Today, is a special day for many Asian countries. Rooted in fear and turned into a celebration, the Chung Yeung Festival is celebrated in slightly different ways and with slightly different names in nations like Japan, Hong Kong, China, and Vietnam.
Originating during China's Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), the story begins with a villager who was warned to flee with his family to high ground on the ninth day of the ninth moon. After heeding the advice the villager and his family returned the following day to find the village in ruins and the townspeople dead. Word spread and gradually multitudes of people began to mark the occasion by doing the same every ninth day of the ninth month (in the lunar calendar).
On the day of the festival, many seeking good luck visit the highest points in their towns and provinces. Many visit cemeteries to worship ancestors and clean up gravesites. Other popular customs include eating ko cakes, which in Chinese sound like "high" or "top".
For anyone not used to celebrating the festival, maybe this will provide a good excuse to go outside today and visit a local highpoint. Or at least eat cake.
Thanks for reading!
Speaking of cake, check out our previous article on The Philippines' Chocolate Hills.
And speaking of traveling, check out our Cardinal Directions article (a personal favorite).
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