Qingming Festival is also known as the "Swing Festival". In ancient times, swinging, as an outdoor activity during the Qingming Dynasty, was favored by the public, especially women.

The play of swings has a long history, and according to legend, it is related to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty praying for "longevity of a thousand autumns". Since the Tang and Song dynasties, swings have gradually spread from the court to the people, and there has even been a combination of swings and diving - "water swings". During the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, swinging became a game for the Qingming Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty novels described women's swings as "similar to flying immortals". The shadows flying on the swing frame and the laughter and laughter frolicking under the rack have to be said to be a beautiful scenery in ancient and modern times. Naturally, this moving scenery has also plucked the heartstrings of the ancients, leading to good stories and good fortunes.

Like a shadow on a shelf, spring can't be permanent, so how about painting it?

"Swing Lady" is a common theme in Ming and Qing paintings. Qiu Ying's "Four Seasons Ladies" and "Qingming Riverside Picture" in the Ming Dynasty are all painted with the scene of a woman swinging in the courtyard, and the swing frame is mostly painted with a red pen, which is very eye-catching. Many courtyard paintings in the old collection of the Qing Dynasty also express this theme. "Yongzheng December Xingle Tu" axis of "March Peach", there is a woman swinging in the upper left courtyard, and a group of women are watching, talking and laughing, so lively. Similar scenes can also be seen in Chen Mei's "Yueman Qing Tour" album and Jiao Bingzhen's "Lady Picture" album. In addition, there was also a Western swing in the Qing Dynasty, which was mostly used to perform during grand events. On the axis of "The Feast of the Garden of Ten Thousand Trees", the two devices on both sides of the picture are Western swings. It resembles a ladder, and there are 8 ladders on each shelf. During the performance, many people climb up the ladder, and under the action of gravity and inertia, they circle high and low, and rotate up and down. The pursuit of height, speed and skill makes swinging not only a light entertainment, but also a competition for the brave.

Painted on silk paper, I can't see enough, so what should I do? Wear yours on you.

The Palace Museum has a Ming Dynasty sprinkle thread embroidered swing lady picture through the skin, embroidered with the method of poking yarn all over the ground to embroider the rhombic pattern, and then embroidered the main pattern with various colors of velvet thread - two swings on each stand a woman in red, each under the frame has a maid to push the swing. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the palace was popular to wear clothes with appropriate patterns, and the corresponding pattern of Qingming was the "swing lady", which should be made by the patch of the scene. Similar to the decorative theme, there are embroidered swings unearthed from the Ming Ding Mausoleum, ladies' knee socks, etc. Turning the solar term custom into clothing patterns and integrating them into life not only adds to the festive atmosphere, but also reflects the cultural pursuit of the ancients to conform to the rhythm and the unity of nature and man.

Today, swings are used as park facilities, art installations, or arenas, bridging the past and the future, flying in the air with people's yearning for beauty.