HSK 5 · Article · 561 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-the-double-ninth-festival

重阳节是什么节？

What is the Double Ninth Festival?

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一千三百多yìqiānsānbǎiduō年nián前qián，一个yígè十七shíqī岁suì的de年轻人niánqīngrén离开líkāi家乡jiāxiāng，一yí个gè人rén到dào长安cháng’ān和hé洛阳luòyáng一带yídài去qù学习xuéxí。他tā住zhù在zài大城市dàchéngshì里，身边shēnbiān却què没有méiyǒu一yí个gè亲人qīnrén。到dào了le农历nónglì九月jiǔyuè初九chūjiǔ这zhè一天yìtiān，他tā想到xiǎngdào，家乡jiāxiāng的de兄弟xiōngdì们men这时zhèshí一定yídìng正在zhèngzài一起yìqǐ爬山páshān，只是zhǐshì少shǎo了le他tā一个yígè。于是yúshì，他tā写下xiěxià了le一yì首shǒu诗shī，其中qízhōng两liǎng句jù是shì：“独dú在zài异乡yìxiāng为wéi异yì客kè，每逢佳节倍思亲měiféngjiājiébèisīqīn。”意思yìsi是shì：一yí个gè人rén在zài外地wàidì，每měi到dào节日jiérì的de时候shíhou，就jiù会huì更加gèngjiā想念xiǎngniàn家里jiālǐ的de亲人qīnrén。这个zhège年轻人niánqīngrén，就是jiùshì后来hòulái著名zhùmíng的de诗人shīrén王维wángwéi。他tā想念xiǎngniàn家人jiārén的de这zhè一天yìtiān，就是jiùshì重阳节chóngyángjié。

为什么wèishénme九月jiǔyuè初九chūjiǔ是shì一yí个gè节日jiérì呢ne？在zài中国zhōngguó传统chuántǒng文化wénhuà里，人们rénmen认为rènwéi“九jiǔ”是shì最zuì大dà的de阳yáng数shù。九月jiǔyuè九jiǔ日rì，两liǎng个gè九jiǔ放fàng在zài一起yìqǐ，所以suóyǐ叫jiào“重阳chóngyáng”。另外lìngwài，“九jiǔ”和hé“久jiǔ”听起来tīngqǐlai一样yíyàng，有yǒu“长久chángjiǔ”的de意思yìsi，所以suóyǐ人们rénmen觉得juéde这zhè是shì一个yígè好日子hǎorìzi。

重阳节chóngyángjié最zuì重要zhòngyào的de风俗fēngsú是shì登高dēnggāo，意思yìsi是shì到dào高gāo的de地方dìfang去qù，比如bǐrú爬山páshān。关于guānyú这个zhège风俗fēngsú，有yǒu一yí个gè传说chuánshuō。汉朝hàncháo的de时候shíhou，有yǒu一个yígè年轻人niánqīngrén跟着gēnzhe老师lǎoshī学习xuéxí。有yǒu一天yìtiān，老师lǎoshī告诉gàosù他tā：九月jiǔyuè九jiǔ日rì，你nǐ家jiā会huì出chū大事dàshì，快kuài带dài家人jiārén到dào山shān上去shàngqu，喝hē菊花júhuā酒jiǔ，这样zhèyàng就jiù能néng避开bìkāi。年轻人niánqīngrén照zhào着zhe做zuò了le。晚上wǎnshang回家huíjiā一yí看kàn，家里jiālǐ的de鸡jī和hé羊yáng都dōu死sǐ了le，家人jiārén却què平安无事píng’ān-wúshì。从cóng那nà以后yǐhòu，九月jiǔyuè九jiǔ日rì登高dēnggāo的de习惯xíguàn就jiù流传liúchuán了le下来xiàlai。

除了chúle登高dēnggāo，人们rénmen还hái会huì看kàn菊花júhuā、喝hē菊花茶júhuāchá，因为yīnwèi这时zhèshí正是zhèngshì菊花júhuā开kāi得de最好zuìhǎo的de季节jìjié。很hěn多duō地方dìfang还hái要yào吃chī重阳chóngyáng糕gāo。“糕gāo”和hé“高gāo”听起来tīngqǐlai一样yíyàng，所以suóyǐ有人yǒurén开玩笑kāiwánxiào说shuō，吃chī一yí块kuài糕gāo，就jiù等于děngyú登dēng了le一次yícì高gāo。

如今rújīn，重阳节chóngyángjié还有háiyǒu一个yígè新xīn的de意义yìyì。1989年nián，这zhè一天yìtiān成chéng了le中国zhōngguó的de老人lǎorén节jié；2012年nián，这zhè一天yìtiān又yòu被bèi写进xiějìn了le法律fǎlǜ，叫做jiàozuò“老年lǎonián节jié”。所以suóyǐ现在xiànzài很hěn多duō年轻人niánqīngrén会huì在zài这天zhètiān给gěi爷爷yéye奶奶nǎinai打dǎ个gè电话diànhuà，或者huòzhě带dài父母fùmǔ去qù公园gōngyuán走走zǒuzou。一千多yìqiānduō年nián前qián，王维wángwéi在zài外地wàidì想念xiǎngniàn家人jiārén；今天jīntiān，一yí个gè电话diànhuà，就jiù能néng让ràng家人jiārén觉得juéde自己zìjǐ没有méiyǒu被bèi忘记wàngjì。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
家乡	jiāxiāng	hometown; native place
首	shǒu	first (as in 首次)
其中	qízhōng	among them; in it
更加	gèngjiā	even more; still more
著名	zhùmíng	famous; well-known; celebrated
数	shù	number; figure
另外	lìngwài	in addition; besides; moreover
死	sǐ	to die; dead
开玩笑	kāiwánxiào	to joke; to kid
法律	fǎlǜ	law
老年	lǎonián	old age; elderly
父母	fùmǔ	parents; father and mother

English (for the teacher)

More than 1,300 years ago, a seventeen-year-old left his hometown to study, alone, around Chang’an and Luoyang. He lived in the big cities, but without a single relative beside him. On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, he thought of his brothers back home: right now they would be climbing a hill together, just one short, without him. So he wrote a poem, and two of its lines go: “Alone in a strange land, a stranger; at every festival I miss my family twice as much.” It means: when you’re far from home, every holiday makes you miss your family even more. That young man was Wang Wei, who became a famous poet. The day he missed his family was the Double Ninth Festival.

Why is the ninth day of the ninth month a festival? In traditional Chinese culture, nine is seen as the greatest yang number. On the ninth day of the ninth month, two nines come together, so it is called “Chongyang”, double yang. Also, “jiu” (nine) sounds like “jiu” (long-lasting), so it carries the meaning of a long life, and people think it is a good day.

The festival’s most important custom is “denggao”, which means going somewhere high, like climbing a hill. There’s a legend about this custom. In the Han dynasty, a young man was studying with a teacher. One day the teacher told him: on the ninth day of the ninth month something terrible will happen at your home; hurry, take your family up a mountain and drink chrysanthemum wine, and you will escape it. The young man did as he was told. When they came home that evening, the chickens and sheep were dead, but the family was safe and sound. From then on, the habit of climbing high on the Double Ninth was handed down.

Besides climbing, people look at chrysanthemums and drink chrysanthemum tea, because this is the season when they bloom best. In many places people also eat Chongyang cake. “Gao” (cake) sounds like “gao” (high), so some people joke that eating one piece of cake is as good as one climb.

Today the festival has a new meaning too. In 1989 the day became China’s Old People’s Day; in 2012 it was written into law as “Seniors’ Day”. So now many young people call their grandparents on this day, or take their parents for a walk in the park. More than a thousand years ago, Wang Wei missed his family from far away; today, one phone call can let your family know they haven’t been forgotten.