The Cold Food Festival is one of the traditional festivals in China and is usually held one to two days before the Qingming Festival. The history of this festival dates back to the Spring and Autumn period and was established in honor of Jie Zi Tui. Jie Zitui was a virtuous minister of the Jin State during the Spring and Autumn Period, who followed the Duke of Jin Wen into exile and made great contributions to the governance of the country after the return of the Duke of Jin Wen. However, Jie Zitui was later envied and framed by the ministers, and was forced to retire and was eventually burned to death in the mountains. In order to commemorate him, Duke Wen of Jin ordered that fireworks be banned at this time of year and only cold food should be eaten, hence the name Cold Food Festival.
In addition to China, the Cold Food Festival is celebrated similarly in countries such as South Korea, North Korea, and Vietnam. All of these countries have historically been influenced by Chinese culture, so there are many similarities in how the Cold Food Festival is celebrated and what it means to be culturally significant. In South Korea and North Korea, the Cold Food Festival is also called the "Qingming Festival", on which people will sweep tombs, worship ancestors, eat cold food, etc. In Vietnam, the Cold Food Festival is regarded as an important festival in which people perform activities such as tomb sweeping, ancestor worship, and eat a traditional delicacy called "five-colored rice".
In general, the Cold Food Festival is a festival with profound cultural connotation and historical origin, which is widely celebrated and inherited in China and neighboring countries and regions. By understanding and participating in the celebration of the Cold Food Festival, you can better understand the traditional culture and history of China, and at the same time, you can better understand the importance and influence of this festival in China and neighboring countries and regions.