A spring outing after tomb sweeping

Apple he is preparing the food and snacks she and her family will take out for the coming weekend Qingming outing, when tombs are swept, food offerings left for the deceased and cold food eaten by relatives.

"While the festival is mainly about worshipping the ancestors, it's also the best time for taqing (spring outing)," says the 30-year-old Shanghai woman. Chinese people generally don't visit graves, except for one day on Qingming Festival, an obligation.

Still, this is the season for outings and picnics in cheerier places.

As the weather warms, it's the season to enjoy flowers and trees in blossom around the city.

He says that after visiting her grandparents' tomb in suburban Jiading District, her family will visit the countryside.

"Sorrow is no longer the tone for Qingming," she says. "After all, it also symbolizes spring and hope."

Before Qingming Festival became a three-day national holiday in 2008, it used to be all about visiting the graves with sacrifices such as paper money, qingtuan (green sticky rice dumpling stuffed with sweet red beans), yellow wine and cold dishes.

But today more and more Chinese take the three-day holiday for fun as well.

"Since my grandmother passed away six years ago, I start tomb-sweeping every year with my parents and instead of being sad we start appreciating the scenery," says 26-year-old Qiu Jiehao.

The holiday offers people another way to cherish relatives' memories.

"Now when I see beautiful blossoms along the road, I tell myself that's grandma saying hello to us," Qiu adds.

Tourism officials say Qingming Festival is giving a big boost to revenue.

"Appreciating flowers is the top thing for this Qingming Festival," says Shen Li, from the Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center, adding that 123 routes will be launched for taqing.

Cherry blossoms in Wuxi and rapeseeds flower in Tongli canal town in Jiangsu Province and tulips at the Shanghai Flower Harbor are popular destinations.

For those staying in town, there are Baoshan Cherry Blossom Festival, Jinshan Flower Festival, Fengxian Rapeseed Flower Festival and Pudong Peach Festival.

Here are a few recommended sites.

Datuan Peach Garden

The garden in Datuan Town in Pudong's Nanhui area has more than 500 acres of more than 20 varieties of peaches.

About an hour's drive from downtown, Datuan is the traditional site for the opening ceremony of the annual Shanghai Peach Blossom Festival running from April 1 to 25.

This year there will also be folk culture shows, stilt walking, plenty of snacks and cosplay.

Address: 888 Zhaoqiao Village, Datuan Town, Pudong

Nanhui Peach Blossom Village

After seven years of development, Nanhui Peach Blossom Village is a destination for leisure, entertainment and dining.

It has more than 500 acres of peaches. Visitors can enjoy fishing, barbecue, local folk culture shows and large-scale song and dance.

Address: 289 Huinan Town, Nanhui, Pudong

Xinchang Peach Blossom Garden

The garden is famous for its 30-minute "Xinchang Image" performance, which includes dancing, skits and Pudong er ren zhuan, a genre of local folk singing and dancing.

It offers Taiwan folk music concerts, and demonstrations of traditional arts such as paper-cutting and dough sculpture.

Address: Guoyuan Village, Xinchang Town, Nanhui, Pudong

Chenshan Botanical Garden

The botanical garden contains 12,000 square meters under glass, one of the biggest greenhouses in Asia, which covers more than 3,000 species including rare and protected flowers and plants. The area was originally a quarry and was converted to a fanciful garden with mountains, waterfalls and seasonal scenery.

Address: 3888 Chenhua Rd, Songjiang District

Haiwan National Forest Park