2008-0 1- 10 02:20:06

From: Legend of Mid-Autumn Festival in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival. This is a festival that people have always hailed as the most human and poetic. It is said that every holiday season, I miss my relatives twice. The Mid-Autumn Festival will certainly be more deeply missed, especially when the moon is high.

The reason why the Mid-Autumn Festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival is because the 15th day of the eighth lunar month is in the Sanqiu system. On this day, the full moon in the sky is particularly bright and special, so this day is also regarded as a good day to match the marriage.

Speaking of the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival, there have been many different legends and fairy tales among the people. Among them, there are stories such as a moth flying to the moon, Zhu Yuanzhang's moon cake uprising, and Tang Minghuang's visit to the Moon Palace.

Of course, the most familiar story is the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon. Chang 'e stole the immortal elixir of her husband Hou Yi and ran to the Moon Palace. There are also many versions of the story. In earlier records, Chang 'e ate the fairy medicine secretly, turned into a toad, and was called the moon essence.

After flying to the moon, the Moon Palace where Chang 'e lived was actually a lonely place. There was nothing but a laurel tree and a rabbit. But there is another saying that there is another man named WU GANG in the Moon Palace.

Legend 1

According to legend, one year in ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky, which made the earth smoke and the sea dried up, making it impossible for ordinary people to live any longer. This incident alarmed a hero named Hou Yi, who climbed to the top of Kunlun Mountain, drew his bow and shot down nine redundant suns in one breath. Hou Yi made great achievements in the world and was respected and loved by the people. Many people with lofty ideals came here to study as a teacher. The treacherous and cunning Peng Meng also mixed in. Soon, Hou Yi married a beautiful and kind wife named Chang 'e. In addition to hunting, Hou Yi spent all his time with his wife, and people envied this beautiful and loving couple. One day, Hou Yi went to Kunlun Mountain to visit friends and seek Tao. He happened to meet the Queen Mother who passed by and asked her for a pack of elixir. It is said that taking this medicine can instantly ascend to heaven and become immortal. However, Hou Yi could not bear to leave his wife, so he had to give the immortal medicine to Chang 'e for the time being. Chang 'e hid the medicine in the treasure box of the dresser, only to be seen by Peng Meng. Three days later, Hou Yi led his followers out hunting, and Peng Meng, who had ulterior motives, pretended to be ill and stayed. Soon after Hou Yi led the crowd away, Peng Meng broke into the backyard of the inner house with a sword in his hand, threatening Chang 'e to hand over the elixir. Chang 'e knew that she was no match for Peng Meng. When she was in a crisis, she made a decisive decision, turned around and opened the treasure box, took out the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. Chang 'e swallowed the medicine and immediately floated off the ground, rushed out of the window and flew to the sky. Because Chang 'e was concerned about her husband, she flew to the nearest moon and became a fairy. In the evening, when Hou Yi came home, the maids cried about what happened during the day. Hou Yi was both surprised and angry, and drew his sword to kill the villains. Peng Meng had already escaped. I was so angry that Hou Yi beat his chest and screamed. The grief-stricken Hou Yi looked up at the night sky and called for the name of his beloved wife. At this time, he was surprised to find that today's moon is particularly bright and bright, and there is a swaying figure resembling Chang 'e. Hou Yi hurriedly sent someone to Chang 'e's favorite back garden, put on a table sweetmeats, put on her favorite honey-eating fresh fruit, and made a remote sacrifice to cherish Chang 'e in the moon palace. After hearing the news that the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon became an immortal, people set up incense tables under the moon to pray for good luck and peace to the kind Chang 'e. Since then, the custom of Yue Bai in Mid-Autumn Festival has spread among the people.

Legend 2

The Mid-Autumn Festival was originally a harvest festival.

In the agricultural society of China, farmers always celebrate with great events during the harvest season. The reason why this festival has become a festival is also related to the beautiful myth of "the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon".

Legend has it that in ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky, which appeared in turn to illuminate and bring warmth to the earth. But one day, the ten suns appeared together, and the crops on the earth were burnt. At this time, a marksman named Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns, eliminating the disaster for all the people. So people made him king. After Hou Yi became emperor, he became a tyrant by indulging in debauchery and killing people at will. He wanted to live forever and went to Kunlun Mountain to steal the immortal medicine of the Queen Mother. His wife Chang 'e was afraid that he would live forever and the people would suffer, so she stole the immortal medicine and ate it, so she flew lightly to the Moon Palace herself. Later, every Mid-Autumn Festival in Yue Bai, ordinary women offered sacrifices to Chang 'e in the Moon Palace.

The traditional food of Mid-Autumn Festival is moon cakes, which are round and symbolize reunion, reflecting people's good wishes for family reunion. Eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival is said to have started in the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang led the Han people to resist the tyranny of the Yuan Dynasty, and agreed to revolt on August 15th, and put notes in the moon cakes to convey the news. The custom of eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.

Later, Zhu Yuanzhang finally overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and became the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Although Manchu people later entered China, people still celebrated this festival symbolizing the overthrow of alien rule.

Legend 3

Tang Minghuang visited the Moon Palace, saying that Tang Minghuang, who is the son of heaven, is very infatuated with Chang 'e. One day he went to the Moon Palace, where he saw a jade rabbit and a group of fairies who could sing and dance.

Zhu Yuanzhang succeeded in overthrowing the Mongols and establishing the Ming Dynasty. According to folk legends, mooncakes were used as a communication tool. Zhu Yuanzhang took the lead in taking justice, stuffed a note in each mooncake stuffing, and called on everyone to revolt in time.

One of the sayings about the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival is that the 15th day of the eighth lunar month happens to be the time when rice is ripe, and all families worship the land god. The Mid-Autumn Festival may be the legacy of the Autumn Newspaper.

On Mid-Autumn Night, in addition to offering sacrifices, there are moon cakes and lanterns to celebrate the festival. Of course, it is Chang 'e who worships in the sky, and some people call her Moon Mother. The old man said that children should not point to the moon with their fingers, or their ears would be cut off.

Today, not many people know the original intention of Mid-Autumn Festival. For the new generation, the most memorable Mid-Autumn Festival is moon cakes and lanterns. Of course, the festival with a full moon in the sky is a good day for people to get together.

Mid-autumn origin

Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in China. According to historical records, the word "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in the book Zhou Li. By the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there was a record of "telling Shangshu Town that cattle were confused, and mid-autumn evening and the left and right traveling incognito across the river". It was not until the early years of the Tang Dynasty that the Mid-Autumn Festival became a fixed festival. The Book of Tang Taizong records the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th. The prevalence of Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Song Dynasty, and by the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was as famous as New Year's Day and became one of the major festivals in China. This is also the second largest traditional festival in China after the Spring Festival.

According to the Chinese calendar, the eighth month of the lunar calendar is in the middle of autumn, the second month of autumn, which is called "Mid-Autumn", and the fifteenth day of August is in the middle of "Mid-Autumn", so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". There are many nicknames for Mid-Autumn Festival: it is called "August Festival" and "August and a half" because it falls on August 15th; Because the main activities of Mid-Autumn Festival are all around the "moon", it is also commonly known as "Moon Festival" and "Moon Festival". The full moon in Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes reunion, so it is also called "Reunion Festival". In the Tang Dynasty, Mid-Autumn Festival was also called "Correcting the Moon". The record of "Reunion Festival" was first seen in the Ming Dynasty. "Notes on the Tour of the West Lake" said: "August 15th is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people send mooncakes as a token of reunion". "A Brief Introduction to the Scenery of Dijing" also said: "On the 15th of August, when the moon is sacrificed, the cakes will be round, the melons will be wrongly divided, and the petals will be carved like lotus flowers. ..... Those who are married and mothering will return to their husband's house in the future, which is called the Reunion Festival. On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a custom of "reunion" in most parts of our country, that is, a small cake symbolizing reunion and similar to moon cakes is branded, which contains sugar, sesame, osmanthus and vegetables, and the moon, osmanthus trees and rabbits are pressed outside. After the moon festival, the elders in the family will divide the cake into pieces according to the number of people, one for each person, and if someone is not at home, leave a copy for them to show family reunion.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are few clouds and fog, and the moonlight is bright and bright. In addition to holding a series of activities such as enjoying the moon, offering sacrifices to the moon, eating moon cakes and wishing reunion, some places also have activities such as dancing grass dragons and building pagodas. In addition to moon cakes, all kinds of seasonal fresh fruits and dried fruits are also delicious food on Mid-Autumn Festival.

Another explanation for the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival is that the 15th day of the eighth lunar month happens to be the moment when rice is ripe, and all families worship the land god. The Mid-Autumn Festival may be the legacy of the Autumn Newspaper.

Custom in Mid-Autumn in Ancient Times

According to the records in Volume 8 of Dream of China in Tokyo (preface in 1147), the streets of Song Dynasty were filled with a strong festive atmosphere a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival. The shop sells new wine and redecorates the colorful building in front of the door. There are pomegranates, pears, chestnuts, grapes, colored oranges and so on. In the evening, people compete to enjoy the moon in the restaurant, and the silk, bamboo and flute work together. Children in the alley play all night, and the night market is crowded. As for dawn. Wu Zimu (who lived around 1270) also recorded in Volume 4 of Menglianglu that more people in the Southern Song Dynasty arranged family dinners and reunions with their children to reward the festive season. Even the poor families in the mean alleys will pawn their clothes to buy wine to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Jin Yingzhi (who lived around 1126) recorded the custom of people from enjoying the moon to Yue Bai at that time in Volume 4 of The Newly Edited Notes on Drunken Weng: "The meeting of enjoying the moon in the capital is different from that in other counties. The whole family, not rich or poor, can go to twelve or thirteen by themselves, all dressed as adults. Climbing the stairs or burning incense in the court has its own time. Men would like to go to the Toad Palace early and climb Xiangui. Women would like to look like Chang 'e and be as round as a clean moon. 」

Besides Yue Bai, there is also the custom of watching lanterns. Zhou Mi (1232-1308) recorded the Mid-Autumn Night in Hangzhou in Volume III of Old Wulin: "The lights and candles are gorgeous, but the evening stops." Zhejiang also puts on a kind of sheepskin water lantern "Little Red" in mid-autumn night. The river is covered with hundreds of thousands of lanterns, which are like stars in the sky, which is very eye-catching. It is said that the water lantern is for the favor of Jiang Shen, not just for viewing.

Song dynasty

In the Song Dynasty, there was another special Mid-Autumn Festival landscape in Hangzhou, that is, watching tides in Qiantang. Because the topography of Qiantang estuary is similar to a funnel, whenever the tide surges in and is influenced by the gradually narrowing topography, the waves overlap and accumulate into a water wall, which is very spectacular. When Su Dongpo was in Renyoufu, Hangzhou, he wrote "Watching the Tide on a Mid-Autumn Night", describing the large number of people watching the tide and the momentum of the surging tide:

I know that the jade rabbit is very round, and it has been frosty and cold in September.

The message is that the door should not be locked, and the night tide stays on the moon.

Ten thousand people clamor for fear of my Nong, still like an old boy floating in the river.

To know how high the tide is, the mountains are muddy in the waves.

Another passage in "The Old Story of Wulin" more specifically describes the thin momentum of the tide shaking the world: "When it is far away from Haimen, it is only like a silver line. When it is approaching, it will be a snowy mountain in Yucheng, and it will come the next day. Loud as thunder, shocking and lashing, swallowing the sky and the sun, the potential is extremely heroic. " To this day, Qiantang Tide Watching is still the most distinctive sightseeing spot for Mid-Autumn Festival in Zhejiang Province.

the Yuan Dynasty

Although the Yuan Dynasty entered the Central Plains as an alien, it was deeply sinicized. Most holiday customs also follow the old Han system. In the Ming Dynasty, the custom of enjoying the moon, offering sacrifices to the moon and eating moon cakes flourished.

Tian Rucheng (who lived around 1540)' s Notes on Visiting the West Lake' and' Pleasure at Xi Chao' recorded that people in Ming Dynasty gave moon cakes as gifts more than Mid-Autumn Festival, taking the round meaning of' reunion'. At night, there will be a feast to enjoy the moon, or take wine and food to the lake and sea. The second volume of "A Brief Introduction to the Scenery of the Imperial Capital" (1635), co-authored by Liu Dong and Yu Yizheng, describes in detail the offerings for the Mid-Autumn Festival: the moon cakes must be round, and the fruits offered must be cut into lotus-like teeth. Moonlight paper is sold in the market, on which is painted a bodhisattva with a partial moon, and on which is painted the Gui Hall with a full moon, in which a rabbit stands to pound medicine. After the festival, the moon paper was burned and the fruit cakes were distributed to every member of the family. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also a reunion festival, so even if there is a woman who returns to mothering, she will definitely return to her husband's house for reunion on this day.

the Ming Dynasty

As for the grand gathering of the Ming people enjoying the moon, there is Zhang Dai (1597-1671? ) with his wonderful pen of flowers, he made the following extremely elegant account for us. The Mid-Autumn Night of Tiger Qiu in Volume 5 of Tao An Meng Yi;

In August and a half in Huqiu, there are aborigines, itinerant people, scholars, family members, female musicians, vocal geisha, famous prostitutes in Quzhong, opera women, folk young women, good women, young children, child molesters, hanger-on, idlers, boys and girls. Since the birth of the public platform, thousand stone, Hejian, Jianchi, Shenwending Temple, down to the gate of Shijianshi No.1 and No.2, they all sit on the mat and look up at it, like geese falling on the flat sand and on the Xiajiang River. On the day of the moon, there were hundreds of trumpets, boasting about it, taking part in it, shaking the earth, thundering and screaming, but the call was not heard. More definitely, the drums and cymbals are gradually resting, and the silk pipes are flourishing, mixed with singing. All of them are "the brocade sails open the Chenghu Lake", and there is a big song in the same field, squatting and the sound of gongs, silk and bamboo, and they don't distinguish between slapping and smashing. Deeper, people gradually dispersed, scholars and their families all got off the boat and played in the water, and they were asked to sing songs. Everyone contributed their skills to the north and south, and the orchestras were played repeatedly. The listeners distinguished the words and phrases, and the algae was followed. The second drum is quiet, and the screen is heard, and the hole is a wisp of sorrow, and it is clear and tender, and it is still three or four, and it is even more so. Three drums, lonely moon, no mosquitoes and flies. A lady appeared on the stage, sitting high on the stone, not whistling or patting, making a sound like silk, cracking the stone through the clouds, and raising the string. Every word, the listener searched for mustard, and his efforts were exhausted. He dared not clap his hands, but nodded. However, at this time, there are still hundreds of people sitting by geese. If you are not in Suzhou, how can you ask for knowledge?

We may get a glimpse of the life interest of the late Ming people from this "Autumn Night in the Tiger Mansion".

Ching Dynasty

The "Moonlight Paper" used in Yue Bai in the Ming Dynasty was renamed "Moonlight Horse" in the Qing Dynasty. Fucha Dunchong's Time of Yanjing (1906). It is recorded: "Moonlight Horse Riders use paper to paint the Taiyin Star King, such as Bodhisattva statue, the Moon Palace and the rabbit with medicine. People stand up and hold the pestle, and the algae are exquisite and resplendent, and they sell more in the market. The elder is seven or eight feet, the shorter is two or three feet, and there are two flags on the top, red, green, basketry or yellow, which are offered to the moon. Burn incense and salute, and burn it with thousands of pieces and ingots after the sacrifice. "

There is another saying in Qing Dynasty: "Men don't go to Yue Bai, and women don't run around". Therefore, Yue Bai has become a patent for women. Housewives are busy in Yue Bai, and children have nothing to do. A few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, a kind of "male prostitute" for children's month is sold in the market. Male prostitute originated in the late Ming Dynasty. Ji Kun (living around 1636), a Ming dynasty, wrote "The Remaining Draft of Flower King Pavilion": "The Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing is mostly shaped like a mud rabbit, dressed like a human figure, and children worship it." By the Qing Dynasty, the function of male prostitute had changed from offering sacrifices to the moon to children's Mid-Autumn Festival toys. The production is becoming more and more exquisite, some dressed as military commanders wearing armor and robes, some with paper flags or umbrellas on their backs, or sitting or standing. Sitting, there are unicorn, tiger and leopard and so on. There are also vendors dressed as rabbit heads, or shaving masters, or sewing shoes, selling wonton and tea soup, and so on.

Moon cakes on August 15 th

According to legend, in ancient China, emperors had a ritual system of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. In the folk, every Mid-Autumn Festival in August, there are also customs about Yue Bai or offering sacrifices to the moon. The famous proverb "The moon is full on August 15th, and the moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival are sweet and fragrant" tells the custom of urban and rural people eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival night. At first, mooncakes were used as sacrifices to the moon god. Later, people gradually regarded the Mid-Autumn Festival as a symbol of family reunion, and gradually mooncakes became holiday gifts.

Moon cakes, originally originated from the Tang Dynasty army Zhujie food. During Tang Gaozu's reign, General Li Jing conquered the Huns and returned home in triumph on August 15th.

At that time, Turpan people who were doing business presented cakes to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Gao Zu Li Yuan took the gorgeous cake box, took out the round cakes, smiled at the bright moon in the sky and said, "We should invite toads with Hu cakes.". After that, share the cake with the ministers.

The word "moon cake" has been used in Wu Zimu's book Menglianglu in the Southern Song Dynasty, but the description of tasting the moon and eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival was recorded in the West Lake Touring Society in the Ming Dynasty: "August 15th is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the people take the meaning of reunion with moon cakes". By the Qing Dynasty, there were more records about moon cakes, and the production became more and more elaborate.

With the development of moon cakes today, there are more varieties and different flavors. Among them, Beijing-style, Soviet-style, Guangdong-style and Chaozhou-style moon cakes are widely enjoyed by people all over China.

Mooncakes symbolize reunion and are a must-eat item in Mid-Autumn Festival. On the night of the festival, people also like to eat some reunion fruits such as watermelons and fruits, and wish their families a happy, sweet and safe life.

Eating moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival, like eating zongzi in Dragon Boat Festival and glutinous rice balls in Lantern Festival, is a traditional folk custom in China. Throughout the ages, people regard moon cakes as a symbol of good luck and reunion. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, when the bright moon is in the sky, the whole family will get together, enjoy cakes and enjoy the moon, talk about everything and enjoy family happiness.

Moon cakes, also known as Hu cakes, palace cakes, small cakes, moon cakes, reunion cakes, etc., are offerings to worship the moon god in the ancient Mid-Autumn Festival, and the custom of eating moon cakes has been formed since it was handed down.

Moon cakes have a long history in China. According to historical records, as early as the Yin and Zhou Dynasties, there was a kind of "Taishi cake" in memory of Taishi Wen Zhong, which was the "ancestor" of moon cakes in China. When Zhang Qian was sent to the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty, sesame seeds and walnuts were introduced, which added auxiliary materials to the production of moon cakes. At this time, a round cake filled with walnuts appeared, which was called "Hu cake".

In the Tang Dynasty, there were bakers engaged in production among the people, and pastry shops began to appear in Chang 'an, the capital. It is said that one year on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, when Emperor Taizong and Yang Guifei enjoyed the moon and ate Hu Bing, Emperor Taizong thought that the name of Hu Bing was not nice. Yang Guifei looked up at the bright moon, and the emotion surged, and casually came up with "moon cake". Since then, the name of "moon cake" has gradually spread among the people.

The royal Mid-Autumn Festival in the Northern Song Dynasty likes to eat a kind of "palace cake", which is commonly known as "small cake" and "moon group". Su Dongpo has a poem: "A small cake is like chewing the moon, and there is crisp and pleasant in it."

The writers of the Song Dynasty were thorough, and the name of "moon cake" was first mentioned in "Old Things in Wulin", which described what Lin 'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, saw.

In the Ming dynasty, eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival gradually spread among the people. At that time, ingenious bakers printed the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon's fairy tales on mooncakes as food art drawings, making mooncakes a necessary food for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the Ming Dynasty, Tian Rucheng's "Journey to the West Lake" said: "August 15th is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people send moon cakes as a token of reunion." In the Qing dynasty, the production technology of moon cakes was greatly improved, and the varieties were also increasing. Moon cakes for the moon were everywhere. Yuan Jinglan, a poet in the Qing Dynasty, has a long poem "Poem on Moon Cakes", which includes "When you go into the kitchen, you can get rid of the frost and steam the kettle. Rub the fine dust and embellish the rouge marks. The words, "Let the relatives and friends give each other a gift, and save everything ... Children sit together, and the cups and plates are scattered" are all described, from the making of moon cakes, the exchange of moon cakes between relatives and friends to the holding of family banquets and the appreciation of the moon.

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, the moonlight is bright. The ancients regarded the full moon as a symbol of reunion, so it was also called "Reunion Festival" on August 15th. Throughout the ages, people often use "the full moon and the lack of the moon" to describe "joys and sorrows", and the wanderers who live in other places rely on the moon to express their deep affection. Poems such as "lifting myself to look, I found that it was moonlight, sinking back again, I thought suddenly of home" by Li Bai, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, "he knows that the dews tonight will be frost, how much brighter the moonlight is at home!" by Du Fu, and "The spring breeze is green in Jiang Nanan, when will the bright moon shine on me" by Wang Anshi in the Song Dynasty are all timeless.

Mid-Autumn Festival is an ancient festival, and it is an important custom to sacrifice and enjoy the moon. The ancient emperors had a social system of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn, and the people also had the style of offering sacrifices to the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Later, appreciating the moon was more important than offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices turned into relaxed entertainment. The custom of enjoying the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and many poets wrote poems about the moon in their masterpieces. In the Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the court and folk activities of enjoying the moon in Yue Bai were even larger. Up to now, there are many historic sites in China, such as Yue Bai altar, Moon Pavilion and Moon Tower.

The "Moon Altar" in Beijing was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty for the royal sacrifice to the moon. Whenever the Mid-Autumn Moon rises, a case is set up in the open air, and mooncakes, pomegranates, dates and other fruits are offered on the console table. After Yue Bai, the whole family sits around the table, talks over dinner and enjoys the bright moon. Now, the activities of offering sacrifices to the moon in Yue Bai have been replaced by large-scale and colorful activities of enjoying the moon by the masses.

Eating moon cakes is another custom of festivals, which symbolizes reunion. The making of moon cakes has become more and more exquisite since the Tang Dynasty. Su Dongpo wrote in a poem: "Small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crispness and pulp in them", and Yang Guangfu in Qing Dynasty wrote: "Moon cakes are filled with peach meat, and ice cream is made of sugar cream". It seems that the moon cakes at that time were quite similar to those now.

In China numbers, one, three, five, seven and nine are positive numbers, and two, four, six and eight are negative numbers. Therefore, the ninth day of September is called Chongyang or Double Ninth. In ancient China, the Double Ninth Festival was an important festival, and various activities were held on this day, such as climbing mountains, enjoying chrysanthemums, inserting dogwoods and eating double ninth cake.

Climbing is the main custom of the Double Ninth Festival. The ancients believed that climbing on the Double Ninth Festival can avoid disasters. Later, climbing mountains on the Double Ninth Festival gradually evolved into sports and tourism activities for people to relax and exercise.

Inserting dogwood and enjoying chrysanthemums are also traditional customs of the Double Ninth Festival. Cornus is a kind of plant, its fruit is edible, and its stems and leaves are medicinal materials. Chrysanthemums are in full bloom in September and have the reputation of "longevity flower". In order to avoid the plague and drive away evil spirits, people put cornus and chrysanthemums on their bodies, watch chrysanthemums, drink chrysanthemum tea and chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth Festival.

Chongyang cake is a kind of food made of flour. It can be made sweet by adding dates, ginkgo, pine nuts and almonds, or salty by adding meat. If it is exquisite, it should be made into nine layers, and then two lambs are made on it to harmonize the sound of "Chongyang (Sheep)".

Now, after the Double Ninth Festival, we can't see the custom of inserting dogwood, but many people will still climb the mountain to enjoy chrysanthemums and enjoy the beautiful scenery in autumn. In recent years, this ancient festival has added new content and become an annual "respect for the elderly". Whenever the festival comes, people will hold various activities to respect the elderly and wish them a healthy and long life.