Double Third Festival

The history of the Shangsi Festival dates back to ancient times, and in the ancient China, Shangsi had already become a large-scale folk festival. With the arrival of spring and clear, bright scenery, people would step out of their homes, gather by the water, and participate in rituals to purify and dispel inauspicious energies. According to historical records, the Shangsi Festival was already popular during the Spring and Autumn Period. The term "Shangsi" first appeared in Han Dynasty literature. This festival had a unique custom before the Han Dynasty, serving as a carnival organized by the government for young men and women. The "Zhou Li • Di Guan • Mei Shi" recorded, "In the middle of the spring month, men and women were ordered to gather. At that time, those who ran away were not restrained." The term "ran away" refers to young men and women meeting outdoors, and besides bathing by the riverside, romantic affairs during these gatherings were not considered a violation of customary norms. The Shangsi Festival is also associated with witchcraft activities aimed at warding off evil spirits using orchid-infused water. Orchids were considered spiritual entities with a fragrant aroma. Before conducting significant rituals, ancient people observed…

It's Qingming Festival again. Around the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Qingming became a festival centered on ancestor worship and tomb sweeping, blending the Cold Food Festival tradition with other activities like the Double Third Festival spring picnic and kite flying. Wearing a willow twig as a head accessory was also a custom of ancient people during the Qingming Festival. Apart from folding willows, there is also the tradition of flying kites during Qingming. Ancient people believed that the wind during this time of year was suitable for kite flying. Nowadays, cities like Weifang and Wuhan hold kite festivals every april, where thousands of kite enthusiasts gather to celebrate this grand event that began in the Tang Dynasty. In addition, ancient people would start cockfighting from Qingming and continue Summer Solstice, but why did they choose this time? It was because people discovered that wild chickens mate and hatch eggs during this period, and the roosters would fight each other to find a mate. Domesticated roosters also exhibit fierce behavior during this time, making for an exciting spectacle when two roosters engage in a battle. The "Zuo Zhuan" contains the earliest record of cockfighting in China, and by the Tang Dynasty,…