Chinese Festivals To Enjoy On Your China Tour


by Lola Adewoyin - Date: 2007-02-13 - Word Count: 619 Share This!

China is known for its rich and massive historical culture; this has led to the number of festivals being celebrated all year round thus boosting the flow of tourists in various provinces within China. There are several festivals in China, but the Spring Festival is the most important event. This marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar Year among Chinese people all over the world. During this festival, family members gather together and eat Jiaozu (dumplings) shaped like a crescent moon in commemoration of the New Year. Jiaozu means midnight or beginning of a new period in Chinese hence the symbolic representation of eating dumplings during the New Year. Everywhere is cleaned and painted red in order to drive evil spirits away. This year, the Lunar New year falls on February 18.

The Lantern festival locally called Yuanxiao festival is another usually held on the 15th day of the first Chinese Lunar month; although slightly related to the Spring Festival, but the Lantern festival is celebrated to mark the first day of the full moon in the lunar year. Cities and towns are seen decorated with red lanterns and the markets are displayed with lanterns for sale. During the Lantern festival, people eat dumplings made out of glutinous rice. Qingming is literally translated as clear and bright is the name given to the festival for mourning in China known as Qingming festival. With a slightly different theme, it is almost similar to All Souls day practiced in Western countries. It falls on April 5 every year as the onset of a warmer weather and the beginning of spring plowing and family gatherings. During this festival, people visit their ancestors' graves in different provinces to clean up and tidy the dead and fallen leaves in order to make the grave cleaner. This is the reason why Qingming is also known as the Grave Sweeping Day.

This season also paves way for spring time when kite flying is very prevalent in many Chinese cities leading to the celebration of the annual Weifang Kite Festival held every April in Shandong province in Eastern China. The Dragon Boat Festival normally takes place on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month which is usually in the middle of the year in June. Locally known as Duanwu, this festival has been marked by eating the local delicacy, Zongzi a pyramid shaped dumpling made out of glutinous rice and wrapped in bamboo leaves and participating in dragon boat races. The boats are shaped to look like dragons painted in bright yellow, red, white and black colors and measures about 20 to 40 meters long. The spectacular thing about the Dragon boat festival is that as boatmen row the boat in tune with the beat of the drum. The captain who stands in front of the boat coordinates the activity by raising a flag and the race gets underway.

The Mid Autumn festivals usually falls around the 15th of the 8th lunar month, which is usually around September. This festival dates back to some 2000 years ago during the feudal times. In different parts of China, people have various ways of celebrating the mid autumn festivals but the general way which is shared by all Chinese is the eating of the specialty moon cakes. The Double Ninth festival is celebrated during the 9th day of the 9th lunar month and is usually held in the golden season of autumn during harvest time. This period is characterized by bright clear weather and happy festive moods.Other festival of interest includes the Shaolin festival in Zhengzhou, The Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin and the International Tourist Festival held in Kunming.

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Related Tags: china tour, tour operator, chinese festival, qingming festival, spring festival

Lola is an avid writer who loves to write about attractions and sightseeings in China.

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