Like！中国节 – 重阳节

大家好，今天是重阳节，Chongyang Festival. 

It’s also called the Double Ninth Festival because it falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. The festival dates back more than 2,000 years.  

In fact, there are many names for this festival, such as Chrysanthemum Festival 菊花节，Height Ascending Festival 登高节, and Seniors’ Day 敬老节. These names are all related to its traditions. For example, showing respect to seniors，climbing mountains，eating Chongyang cakes，drinking chrysanthemum wine and enjoying chrysanthemum flowers.  

The custom of ascending a height 登高 originated when ancient people worshipped  mountains. Here in the city, some take part in vertical marathon events on this day in Shanghai’s skyscrapers like Oriental Pearl TV Tower or Jinmao Tower. If you would like to enjoy some natural scenery, 天马山Tianma Mountain in the southeast section of Sheshan Mountain in Shanghai’s Songjiang District is the place to be. It has the distinction of being the city’s largest and highest peak of 佘山. 

In folklore, nine is the largest number and represents longevity, which is the blessing of people for the health and longevity of the elderly. 

In 1989, the Chinese government decided to mark Seniors’ Day on the Double Ninth Festival, calling on everyone to respect, love and help the elderly. 

According to the 7th national population census data, about 4.05 million people aged over 65  now livｅ in Shanghai, accounting for 16.3 percent of the total population. 

There are some very practical services and facilities for elderly people in Shanghai. For residents over 65 years old, Shanghai’s senior citizen card 敬老卡 ensures free or discounted admission to scenic spots and cinemas. Restaurants, as well as cultural and entertainment venues are expected to offer perks to seniors too. Community canteens 社区食堂 catering to senior residents serve a variety of tasty dishes. Actually, many communities are now working to offer senior healthcare check-ups, lectures to teach them how to use cell phones,　along with a variety of classes. I’m pretty sure that even more services will be created to take even better care of our senior citizens. 

九九重阳至，愿您健康久久，平安久久。