Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Chung Yeung Festival

Ever since I started working in Hong Kong, I am learning more and more of Chinese Festivals. Growing up i n Singapore, I did not understand or celebrate as many Chinese Festival as the people in Hong Kong and it's interesting to learn of the history behind each festival.


The Chung Yeung Festival is a day to respect and remember ancestors. Also known as Autumn Remembrance, this festival is similar to Ching Ming in the spring, in that families journey to the graves of their ancestors to perform cleansing rites and pay their respects. They share the food they bring along, especially Chinese cakes, ko, which is a homonym of the word for "top". Some believe that those who eat these cakes will be promoted to the top.


It is also a day for hiking. The Chung Yeung Festival commemorates a Han Dynasty (BC 202-AD 220) legend, which tells how a fortune teller advised Woon King that he should take his family to a high place for the entire ninth day of the ninth moon. Upon their return, the Woon family discovered all living things in their village had been killed. Today, many Hong Kong families head to the hills to picnic during the Chung Yeung Festival.


This is a popular Chinese poem that’s recited by children during Chung Yeung Festival.

"Double Ninth, Missing My Shandong Brothers" - Wang Wei (Tang Dynasty)

Original:

(jiǔ)(yuè)(jiǔ)()()(shān)(dōng)(xiōng)() 王維

()(zài)()(xiāng)(wèi)()()

(měi)(féng)(jiā)(jié)(bèi)()(qīn)

(yáo)(zhī)(xiōng)()(dēng)(gāo)(chù)

(biàn)(chā)(zhū)()(shǎo)()(rén)


English:

As a lonely stranger in the strange land,

Every holiday the homesickness amplifies.

Knowing that my brothers have reached the peak,

All but one is present at the planting of zhuyu.


The information above was taken from these websites.

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/heritage/festivals/he_fest_chun.jhtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Ninth_Festival


Write and tell me what you did during the long weekend.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

DEAR MISS FAITH,

I AM BAD IN CHINESE , CAN YOU READ FOR ME IN SCHOOL?
WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS POEM?CAN YOU TELL ME?


FROM,
SABRINA

Anonymous said...

dear faith,
i like Chung Yeung Festival very much!

Anonymous said...

Hi faith,


Chung Yeung Festival is are good festival in October,we can go to hiking and hiking is a sport,hiking is very good!!

your best friend,
Yuko mok

Anonymous said...

I do not like Chung Yeung Festival.What do you think.I faster then Mr Tam.

Anonymous said...

hi

Faith At Kei Wai said...

Hi Sabrina,

I'm sorry, I can't read it in Chinese. I got the poem from wikipedia from the internet.

Faith

Anonymous said...

Dear Faith,

Thank you for sharing the poem with us. I think the poem is very touching. We better treasure the relationship with our friends and relative. Moreover, I think you are lucky in Hong Kong because you can have both the Chinese and Western holiday here because Hong Kong is an international city. It is great that you can learn more about the Chinese culture especially you can eat the yummy special food of different festivals.

Tam sir

Faith At Kei Wai said...

Hugo,

I've never really celebrate Chung Yuen before. I'm actually going to see my grandma on Chung Yuen. She lives in Dongguan, in China.

Faith

Faith At Kei Wai said...

Yuko,

I'm a rather lazy person. I don't like hiking at all. Actually, I don't like going to places where there's too many trees and plants. I'm a little strange.

Faith

Faith At Kei Wai said...

Tam Sir,

Yes, I have to agree with you that this is a good poem. Especially now that I'm living away from my family and friends, it makes me treasure them more.

Faith

Anonymous said...

Hi faith,
I like Chung Yeung Festival. Do you like Chung Yeung Festival?

Anonymous said...

Oh! I see!Thank you your reliped.

Faith At Kei Wai said...

Angela,

To me, Chung Yueng festival is a good time for me to have a rest. I'm going to see my grandma tomorrow in hospital.

Anonymous said...

Dear Faith,

Sorry to hear about your grandma in the hospital, What's wrong with her? May God bewith her always.

Tam sir

Anonymous said...

Dear Faith,

I like Chung Yeung Festival very much. It is because I can go hiking at Tai Mo Shan. I think you are very smart because you can find a Chinese poem.

From Albert Wong(5D)

Faith At Kei Wai said...

Tam Sir,

Thanks. I visited my grandma today and she's lots better. She's just getting old.

Faith At Kei Wai said...

Albert,

Thanks, I'm very flattered.

Anonymous said...

Dear Faith,
It is really nice to translate the poem into English and share it with us. I hope we will be good to our famly members.
Miss Dit

Anonymous said...

My grandmather and father are die,but I love them all,I hope they can hear.I hope my classmates will love there grandmather and father or respect them.

Anonymous said...

My grandmather and father are die,but I love them all,I hope they can hear.I hope my classmates will love there grandmather and father or respect them.

Anonymous said...

Hi! Miss Faith!
I don't like Chung Yeung Festival because at these tmie. I neet to have the test !!!
Venus 5D

Anonymous said...

Dear Faith,

Chung Yeung Festival is a very sad's Festival ,because we are go to vist the forebear,so we will miss them. 5c25 wendy tsui

Anonymous said...

Dear faith:

My grandma was died,but I am very met her.
Christy5C(6)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing the poem with us. I think the poem is very touching. We better treasure the relationship with our friends and relative. Moreover, I think you are lucky in Hong Kong because you can have both the Chinese and Western holiday here because Hong Kong is an international city. It is great that you can learn more about the Chinese culture especially you can eat the yummy special food of different festivals.