In the Spring and Autumn Period about 2,400 years ago, Qingming Festival activities began to become richer, including hook-drawing, willow shooting, tree planting, etc. At the same time, people gradually formed the dietary custom of eating glutinous rice on Qingming Festival.

The hook is an ancient name. It is actually a tug-of-war sport that began in the Chu State. The State of Chu was a vassal state in the south during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The Chu people were a branch of the Huaxia people who migrated south. They first arose in the Xichuan area where Danshui and Xishui met in the Han River Basin. At its peak, its largest jurisdiction was roughly what it is now. Hubei, all of Hunan, Chongqing, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other places.

The Chu State is located in the north and south of the Yangtze River, with crisscrossed waterways. In addition to the army, it also has a powerful naval force. It also invented a weapon called "Gouji", which was specially used for water warfare. . When the enemy retreated, the sergeant hooked the enemy ship with a hook and pulled it back hard so that it could not escape.

Later Goujiu spread from the military to the people, and was imitated by fishermen in water towns. It became a folk sports and entertainment activity and evolved into a hook-drawing competition.

It is said that during the Spring and Autumn Period, in order to attack the State of Wu, the State of Chu used the sport of hooking to strengthen the people's physique. It is mainly made of a hemp rope, divided into many small ropes at both ends. During the competition, a big flag is used as the boundary. With an order, both sides pull the rope hard, and the drums and drums sound. Both sides cheer and shout, which is very lively.

In ancient times, during tug-of-war, big drums were beaten to boost morale. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty once watched tug-of-war competitions many times. There were as many as a thousand people tug-of-war, and their shouts were loud. All Chinese and foreign audiences were shocked. The rope used for tug-of-war was made of bamboo cable before the Tang Dynasty, while the folk in the Tang Dynasty used hemp. The casuarina is usually more than 150 meters long. Hundreds of small ropes are tied to both ends. They are hung in front, divided into two pairs, and the two hooks are pulled together. A big flag is set up as a boundary. The drums are shaken and the noise is made to pull each other. The one who fails is the loser. , called "Tug of War."

The origin of tug-of-war was originally due to the fighting between the two sides. Later, soldiers in the army also used it as a joke. Not only soldiers do this, but also prime ministers and generals like this kind of sport, and even palace ladies often form teams for tug of war. The tug-of-war game has developed into a popular and unprecedented event for everyone from the royal family to the common people.

Sheliu shooting is an ancient game for practicing archery skills. It is also a stylish and elegant event. Tie a strand of red silk on a slender swaying willow branch, which is the target to be shot. Most of them are young men, riding on horseback and drawing their bows. From a hundred steps away, they shoot the willow branch with a specially-made arrow forked at the front. Before the willow tree falls to the ground, Pegasus goes to catch the willow tree. It is a sport that tests the real skills of riding and shooting.

There are also some literati and students who often hang a gourd with a dove on a willow tree and shoot it with a bow, arrow or slingshot from a hundred steps away. Those who are good at shooting will hit the gourd, and the dove will fly away in fright. The outcome is determined by the height at which the dove flies out.

Around the Qingming Festival, when the spring sun shines and the spring rain falls, the survival rate of planted saplings is very high and they grow quickly. Therefore, since ancient times, our country has had the habit of planting trees during the Qingming Festival. Some people also call Qingming Festival "Arbor Day", and the custom of tree planting has been passed down.

Cold Food Qingming Festival, this traditional Chinese festival, not only has the sentimentality of being careful about the end, but also combines the atmosphere of joy and spring appreciation. In addition to special festival activities, there is also the custom of eating glutinous rice during Qingming Festival in our country.

"Caramel" is what people usually call caramel, which is a must-have food during the ancient Cold Food Festival. Since ancient times, many literati have used poems to vividly describe the grand scene when our ancestors celebrated the Cold Food Festival, such as "There is no cold food overseas, and there is no food when spring comes", "There is no food for cold food in the city far away", "The sound of the flute blows to warm the food and sells food" "Heaven", "Porridge fragrant and white apricot flowers", etc.

From the numerous cold food poems that mention "饧", it is not difficult to see that ancient ancestors must have "饧" as a food when celebrating the Cold Food Festival. If there is no "饧" food in the Cold Food Festival, people think that this festival is not complete.

There is an ancient allusion to the food "饧". It is said that later generations could not find the word "饧" in the "Six Classics", so they questioned the poem "Spring comes but there is no 饧". Someone has conducted research on this issue.

After searching, people found that a food called "Chinese food" was mentioned in "The Songs of Chu" during the Warring States Period, and "Chinese food" is what people call "駧".

According to ancient literature, cold food is cold food. The name "粔籹" in "Chu Song·Zhaohun" is also known as "" ring cake", etc. It is made of glutinous rice flour and flour fried in oil. It can be stored and used as a meal replacement when food is cold and fire is forbidden.

In fact, what the ancients called "駧" specifically refers to sugar made from malt and grain buds. Our country's traditional food, stuffed sugar, is made from barley malt and millet after saccharification.

Guan stuffing candy is a health food used by the ancients during the winter season. It is the main food used as gifts for relatives and friends and as offerings to gods during the Spring Festival to the Cold Food Festival. Tracing back to its origin, Guan stuffing sugar is actually a household food during the ancient Cold Food Festival.

Until later, the northern Shanxi region continued the habit of using glutinous rice flour, which is the primary product of Shanxi’s famous sesame candy. Sesame candy is very sweet and sticky after entering the mouth, so there is a folk proverb in my country: "Twenty-three, eat the glutinous rice cake".

Traditional Chinese medicine in my country also believes that maltose has the effects of replenishing qi, strengthening the spleen and stomach, moistening the lungs and relieving coughs. It can be said to be both medicine and food. It is said that the ancients used cold food to cure diseases such as flying arrows in the eyes. This also shows that "駧" was also used as medicine in ancient times.

During the Qingming Festival, people do not light fires and only eat cold food. The business of caramel stalls in many cities is very prosperous.

There is also a folk custom of eating barley porridge in our country. According to ancient records, cold food "forbids fire for three days and makes barley porridge." In addition, there is also a kind of food called "cold utensils" that is durable in storage, suitable for cold eating, and is crispy and delicious. It can be called a delicacy during the Cold Food Festival.