Official Website  News, Reviews Current Events Celebrating The Double Yang Festival in Qingdao
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Celebrating The Double Yang Festival in Qingdao |
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Monday, 30 October 2006 |
 The Double Ninth Festival (Chóngjiǔ, also Chóngyángjié or Chung Yeung Festival in Hong Kong) occurs on the ninth day of the ninth month. It occurs on October 30, 2006 in 2006. According to the Yin Yang Theory nine represents greater yang. So the ninth day of the ninth month represents greater yang and always viewed auspiciously. The Double Yang Festival is well recorded festival in Chinese History and Literature. Many writers such as Tang Dynasty Wang Wei, Du Fu, and Du Mu all have mentioned the Double Yang Festival.
In the earliest recordings the Chinese would climb mountains and where different herbs in the hair such as dogwood and crysanthemum. These practices became custom as people put flowers in their hair and aired out their houses with these and other herbs to ward off evils and prevent illness. It was said in A Record of Folklore that ancient people often broke off dogwood and stuck it into their hair to evade and prevent evil, foul order and early cold.”
In the Eastern Jin Dynasty it was recorded in the Sketch Book of the Western Capital by GeHong that the Emperor Liu Che always wore dogwood, ate rice cakes and drank crysanthemum wine on the ninth day of the ninth month. This was one of the earliest recordings of the tradition. Soon after more and more people began to practice the tradition.
The double ninth day soon became time to appreciate dogwood and crysanthemum. These herbs were hung in households, people also put these herbs in small bags and wore it around them, wore them in their hair and even made wine out of the crysanthemum. Usually people would have to climb up mountains to find these herbs. It was one of the reasons that mountaineering became such a large scale activity during the Double Yang Festival
Eventually it became tradition to climb mountains before winter came since it does such good for the health. Modern people in China as well as ancient times attached great importance to climbing hills and mountains during this festival. On their way up eating rice cackes (sold or made by hand) drinking Crysanthemum Wine. Families and friends will climb to the top of hills and mountains. At times go reunite their families and even visting their deceased (since many cemetaries are in the mountains)
In contemporary times it is still an occasion for hiking and chrysanthemum appreciation. Stores sell rice cakes called Gao (Character for Tall) inserted with mini colorful flags to represent zhuyu. Most people drink chrysanthumum tea, a few strict traditionalists drink homemade chrysanthemum wine. Children in school learn poems about chrysanthemum, and many localities host a chrysanthmum exhibit. Mountain climbing races are also popular; winners get to wear a wreath made of Dogwood.
The Double Yang Festival is also known for the Elders Festival. Where people remember and pay tribute to their elders. It is well known for government leaders to visit old people and pay special tribute to the oldest (many in their hundreds)
The Double Yang Festival is time to pay respect to your deceased, elders and reunite the family to preserve health and future prosperity. This is an often-quoted poem about the holiday by Wang Wei in the Tang Dynasty:
Double Ninth, Missing My Shandong Brothers "As a lonely stranger in the strange land, Every holiday the homesickness amplifies. Knowing that my brothers have reached the peak, All but one is present at the planting of zhuyu." Qingdao is a great place to celbrate this festival. There are plenty of mountains and hills. For sure the Tea Houses are filled with people drinking crysanthemum tea and plum wine. Enjoy Double Yang Festival!
Original Text Submitted by M. Scirocco
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