FMT:
Make online offerings to ancestors says Taiwan, amid virus fears
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Tomb-sweeping tradition increases the potential for large crowds when govt is encouraging social distancing |
TAIPEI: Taiwan is promoting a “chill-out” approach to next week’s important tomb-sweeping festival, telling people they should stay home as much as possible and make their offerings online, a novel step in its coronavirus-control measures.
The tomb-sweeping, or Qingming, festival is one of the most important dates in the traditional lunar calendar, when people go to cemeteries to make offerings to their ancestors and ensure the graves are properly tended.
It is also a four-day weekend holiday for Taiwan, where many people take religious traditions very seriously. That increases the potential for large crowds at a time when the government is encouraging social distancing.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Lin Ching-chi, the Interior Ministry’s director of civil affairs, said this year they were encouraging “chill-out” tomb sweeping, in which people make their offerings online.
If they must go to the cemetery, Lin said, they should limit or space out their trips.
Standing next to a cartoon image of a person sitting in the lotus position at home with a laptop on a coffee table, Lin said local governments were setting up websites for the virtual offerings.
“If you really want to meet your ancestors, you can do it online,” he said.
If you do have to go out in person, make sure it’s only one or two people, Lin added. “And we hope everyone doesn’t go on the same day.”
Some of the local government websites ask people to input details of the deceased person to track them in the system, and encourage people to write their ancestors a message.
Virtual flowers and candles for ancestors can be offered with a few clicks.
Taiwan has kept it virus numbers low so far in comparison with its neighbours, especially China, not only by the early deployment of its first-rate medical system but also by using an often witty online public health campaign.
Premier Su Tseng-chang has been a notable example of this, using his Facebook page to post humorous messages with serious content about how to prevent the virus, and what the government has been doing.
Taiwan has reported 252 cases so far, and two deaths.
The tomb-sweeping, or Qingming, festival is one of the most important dates in the traditional lunar calendar, when people go to cemeteries to make offerings to their ancestors and ensure the graves are properly tended.
It is also a four-day weekend holiday for Taiwan, where many people take religious traditions very seriously. That increases the potential for large crowds at a time when the government is encouraging social distancing.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Lin Ching-chi, the Interior Ministry’s director of civil affairs, said this year they were encouraging “chill-out” tomb sweeping, in which people make their offerings online.
If they must go to the cemetery, Lin said, they should limit or space out their trips.
Standing next to a cartoon image of a person sitting in the lotus position at home with a laptop on a coffee table, Lin said local governments were setting up websites for the virtual offerings.
“If you really want to meet your ancestors, you can do it online,” he said.
If you do have to go out in person, make sure it’s only one or two people, Lin added. “And we hope everyone doesn’t go on the same day.”
Some of the local government websites ask people to input details of the deceased person to track them in the system, and encourage people to write their ancestors a message.
Virtual flowers and candles for ancestors can be offered with a few clicks.
Taiwan has kept it virus numbers low so far in comparison with its neighbours, especially China, not only by the early deployment of its first-rate medical system but also by using an often witty online public health campaign.
Premier Su Tseng-chang has been a notable example of this, using his Facebook page to post humorous messages with serious content about how to prevent the virus, and what the government has been doing.
Taiwan has reported 252 cases so far, and two deaths.
China (+67) ; South Korea (+104); Hong Kong (+42); Taiwan (+17) : COVID-19 new cases today.
ReplyDeleteAs far as China is concerned, Health officials say "the country continues to receive imported cases of deadly coronavirus - 67 new cases were confirmed, but all of them were imported ", meaning that these 67 were new arrivals into China and no locals were involved. Those coming into China were required to be quarantined in designated premises specially set up by China and they have to pay for their own upkeep and other expenses involved.
DeleteUSA (81,946 Cases); China (81,285 Cases); Italy (80,589 Cases).
Deleteif one read yang jishjisheng tombstone, one would know ccp never disclose true number, just like one who read lim teckghee know malay poverty is more on disparity, thus the reveal stat n definition is always lack objectivity but incline to advocate policy that benefit the power that be.
Deletein a functional democracy with free speech, there t still various media to rebuke any false claim, like how american non stop bombardment of trump, but this wont happen in a authoritarian one party state like us used to be. the weird thing is that most chinese msian seem very clear headed on what umno did, however they took a reverse stance on issue related to ccp, thus i can almost conclude that there r no major diff btw the thought process of malay n chinese.
another case for reference, the chinese never stop chingay parade, similarly indian never stop theirs in penang, but just too bad the infection happenned to the tabligh gathering, is the gap among the 3 r that vast?
if ph govt take a bold step like taiwanese did to stop the mainlander from coming in, we might able to preserve a very low number, but we choose to let them in. the tabligh also have no problem to allow mainlander n korean as long as they r muslim. i wan to say padan muka but the victim is always the commoners, the people, not the stupid frontdoor n low class backdoor politician.
The Catholic church already published guidelines for the Easter celebrations. Small representative congregations. TV and internet recommended.
ReplyDeleteWhy has RTM not been made available to the various religions for online services? It's a no-brainer. Ramadan also coming soon.
Limit to one person per grave lah, and can spend only 10 minutes there, maximum.
ReplyDeleteSensible advice, but too difficult to implement with stubborn Malaysians.
Delete