As the Qingming Festival approaches on April 5, 2026, communities across the Chinese mainland are reviving ancestral culinary traditions. In Tongren, Guizhou province, families are preparing shefan – a vibrant rice dish symbolizing renewal and connection to heritage.
This seasonal specialty combines glutinous rice with freshly foraged mugwort leaves, wild garlic, and locally cured pork. The dish's emerald-green hue comes from painstakingly processed mugwort, while additions like dried tofu and roasted peanuts provide contrasting textures.
"Preparing shefan together has become our family's Qingming ritual," says Chen Li, a third-generation resident of Tongren. "The aroma of steaming mugwort rice takes us back to childhood springs."
Food anthropologists note the dish's nutritional balance reflects traditional wisdom, combining winter preserves with spring's first greens. As health-conscious dining gains momentum globally, shefan's natural ingredients and low-fat profile are attracting international culinary attention.
With Guizhou's tourism sector promoting cultural experiences, visitors to Tongren this week can participate in shefan-making workshops ahead of the festival. Local chefs emphasize the dish's role in Qingming's tomb-sweeping ceremonies, where families share meals at ancestral gravesites.
