The Double Ninth Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena, which began in ancient times, spread in the Western Han Dynasty and flourished after the Tang Dynasty. According to the existing historical data and textual research, in ancient times, there were activities of offering sacrifices to heaven and ancestors in the season and autumn.
The ancients offered sacrifices to the Heavenly Emperor and ancestors when the crops were harvested in September, which was an activity of thanking the Heavenly Emperor and ancestors for their kindness. This is the original form of the Double Ninth Festival as an autumn harvest sacrifice activity. The Tang Dynasty is an important period in which traditional festival customs are mixed and shaped, and its main part has been passed down to this day.
Customs around the Double Ninth Festival:
In ancient Guangdong province, on September 9, nine more emperors' clubs were built to fight with courtesy. Guangzhou celebrated the Double Ninth Festival, and people climbed Baiyun Mountain to enjoy autumn and keep fit. Wuchuan celebrated the Double Ninth Festival, enjoyed a high-level banquet and held a banquet to respect the elderly. In Huaiji County, Chongyang is regarded as the occasion of Yuan Di's enlightenment. Paper kites were released during the Double Ninth Festival in Yangjiang City.
In the customs of Hong Kong and Macao people, Qingming is a "spring festival" and Chongyang is an "autumn festival". The traditional custom of worshipping ancestors in Chongyang Mountain continues to this day. In Hong Kong and Macao, the ancient Double Ninth Festival has now evolved into a diversified festival.
On September 9th, Longan County, Guangxi, let cattle and sheep feed on their own. As the saying goes, "On September 9th, cattle and sheep will keep their own food". Qingming Festival is a spring festival, Chongyang Festival is an autumn festival, and worshipping mountains in Chongyang is one of the customs in Lingnan. The tradition of being cautious in pursuing the future and thinking about the source has been inherited for thousands of years.
Flying kites on the Double Ninth Festival in Haicheng County, Fujian Province is called "Wind Chak". According to legend, the ninth day of September is the day when Mazu emerged and ascended to heaven. Many villagers went to the Tianhou Ancestral Temple and Palace Temple in Mazu Tempel or Hong Kong of Meizhou to offer sacrifices and seek blessings.