Taipei, April 6 -- Cultural festivals are increasingly being used as tools for political messaging, something highlighted clearly in a recent report by the Taipei Times. According to the Taipei Times, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has "hijacked" the Tomb-Sweeping Festival, also known as the Qingming festival, by turning it into a political united front event.

The Taipei Times reported that China's United Front Work Department organised a large public ceremony in Shaanxi Province to honour the Yellow Emperor, inviting former KMT acting chairperson Lin Jung-tzer to present a flower basket.

The Taipei Times noted that while the Yellow Emperor is a legendary figure said to be the first ancest...