The traditional Double Ninth festival is on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. In ancient time, numbers were mysterious and were divided into yin and yang. As the number nine was yang, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month was double yang.

　　There is a legend about the festival. In the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), a man named Huan Jing was a disciple of Fei Zhangfang, a Taoist Sage. One day the master predicted a disaster world befall Huan’s family on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. To ward it off, Huan’s family was told to go out mountain climbing, and to take along a bag full of the red fruit of the medicinal cornel. Huan heeded the advice and no ill befell his family. After the news spread, people believed that climbing mountains on the special day would dispel bad luck and bring good fortune. As the custom took root, it became a traditional holiday.

　　Researchers explain that the holiday originated in rites of worship to the heavenly God held on high land by China’s northern nomadic groups in ancient times. The higher they climbed in worship, the more devout they were. Cultural exchange gradually popularized this custom on the Central Plains of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Eventually it became a national celebration.

　　Autumn is the best season to climb mountains, as the weather is pleasant, the sky clear and the air crisp. People revel in the beautiful autumn scenes, and enjoy the fresh air and warm sunshine. As a pastime, mountain climbing is good for keeping fit. The fragrant cornel can be used as herbal medicine. It may not possess the magic to exorcise evil spirits, but it does repel mosquitoes. That is why mountain climbers often carry a bundle of the plant.

　　Chrysanthemums are in full bloom in autumn. Chrysanthemum shows are usually held in big cities across China and attract numerous visitors, because the chrysanthemum is eulogized as the “gentleman” of flowers. Chrysanthemum tea is believed to purify the heart and improve eyesight.

　　Recently the Double Ninth Festival has been given another title, the Festival of Respect for the Aged. In the tradition of respect for elders in China, the government calls on relevant department throughout the country to organize activeties to help senior citizens. This includes offering financial aid to those with difficulties and care for those who have on children.

　　The Double Ninth Festival Garden Gathering has been ten times in the Park of Eight Great Temples (Badachu) since 1988. Each year, it attracts more than 200,000 active elder participants with its entertainment and other activities, including free health care consultation offered to the elderly by Beijing’s major hospital.