The Chongyang Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar every year. "Nine" number in the "I Ching" for the number of yang, "nine" two yang number of heavy, so it is called "Chongyang"; because the sun and the moon are nine, so it is also known as "Chongjiu The sun and the moon coincide with nine, so it is also called "Chongjiu". Nine nine to the true, the beginning of a yuan, the ancients believed that the nine suns are auspicious days. Ancient folk in the Chung Yeung Festival have climbed high to pray for blessings, autumn tour to enjoy chrysanthemums, wear dogwood, worship God and ancestor and drink feasts to pray for longevity and other customs. Nowadays, it has added the connotation of respecting the elderly, enjoying feasts and honoring the elderly on the day of Chung Yeung. The two important themes of the Chrysanthemum Festival today are the appreciation of the autumn and the thanksgiving and respect for the elderly.

Chiyang Festival folk activities:

Customs of the Chiyang Festival

The Chiyang Festival, in the course of its history, has incorporated a number of folk events and cultural connotations, making it a traditional Chinese festival that combines a variety of folklore into a single event. Celebrating the Chrysanthemum Festival generally includes activities such as traveling to enjoy the scenery, climbing to a high altitude, viewing chrysanthemums, picking Chinese herbs, inserting dogwoods, having a feast for the elderly, eating Chrysanthemum cakes, making medicinal wine, drinking chrysanthemum wine, and so on. Chung Yeung is a time when "clear air rises and turbid air sinks", and the higher the terrain, the more the air gathers, so "climbing high to enjoy the clear air of Chung Yeung" has become a folkloric phenomenon. Autumn and September, high and refreshing, this season can be achieved by climbing high and looking far away from the heart, fitness to dispel the disease of the purpose. Every nine days this day, all over the organization of the elderly mountaineering autumn tour, exchange of feelings, exercise activities. Many families of the younger generation will also help the elderly elders to the countryside activities. Chongyang Festival has a lot of folk activities and rich cultural connotations. [18]? [32-33]?

Sunshine Autumn

Advance to enjoy the autumn - style Huangling (8)

The Chongyang Festival is the best time to enjoy the autumn, southern China, there are still some mountainous villages retained "sunshine Autumn" features. Going to the countryside to enjoy folklore and see the sunshine autumn has become a fashion of rural tourism. "Sunshine autumn" is a typical agricultural phenomenon, with strong regional characteristics. In Hunan, Guangxi, Anhui, Jiangxi and other villagers living in mountainous areas, due to the complex terrain, the village flat land is very little, had to use the front and back of the house and their own windowsill roof racks sun, hanging sunshine crops, over time has evolved into a traditional agricultural phenomenon. This villagers drying crops of the special lifestyle and scene, gradually became a painter, photographer chasing the creation of the material, and shaped the poetic "sunshine autumn" name.? [13]? [16]? [28]?

Flying paper kites

Flying paper kites is one of the main customs of the Chung Yeung Festival in the south. The folk festival of Chongyang is mainly characterized by flying paper kites (kites). It is also described in the Guangxu Huizhou Prefectural Record.? [20]? In the folk tradition, the Chongyang Festival is also characterized by flying paper kites in addition to ascending the heights.? [34]? As to why people want to fly paper kites (kites) at Chung Yeung, in addition to the Chung Yeung sky high clouds, light wind and sunshine, paper kites can easily ride the wind up the climatic reasons, there are also some between the witch and yarrow say, in the unscriptural is quite interesting. Legend has it that when the sun is released paper kite is to "put bad luck", paper kite flying higher and farther away, the bad luck also fly far away, and even more, but also special will break the line, so that the kite disappeared in the clouds outside the sky. Another kind of explanation is that the Chung Yeung release paper kite is "put auspicious", "put fortune", the paper kite fly the better, the more intense the fortune, the paper kite not only can't break the line, but also do everything possible to protect it, because if the line breaks, the If the silk thread is broken, the "good luck" and "good fortune" will also float away.


[35]?

Ascending heights

Ascending heights on Chongyang

The custom of ascending heights on Chongyang Festival has a long history. Ancient folk custom in the Chongyang Festival, so the Chongyang Festival is also known as "Denggao Festival". Chrysanthemum climbing custom from this time the climate characteristics and the ancient worship of mountains. Climbing to "quit the green" is also from the nature of the festival, Chung Yeung Festival climbing "quit the green" and the ancients in the spring of March spring tour "trekking" corresponds to. According to the literature, the custom of "climbing the mountain to pray for blessings" was popular in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. There is no uniform regulation on the location of climbing high, and the place to climb high is roughly divided into climbing high mountains, climbing high buildings, or climbing high platforms. The origin of the custom of the high roughly four: one is from the ancient worship of the mountains; the second is from the "clear gas up, turbid gas sinking" climate; the third is from the high "resignation of the Qing"; the fourth is from the attachment of a ridiculous legend "Huanjing climbed the mountain to avoid disaster". [1]? [13]? [16]? [36]?

In ancient times, ancient people worshiped mountains and formed the custom of "climbing mountains to pray for blessings". Western Han Dai Sheng "Rituals - Sacrifice Law": "mountains, forests, valleys and hills, can be out of the clouds, for the wind and rain, see monsters, are said to be God." Documentary records of the ancients on the mountain both reverence and full of worship, "mountaineering blessing" custom as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period has become popular. [1]? In the Western Han Dynasty, "Chang'an Zhi" in the capital of the Han Dynasty on September 9 when people play to view the record.

According to the laws of heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, the day of the Chung Yeung is "clear gas up, turbid gas sinking" climate, the higher the terrain of the gas is gathered, so "Chung Yeung ascent to enjoy the clear gas" has become an important folklore folk tend to the... [13]?



[13]?

The saying of "resigning from the green" originated from the nature of the festival. Chrysanthemum for the autumn festival, the weather after the festival is getting cooler, grass and trees began to wither, Chrysanthemum Festival mountaineering "resignation of the green" and the ancients in the spring of March spring tour "trekking" corresponds to the... [1]?




[1]?

The background of the myth and legend of the Chung Yeung Festival is that in the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a magician named Huan Jing in Ru Nan (southwest of Shang Cai, Henan Province) who believed that the plague would come on this day, and that people had to leave their homes and go to as high a place as possible in order to be safe. The absurd story of Huan Jing ascending to high places on the ninth day of the ninth month to avoid the plague can be found in the mythological novel Continuing Qi Harmonious Records (续齐谐记), written by Wu Jun of the Liang Dynasty in the South? [1]? [14]?

Eating Chrysanthemum Cake

Eating Chrysanthemum Cake

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According to historical records, Chrysanthemum Cake is also known as Flower Cake, Chrysanthemum Cake, and Five-Color Cake, which is made in an undetermined way and is more casual. September 9 when the sky is bright, to piece of cake on the forehead of the children, the mouth read the words, wishing the children all things high, is the ancient people in September for the cake's original intention. The delicate Chongyang cake to be made into nine layers, like a pagoda, above also made two small sheep, in line with the meaning of Chongyang (sheep). Some also inserted a small red paper flag (instead of cornelian cherry), and light candles on the cake. This is probably the meaning of "light", "eat cake" instead of "ascend". Nowadays, there is still no fixed variety of Chung Yeung cakes, and the fluffy cakes eaten at Chung Yeung festivals in various places are called Chung Yeung cakes.



[28]?

Sacrificing the God of the Sea

The Chung Yeung Festival is a major autumn festival, and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan attach particular importance to the activities of sacrificing to the God of the Sea on this day.? [18]?

Ancestor Worship

The Chongyang Festival is one of the four traditional Chinese festivals for ancestor worship, and ancient folk have a tradition of ancestor worship and praying for blessings. The traditional custom of ancestor worship is still prevalent in the Lingnan area, where people hold ancestor worship activities on the Chrysanthemum Festival every year. Whether it is ancestor worship activities or ascending to a high altitude to look into the distance, its most fundamental role is to enhance people's sense of cultural identity and strengthen the cohesion of the family and society.? [7]? [13]? [37]?

Appreciating Chrysanthemums

Appreciating Chrysanthemums

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The Day of the Chrysanthemums has always had the custom of appreciating chrysanthemums, and that is why it is also known as the Festival of the Chrysanthemums in ancient times. The custom of chrysanthemum appreciation originates from chrysanthemum culture. Chrysanthemum is a natural flower, and because of its colorful and frosty blossoms, chrysanthemum culture has been formed to appreciate chrysanthemum and praise chrysanthemum. Since the Three Kingdoms, Wei and Jin Dynasties, it has become fashionable to gather and drink wine at the Chrysanthemum Festival, and to enjoy chrysanthemums and write poems. In ancient Chinese custom, chrysanthemum symbolizes longevity. Chrysanthemum is the flower of longevity, and it is also praised by the literati as a symbol of unyieldingness in the face of frost. [13]? [38]?

Resignation of the Qing Dynasty

Ancient Chinese long Chongyang and Shangsi (or Qingming) as the corresponding Spring and Autumn festivals. If the last six is the people after a long winter out of the room to swim festival, then Chongyang is about in the autumn cold to the new, people are about to live in seclusion of the ritual significance of the autumn tour, so the folk have the Qingming Festival, "trekking", Chongyang Festival, "resignation of the Qing Dynasty" custom.




[6]?

Praying for longevity

The custom of praying for longevity at the Chung Yeung Festival was first documented in the literature of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty's "Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital" recorded: "On September 9, wearing cornelian cherry, eating pong bait, drinking chrysanthemum wine, the cloud makes people live longer." The Jing Chu chronicle of the year: "September 9, the four people and the wild drinking feast." Sui Du Gongzhan note cloud: "September 9 banquet, unknown from what generation, but since the station to Song has not changed." The addition of praying for longevity and drinking feasts on top of sacrificing to heaven and ancestors formed the basis of the Chongyang Festival. The large-scale drinking and banqueting activities during the Chung Yeung Festival were actually developed from the pre-Qin ritual banquets for celebrating the harvest. To this day, the custom of honoring the elderly and praying for longevity is still popular in some places. [1]? [4]? [26]?

Drinking Chrysanthemum Wine

Chrysanthemum Appreciation, Drinking Wine and Playing Games on the Day of Chrysanthemum Festival

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Drinking Chrysanthemum Wine: Chrysanthemum has become a symbol of vitality due to its unique character. Chrysanthemum contains nutritious ingredients, and Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty wrote in his "Hug Park Zi" that people in the mountains of Nanyang gained longevity by drinking sweet valley water with chrysanthemums growing all over it. Drinking chrysanthemum wine during the Chung Yeung Festival is a traditional Chinese custom. In ancient times, chrysanthemum wine was regarded as the "lucky wine" that must be drunk on the Chung Yeung Festival to get rid of disasters and pray for good fortune. Chrysanthemum wine is a medicinal wine with a slightly bitter taste, which can make people clear their eyes and wake up their brains, and has the auspicious meaning of dispelling disasters and praying for good fortune. [39-42]?

Chrysanthemum wine has been seen in the Han Dynasty. Later, there were still stories of chrysanthemum gift to wish longevity and chrysanthemum brewing, for example, Cao Pi, the Emperor of Wei Dynasty, gave chrysanthemum to Zhong Cao (wishing him longevity) on the day of Chung Yeung (wishing him longevity), and the Emperor of Liang Dynasty, "Cai Ju Chrysanthemum", had a sentence of "Xiang Huo lifted the basket to collect chrysanthemum beads, and rose up to dip the dew in Luo Cu Cu", which was an example of chrysanthemum brewing. Until the Ming and Qing Dynasties, chrysanthemum wine is still prevalent, in the Ming Dynasty, Gao Lian's "Zunsheng Bazian" is still recorded, is the prevalence of fitness drinks.

Wearing Cornus

Anciently, the custom of inserting cornelian cherry blossoms on the 9th day of the 9th month was practiced, which is why it is also called the Cornus Festival. Cornus officinalis is a kind of fruit that can be used as traditional Chinese medicine, because the best quality of cornelian cherry produced in Wuyue land (present-day Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas), and thus also called Wu Cornus officinalis. Ancient people believed that inserting cornelian cherry into the mountains on the Chongyang Festival could drive away insects and dampness, and expel wind and evil spirits. So they wore the cornelian cherry on the arm or ground up in a bag of incense, and inserted in the head. Mostly women and children wear, some places men also wear. Cornus officinalis is used as medicine and can be used to make wine to nourish the body and dispel diseases. Cornus officinalis and chrysanthemum hairpin were already common in the Tang Dynasty. Cornus officinalis has a strong flavor, has the effect of brightening the eyes, waking up the brain, getting rid of fire, driving away worms, removing dampness, driving away the wind, and can eliminate the accumulation of food, treating cold and heat. Insert cornelian cherry and other ancient custom is folk mountaineering drive wind evil behavior, Chongyang Festival Qing Qi upward, turbid gas sinking, people with natural medicine cornelian cherry and other adjustments to the health of the body to adapt to natural climate change.