Double Ninth Festival and Frost's Descent 2026: Dates, Customs and Timing a Hike with Qi Men
Published
The two dates
Double Ninth Festival: October 18, 2026 (the ninth day of the ninth lunar month). Nine is a yang number, and the ninth day of the ninth month doubles it, hence “double yang,” Chongyang. Traditional customs include climbing a height, honoring elders, wearing sprigs of dogwood, admiring chrysanthemums and drinking chrysanthemum wine. Since 2013, China has also kept the day as Seniors’ Day.
Frost’s Descent: about 17:40 Beijing time on October 23, 2026. It is the last solar term of autumn, when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 210°. The next term, the Start of Winter, follows on November 7.
| Place | Local time Frost’s Descent begins |
|---|---|
| Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Singapore | Oct 23, about 17:40 |
| London | Oct 23, about 10:40 |
| New York, Toronto | Oct 23, about 05:40 |
| Los Angeles, Vancouver | Oct 23, about 02:40 |
It is the same instant everywhere; only the clocks read differently.
Marking it abroad
- Go by your local calendar. Keep the Double Ninth on your local October 18.
- Honor elders in small ways. A video call with parents or a shared meal means more than a gift. If you live far apart, pick a time when both sides are awake.
- Any height will do. A nearby hill, the high point of a park or a city lookout all count. The point is to get outside and look into the distance.
Frost’s Descent in Qi Men Dun Jia
Qi Men sets its ju by solar term. Frost’s Descent is a yin period, using Ju 5, 8 and 2 for its upper, middle and lower yuan (the mnemonic is “Frost’s Descent five, eight, two”). So around the evening of October 23, Beijing time, charts switch from Cold Dew’s Ju 6, 9 and 3. Qimena times each term from the sun’s ecliptic longitude, so a chart cast either side of that moment picks up the right ju automatically.
To check how the ju is chosen, see How Qimena casts a chart.
Timing a Double Ninth hike with Qi Men
- Pick the day. The festival itself, or a nearby day that suits you.
- Pick the hour. Compare that day’s hourly charts and choose one with a high score and a favorable gate. The Golden Hours tab in the daily report lists the best windows for the next few days; for a whole month, use the 30-day date plan.
- Pick the direction. The favorable direction on the chart for the hour you leave tells you which way to head. The Direction finder on the board uses your phone’s compass to point there.
Timing is a bonus, not the point. The weather, the trail and how your elders feel matter more than any score on a chart.
Cast a chart on local True Solar Time and see the Double Ninth’s favorable direction
FAQ
Abroad, do I use China's date or my local date?
Use October 18 on your local calendar. A festival belongs to a day; the time difference only matters when you pick the hour, and for that you cast the chart on local True Solar Time (how it works).
Why do websites give slightly different times for Frost's Descent?
The moment comes from when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 210°, and calendar calculations differ in precision. Qimena's solar terms average about 5 minutes from the Hong Kong Observatory's (comparison).
Which direction should I hike in on the Double Ninth?
Use the favorable direction on the chart for the hour you set out, preferring the palace of the Open, Life or Rest Gate with a high score. The Direction finder on the board points the way.