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Climbing, crabs and chrysanthemums
By Tao Jiming and Pan Zheng |
September 26, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHONGYANG Festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month and is also known as the Double Ninth Festival. It is a day to honor seniors. In the old days in Jiading District, the festival was all about eating and playing.
One important festival activity was to climb up a hill. But Jiading is an alluvial plain with a flat topography, thus all the climbing places were man-made like Fahua Pagoda. It was the highest point in ancient Jiading and it was possible to see Kunshan in southeast Jiangsu Province on sunny days from the pagoda. Other climbing places included Yingkui Hill in front of the Confucian Temple and Jiading's city gate towers.
It was traditionally believed that climbing high can avoid the evil spirits. Of course, hiking is also a good exercise and who doesn't like a good view?
The Double Ninth Festival is also the time when chrysanthemums begin to bloom. Meng Haoran, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) once wrote: "When Double Ninth comes, I will be back for my mums."
Planting chrysanthemum is a tradition from generation to generation in China. Families would grow some pots of chrysanthemums to decorate their home for the festival. Nowadays there are still chrysanthemum shows every year in the city.
The festival also marks the beginning of hairy crab season. Hairy crabs are considered the most delicious food for many people in Shanghai. Admiring the colorful chrysanthemum around, tasting the delicious crab with rice wine, this is the lifestyle most of the Shanghainese are expecting for the season.
One important festival activity was to climb up a hill. But Jiading is an alluvial plain with a flat topography, thus all the climbing places were man-made like Fahua Pagoda. It was the highest point in ancient Jiading and it was possible to see Kunshan in southeast Jiangsu Province on sunny days from the pagoda. Other climbing places included Yingkui Hill in front of the Confucian Temple and Jiading's city gate towers.
It was traditionally believed that climbing high can avoid the evil spirits. Of course, hiking is also a good exercise and who doesn't like a good view?
The Double Ninth Festival is also the time when chrysanthemums begin to bloom. Meng Haoran, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) once wrote: "When Double Ninth comes, I will be back for my mums."
Planting chrysanthemum is a tradition from generation to generation in China. Families would grow some pots of chrysanthemums to decorate their home for the festival. Nowadays there are still chrysanthemum shows every year in the city.
The festival also marks the beginning of hairy crab season. Hairy crabs are considered the most delicious food for many people in Shanghai. Admiring the colorful chrysanthemum around, tasting the delicious crab with rice wine, this is the lifestyle most of the Shanghainese are expecting for the season.
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