Double Ninth Day (Chong Yang Festival)
The Double Ninth Day is on tile 9~b day of the 9*h lunar month. "Chong" suggests
double, "Yang" means nine according to The Book of Changes by Confucius. The festival
is based on the theory of Yin and Yang, which am the two opposite principles in natu~.
The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is a day when the two Yang (odd) numbers meet.
Since the Chinese word to express the number nine and the word "longevity" have the
same pronunciation, the ninth day of the ninth month has become a special day for the
elder people to enjoy them~lves or other young people to show their respects for the
elderly. It has been established as the festival for the elder generation of China.
The festiva[ was traced back from the Warring States Period (475ftC--256BC), II
vas originally a day lbr farnlers to celebrate bumper harvests of crops. It became popular
in the Han Dynasty (206 BC--220) and was made the official festival in the Tang
Dynasty (618--907). it was marked by doing the activities such as climbing mountains,
drinking chrysanthemum ~lower wine and enjoying chrysanthemum flowers and so on.
It is a g~d time for sightseeing in the 9" lunar month, for the autumn sky is clear and the
weather is fine, Standing on a height looking afar, a panoramic view of a blue sky with pale
clouds and gl'een mountains make people feel carefree and joyful So people from ancient
times till today, love to go out for sightseeing. When people go climbing to feast their
eyes on the autumn country view in this month, they get some exercise at the same time.
Chrysanthemums originated in China. it was introduced into Japan in the Tang Dynasty. In
the 12" century, they we~ introduced into Britain and the European continent in the 17'~
century. 'lXvo hundred years later, they were introduced to the U, S. A. Chrysanthemum
usually begins to bloom in the 9" lunar month, This month is refe~ed to as "the month of
chrysanthemum" Nowadays, the display of chrysanthemum flowers is often held in ciges of
northern China in this season. For instance, in some parks like Zhong Shah Park and Baijing
Plants Garden in Beijing the display of chI?Csanthemum is held every autumn. Due to the
medical usage of the chrysanthemum, some people in the past picked the flowers and leaves
on the 9" of the 9" tun~ month and brew the mixture of them and grains into the wine. The
wine would be drunk after a whole year. The wine was said to have effects on illness such as
eye disease, headache and stomach trouble, In ancient times, people also had the Double
Ninth cake during the festival, Present people though, seldom drink the chrysanthemum wine
and have Double Ninth cake, but still like to climb mountains to mark the festival.