China youth visit historical figures’ graves with painkillers, chocolate as creative tribute
‘Ancient idol fanatics’ turn up at tombs with array of items they think reflect life of famous dead person; critics say trend is a stain on history
Young people in China have recently embraced a trend of visiting the graves of historical figures, leaving quirky tributes inspired by their lives, such as wine for poets and painkillers along with chocolates for generals.
This phenomenon has sparked an online debate regarding the potential debasement of history.
Following the Ching Ming Festival, history lovers have been visiting the tombs of ancient Chinese figures, documenting their journeys and sharing them online.
One such enthusiast, who uses the alias Chen Mei, created a chat group where members exchange insights on ancient texts while planning visits to graves. They proudly refer to themselves as “ancient idol fanatics”.
One of the most popular ancient idols is Li Bai, the Tang dynasty (618 – 907) poet, revered as shi xian, or the “Poet Fairy”, for his romantic, free-spirited poetry and love of wine.
His life was filled with legends, the most widely spread being that he drowned while drunkenly trying to grab the moon’s reflection in a river.
Li’s grave is in a remote village in Anhui province, eastern China, and is a key cultural heritage site.