Society

460m mourn for deceased during holiday

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-04-05 20:52

BEIJING - An estimated 460 million people mourned the deceased at graveyards or memorial parks during this year's Tomb-sweeping Day holiday from Sunday to Tuesday, roughly the same number as last year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.

The monitored memorial sites received more than 14.75 million people and nearly 1.86 million vehicles during the three-day holiday, up 3 percent and 18 percent from the same period in 2010.

It is a tradition in China to visit family graves during Qingming or Tomb Sweeping Day, which fell on April 5 this year. Memorial activities involve burning "fake" paper versions of money and other possessions.

The Ministry of Public Security last week urged beefed up security measures to ensure a safe Tomb Sweeping Day this year by preventing accidents such as fires and stampedes.