The Double Ninth Festival is a special day for elderly people in China. The festival is on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. As the Chinese word for "nine" has the same sound as the word for "long", people take the Double Ninth Festival to show their wishes of long life for elderly people.
重阳节是中国为老年人设定的特殊节日。重阳节在阴历第九个月份的第九天。由于汉字中的“九”与“久”同音，所以人们借重阳节表达对老人长寿的祝福。
There are many traditions for this festival. On that day, families get together and climb mountains for luck and in the hope that elderly people will live much longer. They also drink chrysanthemum wine and wear a plant called zhuyu to celebrate it. Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are regarded as clean plants that can clean houses and cure diseases.
重阳节有许多传统。在这一天，家人聚在一起爬山，既是为了祈求好运，也是希望老人能更长寿。他们还喝菊花酒，佩戴一种叫做“茱萸”的植物来庆祝。菊花和茱萸都被视为洁净的植物，可以清洁房屋、治愈疾病。
Respecting elderly people is shown not only on this special day but also in daily life. For example, when an older person enters a room, everyone stands up as a mark of honour. When there are several guests at the table, the host shall introduce them from the oldest to the youngest. When a younger person is presenting something to an older person, two hands are used. On a crowded subway or bus, younger people always offer their seats to elderly people.
尊敬老人不仅体现在这个特殊的日子，也体现在日常生活中。例如，当一位老人进入房间时，所有人都会起身以示尊敬。当桌上有好几位客人时，主人会以先长后幼的顺序来介绍他们。年轻人向老年人递东西时，会双手奉上。在拥挤的地铁或公交车上，年轻人总是会给老人让座。
It is a traditional virtue in China to respect elderly people. That's because the Chinese know that elderly people have knowledge and experience that young people can learn from. So, Chinese people are proud of being old. Besides, to respect elderly people is to respect yourself tomorrow.
尊敬老人是中国的传统美德。这是因为中国人深知，老人拥有值得年轻人学习的知识和经验。所以，中国人以老为荣。而且，尊敬老人也是在尊敬明天的自己。