Chinese Festivals
Laba Festival (the 8th day of the 12th lunar month)
January (12th Lunar Month)
Laba Festival originated from ancient sacrificial traditions and is closely related to Buddhism. It is considered the day when Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment. Folk customs include cooking Laba Congee (made of glutinous rice, red dates, lotus seeds, red beans and other ingredients), curing bacon, and making Laba garlic, which means exorcising evil spirits and avoiding disasters and praying for a bumper harvest. Buddhist temples will also hold a Congee ceremony.
Best place to experience: Dengfeng Shaolin Temple, Henan (Shaolin Temple provides Congee to experience Zen culture)
New Year's Eve (the Last Day of the 12th lunar month)
New Year’s Eve is the eve of the Lunar New Year and one of the most important reunion festivals in China. Traditional customs include eating New Year’s Eve dinner, pasting Spring Festival couplets, hanging New Year paintings, setting off firecrackers, and observing the New Year. In the south, there is a tradition of eating rice cake in some areas, while in the north, dumplings are an essential centerpiece of the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Best place to experience: Qianmen Street, Beijing (experience the flavor of old Beijing and taste Quanjude roast duck)
Spring Festival (the 1st day of the 1st lunar month)
February (1st Lunar Month - Lunar New Year)
Spring Festival, also known as “Lunar New Year”, is the most important traditional festival in China. It symbolizes bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. The celebration of the Spring Festival starts in late December and continues to the Yuanxiao (Lantern Festival), and includes New Year greetings, dragon and lion dances, temple fairs, red packets, etc. The north likes dumplings, while the south likes rice dumpling and rice cakes.
Best place to experience: Xi’an Datang Night City, Shaanxi (enjoy flower lanterns, watch Tang Dynasty dance performances, and experience the ancient style and flavor of the year)
Yuanxiao (the 15th day of the 1st lunar month)
Yuanxiao is a continuation of the Spring Festival, also called the “Lantern Festival” and symbolizes the successful end of the New Year. The main customs include enjoying flower lanterns, eating Yuanxiao (filled round balls made of glutinous rice-flour), guessing lantern riddles, dragon and lion dances, etc. In some areas, there is a tradition of lighting sky lanterns.
Best place to experience: Quanzhou Confucian Temple, Fujian (experience the vibe of the Lantern Festival and experience the Nanyin performance)
Dragon Head Raising (the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month)
March (2nd Lunar Month)
February 2nd is considered the day when the dragon looks up, symbolizing the arrival of spring and the revival of all things. On this day, people cut their hair (known as “shaving the dragon head”), which symbolizes good luck ahead. In addition, there is a folk custom of eating spring cakes and popcorn.
Best place to experience: Qufu Confucian Temple, Shandong (experience Confucian culture and watch traditional dragon worship ceremonies)
Shangsi Festival (the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month)
April (3rd Lunar month)
In ancient times, during the “Spring Outing Festival”, aristocratic literati often dined by the water, recited poetry and composed poems, and had the elegant ceremony of “winding water and flowing cups”. In addition, there are customs such as hiking, bathing to cure diseases, and worshiping ancestors.
Best place to experience: Li River, Guilin, Guangxi (boating on Li River, experiencing literati gathering activities)
Buddha's Birthday (8th day of the 4th lunar month)
May (4th Lunar Month)
Buddhist festivals commemorate the birth of Buddha Shakyamuni. Major temples across the country hold Buddha bathing ceremonies, and believers come to pray for blessings.
Best place to experience: Jinding, Emei Mountain, Sichuan (participate in the grand Buddha Bathing Ceremony and experience the Buddhist atmosphere)
Dragon Boat Festival (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month)
June (5th Lunar Month)
The Dragon Boat Festival originated from the story of commemorating Qu Yuan. The customs include racing Draggon Boat, eating Zongzi, hanging wormwood, wearing sachets, etc.
Best place to experience: Zigui, Hubei (Qu Yuan’s hometown, watch the original ecological Dragon Boat race)
Qixi Festival (the 7th day of the 7th lunar month)
July (6th Lunar Month)
Qixi originates from the legend of Niulang and Zhinv, and is called “Chinese Valentine’s Day”. In ancient times, women would thread needles on this day to beg for skill and pray for marriage.
Best place to experience: Suzhou Humble Administrator’s Garden, Jiangsu (classical garden, Qixi night tour, experience traditional begging ceremony)
Zhongyuan Festival (the 15th day of 7th lunar month)
August (7th Lunar Month)
Also known as the “Ghost Festival”, it is traditionally an important day for ancestor worship. People will release river lanterns and burn paper money to pray for the protection of their ancestors.
Best place to experience: Yueliangwan, Wuyuan, Jiangxi (setting off river lanterns to experience the customs of Zhongyuan Festival Festival in the water town)
Mid-Autumn Festival (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month)
September (8th Lunar Month)
A festival symbolizing reunion, where people eat mooncakes, admire the moon, worship the moon god, and guess lantern riddles.
Best place to experience: Gulangyu Island, Fujian (enjoy the moon on the sea and experience the Mid Autumn Festival cake making customs in southern Fujian)
Double Ninth Festival (9th day of the 9th lunar month)
October (9th Lunar Month)
The winter solstice is the day with the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Dumplings are eaten in the north and rice dumpling is eaten in the south. People believe that “the winter solstice is as big as the year”.
Best place to experience: Harbin Ice and Snow World, Heilongjiang Province (Ice and Snow Carnival, tasting Northeast dumplings)
Winter Solstice (November or December in the lunar calendar)
December (11th Lunar Month)
The Double Ninth Festival has the tradition of climbing high to pray for blessings, respecting the elderly and filial piety. People will eat Double Ninth cake and drink chrysanthemum wine.
Best place to experience: Mount Taishan Mountain, Shandong (climb in Chongyang to enjoy the sunrise in the sea of clouds)