Chinese people up and down the country have been following local traditions as they make various different local refreshments and delicacies as part of the Qingming Festival, which lands on Wednesday.

Qingming, literally "clear and bright" in Chinese, is also known as the Tomb Sweeping Day. It has been observed for thousands of years and sees people pay respects to their ancestors, mourn their departed loved ones, and journey for spring outings.

The holiday is also associated with all kinds of local refreshments made with wild herbs, as it is a time when many delicious herbs are mature enough to eat.

In Sanming City of east China's Fujian Province, families venture out to collect sea bilberry leaves to make "wufan," literally meaning 'black rice'. The rice will turn dark after being immersed in sea bilberry leaf juice overnight.

For local people, wufan is synonymous with the taste of spring, and is also way to pay tribute to their ancestors.

Meanwhile, local people in Changshan County of Zhejiang Province prefer aster leaves to make their favorite "dingyangbei," a salty snack made with steamed rice milk and pork.

"It tastes chewy. The pork is delicious and the aster leaves are fresh. It's the best time to eat aster leaves. This is taste of spring," said villager Su Ying.

Down in southwest China's Guizhou Province, the popular herb of Ggnaphalium affine is the choice for marking Qingming Festival. The herb will be added to make a rice-flour pastry called "qingmingba", which is then usually wrapped with Chinese horse chestnut leaves and carries a unique flavor.