The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is the Double Ninth Festival. During the Double Ninth Festival, there are customs of climbing mountains, worshiping ancestors, planting dogwood trees, and eating Double Ninth Cake.

In ancient times, people had the custom of climbing on the Double Ninth Festival, so the Double Ninth Festival is also called the "Climbing Festival". The custom of climbing during the Double Ninth Festival stems from the climate characteristics at this time and the ancients' worship of mountains. Climbing "Ci Qing" is also derived from the solar terms in nature. Climbing "Ci Qing" on the Double Ninth Festival corresponds to the ancients' "outing" in spring in March. The custom of "mountain climbing to pray for blessings" has been popular in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

There are no unified regulations on where to climb. The places you visit are generally divided into climbing mountains, climbing buildings, or climbing platforms. The custom of climbing mountains originated from the ancient people's worship of mountains. In the climate of "clear air rises and turbid air sinks", climbing "passing the green" is accompanied by a ridiculous legend "Huanjing climbs to avoid disasters".

Extended information:

Double Ninth Festival Customs

During the Double Ninth Festival in Guangzhou, people climb Baiyun Mountain to enjoy the autumn and keep fit. Wuchuan celebrated the Double Ninth Festival, enjoyed high gatherings and held a banquet to respect the elderly. In Huaiji County, the Double Ninth Festival was regarded as the day when the Yuan Emperor attained enlightenment. Men, women, old and young came out of the city to compete with the gods to fulfill their wishes, all using cannons. On the Double Ninth Festival in Lianchuan, boys and girls gathered outside the city to sing songs, and people from the state gathered around to watch. During the Double Ninth Festival in Yangjiang City, paper kites are released and rattan bows are tied to the kites. The sound is very loud in mid-air.

People in the northern part of Changyi, Shandong Province eat spicy radish soup on the Double Ninth Festival. There is a proverb: "If you drink radish soup, the whole family will not suffer." Folks in Juancheng call the Double Ninth Festival the birthday of the God of Wealth, and every family bakes coke cakes to worship the God of Wealth. Zouping worshiped Fan Zhongyan on the Double Ninth Festival. In the old days, dyehouses and wineries also worshiped the vat god on September 9th. Daughters in Tengzhou who have been married for less than three years are not allowed to go back to their parents' homes to celebrate the festival. There is a saying that "if you go home to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival, your mother-in-law will die."

Baidu Encyclopedia-Double Ninth Festival