Home : China Guide : Yunnan : Yunnan Festivals
The famous festivals of Yunnan ethnic minorities are the Torch Festival of the Yi, the Third Month Fair of the Bai, the Sanduo Festival of the Naxi, the MunaoZongge Festival of the Jingpo and the SwordPole Festival of the Lisu.
| Huashan (Flower Mountain) Festival |
| Ethnic group |
: Miao |
| Region |
: Mengzie Pingbian |
| Lunar date |
: 3rd day of the 1st month |
| Activities |
: Male and female singing in antiphonal style, Lusheng dance, pole-climbing |
| Munao Zongge Festival |
| Ethnic group |
: Jingpo |
| Region |
: Longchuan Mangshi |
| Lunar date |
: 15th – 16th day of the 1st month |
| Activities |
: Singing, dancing, wine drinking, festive greetings |
| Sanduo Festival |
| Ethnic group |
: Naxi |
| Region |
: Lijiang |
| Lunar date |
: 8th day of the 2nd month |
| Activities |
: Lili dancing, horse racing, picnics |
| Flower-picking Festival |
| Ethnic group |
: Yi, Lahu |
| Region |
: Dayao Shuangjiang |
| Lunar date |
: 8th day of the 2nd month |
| Activities |
: Picking flowers, dancing |
| Daogan Festival |
| Ethnic group |
: Lisu |
| Region |
: Tengchong Liuku |
| Lunar date |
: 8th – 9th day of the 2nd month |
| Activities |
: Crossing the sea of fire, climbing the knife ladder, antiphonal singing |
| Water Splashing Festival |
| Ethnic group |
: Dai |
| Region |
: Xishuangbanna Dehong |
| Lunar date |
: End of the 6th month to beginning of the 7th month
(according to the Dai calendar) |
| Activities |
: Dragon boat races, splashing water on each other, singing and dancing, flying Kong Ming lanterns, tossing embroidered parcels into the air |
| Third Month Fair |
| Ethnic group |
: Bai |
| Region |
: Dali |
| Lunar date |
: 15th – 21st day of the 3rd month |
| Activities |
: Large-scale commodity fairs and an occasion for cultural exchange |
| Surrounding Three Spirits |
| Ethnic group |
: Bai |
| Region |
: Dali |
| Lunar date |
: 23rd – 25th day of the 4th month |
| Activities |
: Formerly a religious activity for praying for a good harvest; later an occasion for an outing in the countryside |
| Panwang Festival |
| Ethnic group |
: Yao |
| Region |
: Mengla, Hekou |
| Lunar date |
: 29th day of the 5th month |
| Activities |
: Worshipping ancestors, singing and dancing |
| Torch Festival |
| Ethnic group |
: Yi, Bai |
| Region |
: Stone Forest Chuxiong, Dali |
| Lunar date |
: 24th day of the 6th month |
| Activities |
: Lighting torches, face-painting, fireworks, bull-fighting |
Many minorities in Yunnan have festivals for different purposes, some ethnic groups share the same festivals. For example, the Yi people celebrate the Torch Festivals, the Tiger Festival, the FlowerArranging Festival, the Ganhua Festival and the Mizhi Festival. The Bai people celebrate the Third Month Fair, the Raosanlin, the Torch Festival, the Shuahaihui and Butterfly Festival. Although the Yi, Bai, Naxi, Hani, Lisu and the Pumi all celebrate the Torch Festival, and the Dai, Achang and Deang celebrate the WaterSplahing Festival, the origins and activities held for these festivals are not the same. For example, the Torch Festival of the Yi originated from the celebration for defeating their enemies, while the Bai people celebrate it in memory of the Lady of Benevolence, a character in the legend of Burning Songming Building.
As far as the origin and content are concerned, the festivals of the ethnic minorities in Yunnan can be classified into the following four categories: Religious festivals like the WaterSplashing Festival of the Dai and the Munao Zongge Festival of the Jingpo; Festivals for farming activities like the Planting Festival of the Achang, and the NewRice Tasting Festival of the Zhuang, the Miao and the Yao; Commemoration festivals such as the Torch Festival of the Yi and the SwordPole Festival of the Lisu; and festivals of social activities and amusement such as the Raosanlin of the Bai and the Maypole Festival of the Miao.
 9 days Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Zhongdian
| Yunnan Tour Packages Page
1
2
3 |
|
|
