Tens of millions of people in China marked the annual 'Tomb Sweeping Festival ' this weekend by travelling home to their ancestral villages . Families across the country descended on graveyards to clean their tombs of the deceased and honour their loved ones , burning fake paper money and leaving their favourite food and drink to ensure they are not poor or hungry in the afterlife . As part of the Qingming Festival – which means 'pure brightness ' – China celebrates the coming spring and the beauty of nature , says People ’ s Daily Online . A grand and colourful ceremony was held in honour of the 'Yellow Emperor ' Huangdi in Huangling County , Shaanxi Province . Huangdi is considered the ancestor of the Qingming Festival which sees the Chinese mark the start of spring with outdoor celebrations . Lines of dancers take to the stage as part of the celebration , which was watched by thousands of people during the public holiday . Around 1.3 billion Chinese people marked the Qingming Festival , a three-day holiday in China , by watching parades and travelling home . Traditional Chinese dancers wear intricate gowns as they swirl and dance in the sunshine during the celebrations in the city of Huangi . An actor dressed as a soldier takes a break from the celebration to check his phone . In Shaanxi Province , a huge outdoor celebration was held as part of the Qingming Festival and in honour of the 'Yellow Emperor ' Huang Di , considered the founding father of the Chinese nation . A bell was rung from the top of the city 's temple , while the drums were struck 34 times , one for each of China 's provinces including Hong Kong , Macao , and Taiwan . The festival falls in the first week of April every year , and is one of the 24 Chinese solar terms - the date from which temperatures rise , rainfall increases and marks an important time for the land to be prepared for the sowing of seeds . Hundreds of visitors filmed the celebrations on their smart phones , as a colourful inflatable dragon dances in the sky . It is said that the Yellow Emperor Huang Di did not die , but instead ascended into heaven on the back of a dragon - making the creature a Chinese symbol . Participants carry platters of fruit as part of the ceremony in the central China , which had hundreds of dancers and performers . Huangdi , the Yellow Emperor , is a legendary Chinese sovereign in the culture , a powerful symbol of the Qing dynasty that ruled 1644-1912 . A young performer casts a smile on a guard , as she fixed her hair during the Qingming festival celebrations . Dancers make offerings to the water in a service at the Duijang Dam for Qingming - praying for favourable weather for their crops . Opinion on the origins of the festival differ , but it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty which ruled China between 618 and 907 . While millions of Chinese people made the trip to their ancestral villages , opportunistic traders took advantage of some people 's inability to make the visit - advertising 'tomb sweeping packages ' which include weeping , praying and cleaning . Depending on the package , costing between 100 yuan and 1,300 yuan , the buyer receives a commemorative photo of the occasion . A record-breaking 36.5 million passenger trips were made over the weekend and public holiday - up 5.8 per cent on last year and an all-time high . The rise is partially due to the construction of new railways in recent years , particularly high-speed railway , say commentators . A couple pray as they burn paper money during Qingming . The traditional practice is to ensure the dead are comfortable in the afterlife . A puff of smoke floats above the tomb as a woman burns paper money for her ancestor , while cleaning around the grave in Shanghai . More than a billion Chinese people went back to their ancestral villages to visit and tidy the graves of their ancestors for the public holiday . Primary school students in Red Army uniforms clean tombs at a Martyrs ' Cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival in Yecheng , Xinjang . Survivors and victims of the Nanjing Massacre carry flowers and mourn the deceased as part of 'Tomb-Sweeping Day ' in China . The young children stand to attention and pay their respects to the deceased in the Martyrs ' Cemetery in Yecheng .
36.5 million of Chinese enjoy the Qingming Festival - 'Pure Brightness Festival ' - to celebrate the coming spring . Last day of festival sees Chinese families visit their ancestors ' graves to clean , burn paper money and pray . Record number of journeys made by Chinese over the three-day public holiday , which falls in April every year .