MUZI MUZIChinese Matrix

Double Ninth Festival

Dogwood sprigs worn, the heights climbed

Introduction

Climbing heights and admiring chrysanthemums on the ninth of the ninth month, now also the Day for the Elderly

The Double Ninth Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month; since the Book of Changes treats nine as the yang number, the doubled nine gave it the name chongyang, first attested in the Three Kingdoms period. The Liang dynasty Xu Qi Xie ji tells how Huan Jing, warned by Fei Changfang, took his family up a hill on the ninth of the ninth month wearing dogwood and drinking chrysanthemum wine to escape disaster, and the Jingchu suishi ji records people of all walks feasting in the countryside that day. Emperor Dezong of Tang named it one of the 'three festivals', and Northern Song Kaifeng admired chrysanthemums, climbed hills and exchanged Double Ninth cakes. The 2012 revision of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly made the day the Day for the Elderly, giving it a new meaning of respect for the old.

Timeline

Three Kingdoms period to present
220 · OriginThe name chongyang first appears in the Three Kingdoms period (Cao Pi's letter to Zhong Yao on the ninth of the ninth month), an early reliable record of the day as a festival.520 · EvolutionWu Jun's Xu Qi Xie ji (Liang) tells how Huan Jing climbed a hill on the ninth with dogwood and chrysanthemum wine on Fei Changfang's advice, the origin legend of hill climbing.790 · EvolutionUnder Emperor Dezong of Tang the Double Ninth was named one of the 'three festivals' and became an official holiday.2012 · ImpactThe 2012 revision of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly made the ninth day of the ninth lunar month the annual Day for the Elderly.
  1. 220OriginThe name chongyang first appears in the Three Kingdoms period (Cao Pi's letter to Zhong Yao on the ninth of the ninth month), an early reliable record of the day as a festival.Literature › Letter to Zhong Yao on the Ninth Day
  2. 520EvolutionWu Jun's Xu Qi Xie ji (Liang) tells how Huan Jing climbed a hill on the ninth with dogwood and chrysanthemum wine on Fei Changfang's advice, the origin legend of hill climbing.Literature › Sequel to the Records of Qi Xie
  3. 790EvolutionUnder Emperor Dezong of Tang the Double Ninth was named one of the 'three festivals' and became an official holiday.
  4. 2012ImpactThe 2012 revision of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly made the ninth day of the ninth lunar month the annual Day for the Elderly.

Heritage Listings

  1. 2006National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage1st batch · X-6 Double Ninth Festival · no. 454 · nominated by the Ministry of Culture