The NIA Kaohsiung Service Center (移民署南區事務大隊高雄市第一服務站) organized an activity to help new immigrants understand family education and laws ( 新住民家庭教育暨法令宣導). The event aims to help new immigrants assimilate into Taiwan culture.
By making hand-made exotic spring rolls, the activity invites new immigrants to learn about different Qingming customs and food cultures across Asia.
According to statistics from the National Immigration Agency (NIA), the new immigrant population has reached over 64,000 people in Kaohsiung City. Therefore, the Kaohsiung Service Center held an activity, wishing to help new immigrants learn about Qingming customs in Taiwan.
According to China HIGHLIGHTS, in Taiwan, people commemorate and show respect to their ancestors by visiting their graves, offering food, tea, or wine, burning incense, burning or offering joss paper (representing money), etc. They sweep the tombs, remove weeds, and add fresh soil to the graves. They might stick willow branches, flowers, or plastic plants on the tomb.
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And during the activity, many people shared their traditional Qingming customs in their county. Fen is a New immigrant from Vietnam. She shared how the Vietnamese celebrate the Qingming Festival. She said that, aside from visiting ancestors, the whole family eats tangyuan (rice dumpling) together as a symbol of reunion.
As for the Philippines, All Saints' Day is a custom similar to the Qingming Festival. All Saints' Day is locally Known as Undas. On this day (Nov. 1 and 2), people will go to cemeteries to offer prayers and flowers to relatives and friends who passed away. According to XINHUANET, families set up tents and stay all day and night at the graves of their loved ones, picnicking with favorite Filipino foods such as chicken and pork adobo, rice, junk food, and soft drinks as if the dead are still among them.
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