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1.
Hainan lnternational Coconut Festival
Dates : The first 10-day period in April (the third day of the
third lunar month)
Places : Haikou City, Wenchang County, Tongshi City and Sanya
City in Hainan Province
Activities : The celeration of the lantern festival in Haikou,
Coconut Street, Gala of the Miao and Li minorities, the international
dragon boat race, national martial arts contests, performances,
sports, Miao and Li wedding ceremonies, and ceremonies for offering
sacrifices to ancestors.
2. 'The Third Day of the Third Lunar Month' of the Li Minority in
Hainan Province
Dates : The first 10-day period in April (the third day of the
third lunar month)
Places : Qiongzhong, Dongfang, Changjiang, Ledong and Baisha
counties and Tongshi City in Hainan Province
Activities :The Li people in every village will gather in the
open area to hold various activities rich in ethnic flavor, such as
gun and archery contests , singing by elderly and middle-aged Li men
and women and bamboo dances. Meanwhile, tourists may see young couples
engage in 'mountain love', a tradition peculiar to the Li people.
3. The Lantern Festival in Zigong Sichuan
Dates : From early February to early March
Place : Zigong City, Sichuan Province
Activities : The Lantern Festival in Zigong has a long history,
dating back to the Tang(618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. During
the festival, outstanding samples of China's colorful traditional
lanterns are shown. In addition, 'dragons' made of porcelain dinner
sets, 'peacocks' made of glass bottles, and bamboo, silk and paper
lanterns will also be on display, integrating beautiful shapes, bright
color lights, movement and sound and displaying a high degree of
workmanship. Tourists can feast their eyes on more than 100
collections of large lanterns as well as several thousand artistic
lanterns. During the festival, various commodity exhibitions and trade
fairs are held.
4. The Qinghai 'Double-Six Folk Song Fair'
Dates : From July 3-9 (the eighth day of the fourth lunar month,
the sixth day of the sixth lunar month and the 15th day of the seventh
lunar month)
Place : Xining, Qinghai Province
Activities : Tens of thousands of singers and participants from
the Hui, Dongxiang and Bao'an ethnic groups come to Lotus Hill to sing
folk songs. There are many other activities such as touring the
mountains, singing in the ethnic style,theatrical performances and
commodity fairs.
5. The Water-Sprinkling Festival of the Dai in Yunnan
Dates : April 13-15
Place : Jinghong City in the Dai Autonomous Prefecture of
Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province
Activities : Dragon boat races, fireworks, drum-treading dance
by elephants, peacock dance, visiting parks and fairs and sprinkling
water (symbolizing auspiciousness).
6. Boat Festival in Qintong Town, Yangzhou
Date : April 4-6
Places : Qintong Town, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province
Activities : A festival with local flavor, in addition to boat
races, different operas, lion and dragon dances are performed by
farmers on boats from surrounding counties and townships.
7. Chang'an Annual lnternational Calligraphy Meeting
Dates : April 20-26
Place : Xi'an, Shaanxi Province
Activities : A large inauguration ceremony will be held.
Inscriptions will be written on a 100-meter-long scroll. The Chinese
and foreign calligraphers' association will issue annual meeting
certificates, and the four treasures of the study (writing brush, ink
slab, ink stick and paper) will be on display. Tourist may visit the
Forest of Steles, Jiucheng Palace and Shimen.
8. Luoyang Peony Fair
Dates : April 15-25
Place : Luoyang City, Henan Province
Activities : Luoyang began the cultivation of the peony 1,400
years ago, and over 350 varieties are grown there today. During the
fair , the city blooms with the beautiful flowers, which give out a
faint scent. During the fair, large performances are given. Visitors
may view flowers, visit exhibitions of lanterns, paintings,
calligraghy and photographs, take part in symposiums and business
talks. Tourists may visit the renown Longmen Grottoes, the White Horse
Temple and ancient tombs.
9. Guangxi International Folk Song Festival
Dates : The last 10-day period in April (the third day of the
third lunar month)
Place : Nanning Ciry or Liuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region
Activities : A Chinese folk song competition is held , with
performances by Chinese and foreign folk singers, multi-ethnic
gatherings are organized and visitors may also attend trade fairs and
participate in various local tours.
10. Weifang International Kite Festival
Dates : April 20-25
Place : Weifang City, Shandong Province
Activities : Weifang is known as the 'World Kite Capital'. The
head office of the International Kite Federation is located at the
Weifang Kite Museum. During the festival, an inauguration ceremony,
kiteflying ceremony and international and domestic kite contests are
held, where the 10 best kites are selected. Tourists may visit the
Kite Museum, enjoy Yangjiafu folk art performances, go shopping and
stay at farmers' homes and have meals and fun together with them in
the Shijiazhuang Folk Custom Tourist Village.
11. Fujian Mazu Festival
Dates : April 25, October 4
Place : Meizhou Island, Putian, Fujian Province
Activities : Mazu is the name of a legendary sea goddess born
in 960. Legend has it that Mazu protects boats and saves people from
drowning in the sea. The 23rd day of the third lunar month is
celebrated as her birthday; the ninth day of the ninth lunar month is
the day when Mazu supposedly passed away. On these two days every
year, thousands of local residents and compatriots from Taiwan come to
pay homage to Mazu. During the festival, visitors join in the
activities to pay respect to Mazu, take part in the study of Mazu
culture, go shopping at arts and crafts exhibitions, enjoy folk songs
and dances and taste food of Fujian flavor.
12. Dalian Chinese Locust Blossom Festival
Dates : The last 10-day period of May
Place : Dalian, Liaoning Province
Activities : Tourists may appreciate Chinese locust flowers,
watch folk performances, participate in cultural and sports activities
and various special tourist activities.
13. Guizhou Azalea Festival
Dates : April 8-22
Places : Qianxi and Dafang counties, Guizhou Province
Activities : In addition to the opening ceremony, tourists may
watch performances by the Yi, Miao and Buyi minorities, participate in
the Bonfire Revelry Festival and have a taste of their local
delicacies and visit the famous Huangguoshu Cataract, one of the
largest in China and the scenic Zhijin Caves. |
Information
provided by
China National
Tourism Administration.
