Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang) 2024 in China

Chongyang or Double Ninth Festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. According to the book I Ching (易经 ‘Yi Jing’), the number "nine" belongs to Yang characters. Two Yang characters coincide on the ninth day of the ninth month, so it is called Chongyang in Chinese where 'Chong' stands for 'double'.

Festival Customs

People celebrate the festival by practicing various activities, including climbing mountains, viewing chrysanthemums, wearing Zhuyu flowers, drinking chrysanthemum wines, and eating Chongyang cakes. Climbing mountains to appreciate the autumn and be grateful to the elderly are the two main themes of this festival nowadays. Some people also like to enjoy the festival outdoors by going hiking or climbing in the mountains. Fall weather offers prime conditions to explore Chinese mountain ranges.

Regional Celebrations

Chongyang celebrations are slightly different across the regions of China. The main activity in the south of China is flying kites. The Double Ninth Festival in Hong Kong, where it's called Chung Yeung and Macau, is the day to worship the ancestors. People head to the cemeteries, clean the ancestral graves, burn incense sticks, and offer food in front of the cemetery. Beijingers stick the branches and leaves of chrysanthemums at their doors and windows to draw luck. Shanghai holds the Chrysanthemum Fair at the Yuyuan Garden during the Double Ninth Festival celebrations.

Festival in Other Countries

The event is also celebrated in other Asian countries, including Korea and Japan. Japanese variation is called Kiku no Sekku, the Chrysanthemum Festival, and is held on September 9th. Similar to the Chongyang festival, the Japanese celebrate the event by drinking chrysanthemum sake and chestnut rice. Korean festival, Jungyangjeol, is also celebrated on September 9th. The main festivities are centered around outdoor activities.