧
清明时节雨纷纷，
路上行人欲断魂。
借问酒家何处有？
牧童遥指杏花村。
qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn
lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún
jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu
mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūn
Tang Poem – Qing Ming by Du Mu
Heavy raindrops fall like tears on Qing Ming,
Even the people on the street look lifeless.
Where can I find a wine shop to drink?
The shepherd boy points to Xing Hua Village.
(Translated by www.eChinaExpat.com)
A popular poem written on the Qing Ming Festival ( 清明节 ) theme attributed to the great Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu ( 杜牧 ). Qing Ming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, was a traditional Chinese festival whereby families visited their ancestors’ graves to grief and paid respect. Qing Ming fell on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox when the climate was transitioning to a warmer Spring and when sudden rainfall was common.
Over the years, the name Xing Hua Village ( 杏花村 ) mentioned in the poem had came to symbolize a refuge or simply a place that sold good wine. Today, there were over 30 places in China / Hong Kong that were called Xing Hua Village. Even a metro station was named Xing Hua Village in Hong Kong (Pronounced as Heng Fa Chuen in Cantonese). However, later studies had questioned whether Du Mu was the actual author of this poem.
A Hong Kong metro station named
Xing Hua Chun ( 杏花村 ), or Heng Fa Chuen
in Cantonese.
Chinese Vocabulary
清明节, qīng míng, - Qing Ming Festival
杜牧, dùmǔ, – Du Mu, name of a famous Tang Dynasty Poet
杏花村, xìng huā cūn, – Xing Hua Village, name of a village in the poem Qing Ming that are now popularly adopted.
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