Visiting graves in spring

Contest Entry Code: 9f3421e4681f4f4d9183e119a35f41bc

Unit: Individual

Place of creation: Nguyen Vu Hau, house number 12, group 8a, zone 2, Nong Trang ward, Phu Tho province, Xã Sủng Máng, Tuyên Quang, Việt Nam

The work recreates a sacred traditional ritual: Spring Tomb Sweeping – a beautiful cultural feature associated with the Vietnamese morality of “remembering one’s roots when drinking water”. In a peaceful countryside setting, children gather at their ancestors’ graves, under the blooming peach and plum blossoms signaling the arrival of spring. They offer incense and clean up the graves, as a way to show their respect and gratitude to the deceased. Tomb Sweeping is not only an act of caring for the ancestors’ resting place, but also an opportunity for generations to gather, connect with each other, and remind each other of their roots. In the clear spring air, the ritual becomes even more meaningful – as an invitation for ancestors to come home to celebrate Tet, to witness the reunion and peace of their descendants.