Jīnnián qīngmíng shíjié yǔ fēnfēn, gāosù shàng dǔ le hǎo jǐ ge xiǎoshí.
This year at Qingming the rain poured down and the highway was jammed for hours.
Tips
history
The opening line of Du Mu's (杜牧) Tang poem 《清明》: 清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。借问酒家何处有？牧童遥指杏花村 — 'At Qingming the rain falls thick and fast; travelers on the road feel their souls break. I ask where I can find a tavern; the herdboy points far off to Apricot Blossom Village.' One of the most-memorized Tang quatrains in China.
usage
Quoted almost reflexively every early April around the Qingming Festival (清明节), especially in news articles about traffic, weather, or tomb-sweeping customs.
