On March 25, 2020, the Beijing Christian Council and Three-Self Patriotic Movement (CC&TSPM) stated that the Xibeiwang Christian Cemetery would be closed to the public since that day. It also encouraged church workers and believers to guard their own safety, and appealed to congregations to pray for their brothers and sisters who had returned to the kingdom of heaven and their late relatives.
At present, although domestic life is gradually becoming more normal, overseas epidemics are still spreading and there is the danger of infections imported from abroad. The importance of prevention and protection against the epidemic cannot be underestimated.
China's traditional Qingming Festival which falls on Saturday is coming. Since ancient times, of all the virtues, filial piety is the most important. Filial piety is foundational to Chinese culture and a virtue of the Chinese nation. Similarly, filial piety is one of the Ten Commandments of the Bible, teaching believers to honor their parents.
During Qingming Festivals in past years, the registered church in Beijing held memorial services at the Xibeiwang Christian Cemetery and Sanhe Zion Park. Believers in Beijing's urban areas also came to remember their ancestors, to witness the good virtue of their predecessors, and to encourage mutual confidence.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
