The old saying "three days before and four days after" means that the best time to sweep the tomb is three days before or four days after the Qingming Festival. Another belief is that the day before Qingming is "Hanshi Festival," which is taboo for visiting graves. The best time to visit graves is from three days before to four days after Qingming.
Some places say "three days before and three days after," emphasizing that it's better to visit on odd-numbered days for tomb sweeping.

According to ancient beliefs, the transition from yang to yin occurs at "seven," and "seven" and "eight" might be important cycle numbers in the objective world, hence the custom of not visiting graves.
There is also a saying that "seven before and eight after" refers to the Qingming Festival.
It is commonly said: "Seven before and eight after, the underworld is on holiday." According to ancient beliefs, the time when ghosts are released is usually around Qingming, and the following eight days are considered a period when the underworld is open. Therefore, the most suitable time for worship is from seven days before Qingming to eight days after. If you go beyond this period, the ritual may lose its meaning.

The folk saying "one grave is not burned with two papers" has this explanation: if too many paper money are issued, it will cause inflation. Although the yin and yang worlds are separate, the principle is similar. It is enough to burn as much as needed, and burning too much can be troublesome for those in the underground world. Moreover, if every family burns different types of paper money, it might not be easy to manage, whether in the world of the living or the dead. Therefore, burning too many different types of paper money would naturally be ineffective.

Food offerings
In addition to pastries and fruits, some places also choose to bring cooked food to the ancestor's grave for offering. This cooked food is called "Qingming Soup and Rice." Its meaning is to ensure that ancestors can eat and drink well in heaven, thus blessing their descendants.
Pastries and fruit offerings
In most parts of China, the offerings for tomb sweeping always include pastries and fruits. These pastries and fruits are placed in bowls in front of the grave. The number of these pastries and fruits also has specific requirements. Generally, they are multiples of three, and the number of dishes arranged also has certain rules.
It is strictly forbidden to use even numbers, because even numbers imply that another person will die. Therefore, the number of dishes arranged is usually 1, 3, 7, or 9. After arranging the pastries and fruits, the relatives of the deceased can begin to burn paper money and commemorate their loved ones.

Incense and candles
A necessary item for tomb sweeping is definitely incense. Since the purpose is to worship ancestors, one must purchase incense and candles and offer incense to the ancestors. It is essential to buy high-quality incense and candles, as they should be able to burn completely.
Wine and meat offerings
Wine and meat are also a major type of offering for tomb sweeping and are very common. Eating meat and drinking wine are things many people enjoyed in life. Offering them shows that one has earned a lot of money, making it a good way to honor ancestors. In fact, in many TV dramas, wine and meat are also standard offerings during tomb sweeping.
Items the deceased loved in life
If the deceased had any hobbies in life, these can also be used as offerings. For example, if the deceased liked smoking, one can offer the type of cigarettes he loved. If he liked playing mahjong, one can buy a set of paper mahjong tiles as an offering.

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