Crowds Absent As Families Mark Ching Ming Festival

There've been sparse crowds at many of the Hong Kong's cemeteries on Saturday as people heeded official advice not to gather in large groups for tomb-sweeping on the Ching Ming Festival.

Under new laws people can't pay tribute to their ancestors in groups of more than four, unless they all live together.

Announcements were broadcast at the Cape Collinson Chinese Permanent Cemetery in Chai Wan reminding people to wear masks and not to gather in crowds.

But not everyone who arrived to pay respects to their ancestors were happy with the measures. Cheung, a health worker in her twenties, said she finds the restrictions inconvenient and ineffective.

“Since we are 10 to 12 people we need to separate into three four sessions because of the new law,” said Cheung.

But Michael Tam, a shipping sector worker in his thirties who had come to mark the festival backed the restrictions, saying coming as small groups can reduce the risks of contracting the virus.

He said his family decided to have one member from each branch to come and attend the ceremony.

Still there are seven or eight of us as we are a large family, he said.

Tam said they split into smaller groups and travelled differently to reach the cemetery.

He said they will also remain as small groups when they return and go separate for meals today.

The virus and the rules were least on the mind of woman in her fifties who had come to the cemetery. She said had to do the tomb sweeping because of filial piety.

"Our tomb-sweeping ritual hasn't been affected [by the coronavirus and ban on large gatherings] because of filial piety. We are doing this as we do every year,” she said as arrived accompanied by a couple of her family members.