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.

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The number was based on figures from the ministry's 150 key memorial sites and cemeteries, which received a total of nearly 5.11 million people on Tuesday, down 10 percent from the figure last year, the ministry said in a statement Tuesday evening.

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.