"Gui" (pronounced "ghost") originally refers to the ancient utensils for placing food. Its shape is square or round, with wood, bamboo, pottery, copper and so on. Originally, it was a food container or a sacrificial vessel for the nobles at that time. Later, it gradually spread to the people, so Guangdong people have the saying of "nine baskets".

What are the "nine obstacles"? It means a big feast, with nine big baskets full of vegetables and food. Ancient sacrifices often said "two, four, eight", which was only available in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao, and the banquet was customarily called "nine". Adding the word "big" between "Nine" and "Gui" is not only full of words, but also contains extremely rich and grand significance. The ancients said, "At the beginning of sex, there are nine major disputes." "Nine" is the wind, clouds, thunder, rain, sea, fire, sun, earth and sky, which is the most of all things. According to the recent excavation of an ancient tomb in Jinben Town, Sanshui County, Guangdong Province, what Guangdong people call a "basket" is a "big bowl" that can hold five to six kilograms of rice. According to today's food intake, "90 years" can be enjoyed by 100 people. It can be seen that the "Nine Obstacles" do their best to boast about their rich meals and high banquet specifications.

The so-called "nine baskets" means that the banquet is extremely rich, and it is necessary to use nine baskets to place dishes and food. Baskets are ancient utensils for placing food. They are square or round in shape and made of wood, bamboo, pottery and copper. At first, it was an ancient aristocratic food container or sacrificial vessel, and later it gradually spread to the people. In ancient times, people often said that "two years old", "four years old" and "eight years old" were even numbers. Today, this ancient style still exists in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao.

The banquet is called "Nine Almost" because it represents the majority, and a big word is added to indicate that it is extremely rich and grand; Moreover, the "Nine Great", that is, wind, cloud, thunder, rain, sea, fire, water, earth and sky, are the "competing" things at the beginning of creation, the most of all things, and have their unique meanings. According to the cultural relics unearthed from an ancient tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty in Jin Mu Town, Sanshui County, Guangdong Province in recent years, its "bamboo" is a large container that can hold five to six kilograms of rice. If people eat it today, it will be filled with nine bamboos for hundreds of people to enjoy.

Types of "Nine Obstacles"

Before and after the Republic of China, the most common "nine baskets" were as follows:

Wedding banquet: the banquet held on the wedding day, with nine dishes (bowls) per table, is called "wedding banquet";

Warm hall discussion: it is a cup banquet for newlyweds, called "five trees and four wishes", commonly known as "nine baskets of warm hall";

Light-on wine: also known as "light-on banquet", it is a wedding banquet with lights hanging in the second year after giving birth to a child, with nine bowls of dishes per seat, also known as "nine baskets of lights on";

Shouzhuo: It's a birthday party. "Jiujiu" and "Jiujiu" are homophonic, meaning "Jiuchang", and each dish also has nine products, which are called "Nine Longevity Awards".

Improvement and Evolution of "Nine Obstacles"

This kind of traditional customs and habits, Guangdong people have always retained, only changed because of the changes of the times. For example, on 1986 10/8, Queen Elizabeth II visited Guangdong, and the Guangdong provincial government held a banquet at the White Swan Hotel. This banquet is "four dishes, one soup and a little heart", plus rice, dessert and fruit, with nine styles. The four major dishes are Dragon Play with Pearl, Ru Yan Entering the Bamboo Forest, Splendid Grouper and Golden-skinned Suckling Pig in turn, followed by the soup "Phoenix Babetin", followed by the dessert "Moon-reflecting Fairy Rabbit", with fragrant lotus leaf rice for dinner, Lin Wanshou Fruit for dessert, and smooth sailing for fruit at last.

If you meet a friend from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and treat you for "90 years", it shows that the host treats guests sincerely and you are also a person with enough weight.