What does outing mean and when is the best time to go outing

Outing actually means outing in spring or looking for spring. In layman's terms, it means going on an outing in spring. In ancient times, Qingming Festival was also called the Outing Festival. Of course, the date of the Outing Festival is different in each place. Some places are in the first month of the lunar calendar, and others are in February or March.

Outing, also known as exploring spring or searching for spring, refers to sightseeing in the countryside in spring. The custom of outing in spring has a long history in China. Li Nao once recorded in "Qin Zhong Sui Shi Ji": "On Shangsi (the third day of the third lunar month), a banquet was given in Qujiang, and the people of the city drank at the head of the river and trampled on the green grass, which was called "Taking Green Shoes". "Du Fu also recorded the scene of the royal family's grand spring outing in his poem, "The weather is new on March 3rd, and there are many beauties by the water in Chang'an." Beijing folk customs have always been to go outings. Whenever the grass is green and the water is clear, people take off their long cloth shirts, walk out of the courtyards, and go to the countryside and mountains in groups of three or five to enjoy the scenery and relax. The boredom of the winter will disappear in an instant.

The genre painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival by the Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan vividly depicts the lively scene during the Qingming Festival centered on the Bian River outside Bianjing. In this scroll, there are more than 550 people, more than 50 livestock, more than 20 boats, and more than 20 carriages and sedan chairs.

The grand occasion of outing on Qingming Festival can be seen from this.

Du Fu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, once recorded the grand scene of the royal family's spring outing, "On the third day of March, the sky and the earth are new, and there are many beautiful women by the water in Chang'an." Over the past thousands of years, outing has gradually become a ritual. "If you don't have fun in spring, you'd be a fool." Bai Juyi's poem "Spring Outing" is a portrayal of this state of mind.

The Qingming Festival when spring is warm and flowers are blooming. During this season, they travel in groups to pay tribute to their ancestors and feel the breath of spring. Swinging, flying kites, tug-of-war, cockfighting, willow-picking, grass-fighting, playing ball, etc. in the countryside, my mood is so set free that I don't want to turn back, and happiness gradually overflows from my face to my heart.

Swinging. In ancient times, there was a custom of swinging on the Qingming Festival. In ancient Chinese characters for "swing", both characters have the character "革" on the side, and the character "千" also has the character "道" on the side, which means moving by pulling the leather rope. As early as in ancient times, people created the activity of swinging while climbing in order to obtain food from high places. It was first called "Qianqiu". Legend has it that it was created by the Shanrong people in the north during the Spring and Autumn Period. It starts with just a rope and you swing by grabbing the rope with both hands. Later, Duke Huan of Qi went north to conquer the Shanrong tribe and brought "Qianqiu" into the Central Plains. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the palace used "Qianqiu" as a birthday greeting, which meant "long life and eternal life". Later, in order to avoid taboo, the word "Qianqiu" was reversed to "Qiuqian". Later it gradually evolved into a swing with two ropes and pedals. During the Tang and Song dynasties, swinging became a game played exclusively by women to practice agility and strength. When playing on a swing, people swing back and forth in the air, looking like they are flying, which is very interesting. The "Remaining Stories of the Kaiyuan and Tianbao Periods" records: "During the Cold Food Festival, the palace would compete to erect swings, which the concubines would laugh at and entertain. The emperor called it a play of the half-immortals."