Sunday is the ancient Chinese festival Qing Ming, or tomb sweeping day. On this day customs call for cleaning ancestral tombs, burning fake money, and setting off fireworks as an offering to loved ones who’ve passed away. More and more people are also turning to environmentally-friendly ways to honor the dead.

CCTV’s Wang Tongxuan reports.

While tradition calls for burning paper offerings of money and luxury objects to ensure a comfortable afterlife in the spirit world, more people view this as a contrivutor to pollution. That’s why local authorities and cemeteries are providing flowers for free.

The low-carbon practice is gaining popularity. At this cemetery in East China’s Jiangsu province, nearly 5,000 flowers have been given out in one day.

“When people come for tomb sweeping with fake money, I will talk with them and give them flowers in exchange,” Volunteer Chen Ning said.

It’s not only fresh flowers. Silk and plastic ones are also offered in tribute.