Ascending Closer to the Heavens
On the 9th day of the 9th lunar month, traditional Chinese communities embark on an annual pilgrimage to elevated ground. Whether scaling a majestic mountain peak, climbing a suburban hillside, or ascending a city pagoda, Climbing Mountains (登高, Dēnggāo) is the defining cultural ritual of the Chongyang Festival (Double Ninth Festival).
In ancient Chinese cosmology, “nine” is the supreme masculine Yang number. When two nines meet on the ninth day of the ninth month, the concentration of Yang energy reaches an excessive, potentially turbulent peak. Ascending to high altitudes—where the air is crisp, pure, and vast—was believed to harmonize the body’s energy with the cosmos, clearing away stagnation and avoiding earthly seasonal miasma.
The Legend of Huan Jing and the Plague Demon
The folk origin of Chongyang mountaineering is rooted in a famous Han Dynasty legend recorded in the Continuation of Qi Xie (《续齐谐记》).
During the Eastern Han period, the Ru River region was terrorized by a river plague demon (瘟魔) that spread sickness every year on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. A young man named Huan Jing (桓景) whose parents had perished from the plague, sought out the Taoist immortal Fei Changfang to learn the arts of protection.
When autumn arrived, the immortal told Huan Jing:
“The plague demon will rise again on the ninth day of the ninth month. Take your family, tie sprays of dogwood (茱萸) to your arms, carry cups of chrysanthemum wine (菊花酒), and ascend to the highest peak you can find.”
Huan Jing led his village up a nearby mountain. When the plague demon emerged from the river, it was overwhelmed by the pungent scent of the dogwood and the herbal aroma of the chrysanthemum wine from the heights, rendering it powerless before Huan Jing struck it down. Ever since, climbing high to escape calamity (避灾 / 避祸) became an enduring Chongyang tradition.
A Source of Literary Inspiration
For Chinese scholars and literati, Denggao was more than a spiritual safeguard; it was a profound source of poetic reflection. Autumn’s clear skies and falling leaves evoked sentiments of nostalgia, familial longing, and meditations on the passage of time.
No literary work immortalizes this ritual better than the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei (王维) in his celebrated masterpiece, Thinking of My Brothers on Mountain Holiday (《九月九日忆山东兄弟》):
“As a lonely stranger in a foreign land, / At every festival my homesickness increases. / From afar I know my brothers climb the highest mountain, / All wearing dogwood, with only me missing.”
（独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲。遥知兄弟登高处，遍插茱萸少一人。）
Why “Denggao” Means “Rising Prosperity”
In Chinese linguistic folklore, the word for “High” or “Height”—Gāo (高)—is a perfect homophone for Gāo (糕, meaning “Cake”).
This linguistic connection birthed another famous Chongyang tradition: eating Chongyang Cake (重阳糕). For families living in flat plains without accessible mountains, eating multi-layered Chongyang Cake on festival day serves as a symbolic substitution for climbing high—wishing that one’s career, health, and family fortunes “rise higher step by step” (步步高升, Bùbù Gāoshēng).
Modern Transformation: Seniors’ Day & Autumn Trails
Since 1989, China has officially designated the Double Ninth Festival as Seniors’ Day (敬老节 / 老年节), blending the traditional pursuit of longevity with modern respect for the elderly.
Today, Denggao has seamlessly transformed into a cherished outdoor fitness movement. Around mid-October, national parks and scenic trails across China are filled with families hiking together, helping grandparents safely reach scenic lookouts. By stepping out into the brisk autumn air and taking in vibrant fall foliage, modern mountaineers keep an ancient wish alive: to climb high, breathe deeply, and live a long, healthy life.