BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has appealed to the public to adopt optional ways to commemorate the dead as the centuries-old Tomb-Sweeping Festival draws near, such as visiting online memorial halls instead of flocking to cemeteries.

Regarded as one of the most important days on the Chinese calendar, the tomb-sweeping day is marked by people cleaning the tombs of their ancestors and relatives, burning incense and fake money and offering fruit and wine as sacrifices.

But more modern concerns such as traffic congestion, forest fire and overcrowding, mainly in large cities, have prompted the Ministry of Civil Affairs to issue a circular urging local governments to encourage people to hold memorial services in a "civilized manner", preferably in their own homes or over the Internet.

On-line memorial halls for heroes and common people first came to light in the 1990s and they have developed into successful businesses.