Double Ninth Festival

Landing on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the Double Ninth Festival (or the Chongyang Festival) is an important celebration in Chinese culture...

Its history can be traced back all the way to the Warring States period where people ventures outside and climbed mountains together. Like most celebrations, it also has an ancient legend attached to it. 

During the East Han Dynasty, there was a demon plague in the Ruhe River that brought illness and death amongst the people. To avenge his parents' deaths, Huan Jing decided to learn the art of magic and set out to kill the beast and found an immortal who taught him how to fight. Huan was told that the demon would show up on the ninth day of the ninth month, so to prepare he sent his family up the mountain with a Zhuyu leaf and a glass of chrysanethemum wine. The scent of the leaf and wine made the demon dizzy and this was the moment when Huan slayed the beast and put an end to the plague. 

This is where most of the traditions stemmed from:

Climbing a mountain

Following in the footsteps of Huan's family, people usually climbed mountains or towers in ancient China on the day of the festival. This is why it's also known as the Height Ascending Festival today. Now, family and friends gather to climb the mountains and take in the beautiful views. 

Drinking chyrsanthemum wine

During the Song Dynasty, enjoying the chysanthemum plant became a popular activity for the Double Ninth Festival. Whether that's by drinking chyrsanthemum wine or going outside and appreciating the plants blossoming, it's an important custom for the festival day. It's believed that the flowers can drive evil away and prevent disease.

Chongyang cakes

Chongyang cake is an essential food for the festival (also known as the Flower Cake). Sticking with the number nine theme, the cake traditionally has nine layers and is shaped like a tower, although it's shape varies a lot more now. The Chinese word for "cake" is pronounced the same as the word "high," linking with the tradition of climbing a mountain and representing improvement, growth and luck. 



Wearing the Zhuyu plant

The zhuyu plant, or Cornelian cherries, is thought to ward off evil and disaster. Therefore since the Tang Dynasty when it first became popular, people began to wear the plant around their arm or put them in their hair for protection.



Worshipping your elders

Many people also show respect, love and care for their elders on the festival day. This is because the word "double ninth" in Chinese is pronounced the same as the word that means "forever," symbolic of longevity in life. This is also why you might hear others calling it the Senior Citizens' Festival. On this day, you can see family members taking their elders outside to enjoy the nature and wish them health and happiness. 

Whether you usually take part in the festival or you're interested in learning about different cultures, the Double Ninth Festival is definitely worth celebrating.