Young Chinese visitors are reimagining the traditional tomb-sweeping ritual, turning it into a creative act of remembrance by leaving painkillers, premium liquor and handwritten notes at the graves of ancient historical figures.

Experts say the trend reflects Generation Z's emotional engagement with history, expressed through a personalized, fan culture-inspired lens.

Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, fell on Sunday this year. It is a traditional Chinese holiday when families visit ancestral graves to clean the sites and make offerings such as food, incense and paper money.

This year, some young travelers extended the practice to the tombs of well-known historical figures, adding unconventional tributes.

At the tomb of Cao Cao, a warlord from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), visitors left large quantities of painkillers, including boxes of ibuprofen in various forms. Historical records describe Cao as suffering from severe headaches, and some modern archaeologists have suggested he may have had dental disease causing neural pain.

"We don't clean them away randomly — we just arrange them neatly," a staff member at the Cao Cao's Mausoleum Site Museum in Anyang, Henan province, told media on Sunday.

Shi Anbin, a communications scholar at Tsinghua University, said the phenomenon highlights young people's enthusiasm for Chinese history and culture.

"They are using a fan club mentality — treating historical figures like modern celebrities — to explore details of the past," Shi told China Daily. "This is a more personalized way of expressing affection for ancient figures, quite different from how previous generations engaged with history."

While entertainment plays a role, Shi said individuality is the main driver. "Gen Z — people born roughly between the mid-1990s and early 2010s — want unique forms of expression," he said, adding that cultural and tourism authorities could build on the trend through related products and marketing.

The practice is not limited to Cao Cao's tomb. At the tomb of Li Bai, a Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet known for his love of alcohol, visitors left bottles of Maotai, along with craft beers and imported spirits.

Other historical figures received similarly unconventional offerings. At the tomb of Zhang Juzheng, a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) reformer, visitors left hemorrhoid cream following unofficial accounts about his death. At the tomb of Huo Qubing, a Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) general who died at 23, visitors placed potato chips and spicy snacks, reflecting his young age.

Yang Jinsong, a researcher at the China Tourism Academy, said the trend reflects a desire for "emotional value", or personal fulfillment, as well as a preference for self-directed travel focused on individual experience rather than tradition.

"People want to project their own feelings onto ancient figures and establish a modern connection with them," he said.

Yang also raised concerns about the growing volume of offerings, citing potential safety risks and environmental impact. He suggested museums develop alternative experiences, such as role-playing activities, live-action mystery games based on historical events, or themed food linked to historical figures.

"If we provide better, more engaging products, visitors may not feel the need to leave physical items," he said.

Both experts said the trend presents opportunities if properly guided. "This is a communication phenomenon in the digital age," Shi said. "With proper guidance, it can bring history to life in a fun and engaging way."