COMMUNITY, SALEM EVENTS

Salem pauses to honor Chinese ancestors during Qingming ceremony

Holding a single joss stick putting out wisps of incense, they stood before the shrine to Chinese ancestors at Pioneer Cemetery.

Reverently, they bowed and then moved away. They planted a single smoking joss stick into the ground at the shrine.

Next to the shrine, others tossed paper into flames burning in a small fire pit. One man peeled open a pack of fake $100 bills, spilling them into the fire. By the ceremony, the paper represented money to use in the afterlife.

And once again, for the Chinese, ancestors had been provided for – and wishes for their protection made.

The fifth Qingming Festival in Salem took place on a far edge of the south Salem cemetery on Saturday, April 1. An estimated 75 people navigated tombstones to reach the scene.

The Chinese ritual occurs around the globe this time of year.

For the Salem ceremony, those attending endured a steady cold rain as the event got underway.

As if on cue, the rain stopped, the clouds scattered and the sun came out as the ritual itself began.

Mayor Chris Hoy opened with the solemn sweeping of the small concrete shrine for an event also known as Broom Sweeping Day.

After short remarks, Hoy read aloud a city proclamation, citing “thousands of years of history” and how Chinese have been in Salem since its founding.

The crowd listened attentively, shielded by heavy raincoats and a bouquet of umbrellas.

Four speakers representing Chinese organizations addressed the crowd in both English and Cantonese.

Steven Ying with the Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association explained the tradition of Broom Sweeping Day and Chinese history in the U.S.

“I often think about how to pay respects to our ancestors,” Ying said.

He talked about the 50,000 Chinese who came to the country to work on building the continental railroad, earning 50 cents a day for dangerous work. He talked about the 20,000 Chinese who served in the U.S. military during World War II, though thousands had been denied citizenship.

Another speaker talked of the future. Barry Bai, a retired state entomologist, told of coming to the country 38 years ago and to Salem 10 years after that.

 “I encourage you all to be involved to and to be activists,” he said.

He said he hoped China and the U.S. could reconcile their differences.

“Let’s work on commonality,” he said. “Let’s do our part.”

Jason Chen explains Chinese rituals to Mayor Chris Hoy during the Qingming ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Jason Chen and Mayor Chris Hoy pay respects at the Chinese altar during the annual Qingming Festival at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Les Zaitz/ Salem Reporter)
Attendees at the Qingming ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery visit individual plots to pay private respects and leave their offerings on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Placards placed at graves of Chinese provided history notes during the annual Qingming Festival at Salem Pioneer Cemetery on April 1. (Les Zaitz/ Salem Reporter)
A private and singular offering graces the grave of George Huie (1908-1926) during the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Poignant photographs of early Chinese settlers in Salem await visitors in the rain before the start of the Qingming ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
An attendee listens to speakers at the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Barry Bai, a retired state entomologist, speaks at the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Stephen Ying of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association speaks at the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Photo 3. Raymond Lin of the Hoy Yin Association of Portland speaks at the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Mayor Chris Hoy sweeps the altar in a ritual to begin the Qingming ceremony at the Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Attendees listen to speakers at the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Attendees listen to speakers at the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Although the rain was steady, the crowd was stalwart and determined to pay respects at the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Participants fully decorate the altar at the annual Qingming ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Participants in the annual Qingming ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery burn paper money to send wealth to deceased relatives in the afterlife on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Attendees at the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery burn paper money to send wealth to deceased relatives in the afterlife on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Participants burn paper to represent money and light joss sticks during the annual Qingming Festival at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Les Zaitz/ Salem Reporter)
A participant in the Qingming ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery places a lighted incense stick on the altar to honor Chinese ancestors on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Attendees at the annual Qingming ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery burn joss paper fashioned into gold ingots that simulate ancient Chinese currency on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Attendees at the Qingming ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery light bundles of incense to place on gravesites and the Chinese altar on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Traditional offerings are laid out respectfully on the altar at the Qingming ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. The apple has the character for “happiness.” (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Traditional offerings of food, wine, incense, paper money and joss paper are prepared for laying out on the altar at the Qingming ceremony at Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, April 1. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)

RELATED COVERAGE:

Event at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday honors Salem’s Chinese community

Willamette Heritage Center exhibit reveals erased Chinese-American history in Salem

Contact Editor Les Zaitz: [email protected]

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Les Zaitz is editor and CEO of Salem Reporter. He co-founded the news organization in 2018. He has been a journalist in Oregon for nearly 50 years in both daily and community newspapers and digital news services. He is nationally recognized for his commitment to local journalism. He also is editor and publisher of the Malheur Enterprise in Vale, Oregon.