The Double Ninth Festival

By staff reporter DANG XIAOFEI

THE Double Ninth Festival is an important traditional festival in China， which falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. This year， it falls on October 7. Chinese people in ancient times had the custom of climbing a height to enjoy distant views， carrying a spray of cornel and appreciating chrysanthemums on this day. Therefore， the Double Ninth Festival is also called the Mountain Climbing Festival， the Cornel Festival， or the Chrysanthemum Festival. Its origin dates back more than 2，000 years.

Origin

The origin of the Double Ninth Festival can be traced back to ancient times. In September， when crops were harvested， the people of those times held activities to worship ancestors and the Heaven， the supreme ruler in Chinese mythology， in order to express their gratitude to the Heaven and their ancestors for their benevolence. This was the original form of the Double Ninth Festival as a harvest festival in autumn.

In the Warring States Period （475-221 BC）， the Double Ninth Festival had received attention， but few activities were held in the royal palace. Documents in the Han Dynasty （206 BC-AD 220） also recorded the ancient custom of praying for longevity on the Double Ninth Festival. By the Wei and Jin Dynasties（220-420）， the festive atmosphere became more pronounced， with the custom of appreciating chrysanthemums and drinking wine established. The festival was also celebrated by the literati and poets.

In the Tang Dynasty （618-907）， the Double Ninth Festival was designated as a formal festival. From then on， the court and the people had celebrated it with various activities. By the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）， on the Double Ninth Festival， royalty in the imperial palace would eat cakes to celebrate， and the emperor himself would climb the Longevity Hill. This custom was passed down to the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911）.

In folklore， “nine” and “l(fā)ong” are homonyms， and nine is the largest singular number， so it means long life， health， and longevity. In 1989， China designated the Double Ninth Festival as the Seniors Day. In 2006， the State Council designated the Double Ninth Festival as Chinas intangible cultural heritage.

Legend

Legend has it that in the Eastern Han Dynasty （25-220）， a Plague Devil roamed about along the Ruhe River， originating in central Chinas Henan Province. As soon as it appeared， all families fell ill without exception and people died every day. The general public residing in this region were ravaged by the Plague Devil.