A CHAPTER OF FOLKLORE 



1.— THE KITE FESTIVAL IN FOOCHOW, 



CHINA. 



LEWIS HODOUS, D.D. 



On the ninth day of the ninth month occurs the kite 

 festival. By the seventh month the kites begin to appear 

 in the shops and on the hills. They increase in number and 

 variety until the ninth day of the ninth month when the hills 

 in Foochow swarm with men and boys flying kites. There 

 are all sorts of kites, bird kites, round kites, oblong kites 

 with two planes and a space between them. There are kites 

 which make a sound as the wind blows through them. 

 There are kites with tails and without tails. Some fly 

 several kites from one string. At night they hang lanterns 

 from them and the kites look like the stars. The kites 

 have on them the characters for sun, moon and star. Old 

 and young enjoy the sport together. Those who have no 

 kites stand by and look on. Some vie one with another 

 trying to have their kites fly as high as possible. Others try 

 to get their kite across the cord of another kite and pull the 

 opponent down. This is called hooking a kite. Many 

 families take their dinner with them and spend the day 

 picnicing on the hillsides. 



On this day the shops prepare large cakes called dung- 

 iong gui. They are round, glue like, stickly masses about a 

 foot in diameter and two inches thick. On them are peanuts 

 and dates. Little flags of various colors are stuck into them. 

 They have nine layers and are often called the nine layer 

 cakes. These nine layers represent the ninth day of the 

 ninth month. The cakes are cut into small pieces which are 

 sold for a few cash apiece. 



This festival is popular all over China, though it is not 

 celebrated everywhere in the same way. In the morning 

 of this day an offering is made to the ancestors. This is 

 quite general throughout China. Other practices, however,. 



