Tomorrow is the ninth day of the ninth month, which is the traditional Chongyang Festival of the Han nationality. Since the opening of the port in Hong Kong, the holiday has generally been observed according to Chinese customs, with Qingming being a spring festival and Chongyang naturally serving as an autumn festival, thus becoming a statutory holiday in Hong Kong.
On Chongyang Festival, residents of Hong Kong may hike with their families or visit graves to pay respects to their ancestors. Since most of Hong Kong's major cemeteries are located on hills, visiting graves also serves the purpose of hiking, which is quite fitting for the season. These grave visitors are mostly organized by one or several families, bringing abundant offerings and incense to honor their ancestors. After visiting the graves and paying respects, families then take food for a picnic in the countryside.
The custom of ancestor worship during Chongyang originates from the indigenous residents.
According to historical records, the custom of ancestor worship on the ninth day of the ninth month in Hong Kong originates from the Liao clan, one of the earliest settled families in the New Territories. The Liao clan still retains this custom today, and their autumn festival ceremonies are quite grand. However, the number of participants and the forms and scales of worship differ from the ancestral worship activities of the indigenous residents of the New Territories, which are organized by clans.
Records indicate that the ancestral worship of the indigenous residents of the New Territories on the ninth day of the ninth month is usually divided into three parts: the first is a private grave visit, which is a small family-style worship; the second is a group grave visit, involving several to over ten families; the third is a public grave visit, where all members of the same surname in the village, regardless of whether they have moved away or are living separately, come together to worship their ancestors and go to the graves in groups.
Clan members generally prepare roasted pigs, three sacrificial animals, wine offerings, as well as utensils such as bowls, chopsticks, cups, and sickles. Upon arriving at the ancestral grave, some people build a stove with stones to cook traditional dishes, while others clear weeds and remove trash from around the grave.