Hangzhou Festivals and Events

Hangzhou Festivals and Events introduce a brief introduction of festivals and activities and tell travelers Top Things to Do for Hangzhou festivals Tours and important Hangzhou festivals and activities including traditional festivals, local festivals and cultural events, as well as performances in Hangzhou.

With the exception of Chinese traditional festivals, every place has its own festival to show their special places, culture, or specialties, so does Hangzhou. You can experience diverse festivals and activities there in Hangzhou, which makes you feel closer to it. We have collected some special festivals to help you know more about Hangzhou festivals and activities.

Festivals in Hangzhou

Traditional Festivals in Hangzhou

Local Festivals in Hangzhou

Longjing (Gragon Well) Tea Festival 

Location: Longjin Village
Date: April 8th – May 8th
Main Activities: Spring outing, picking tea, drinking tea, enjoying a tea ceremony, and walking in the countryside.

West Lake Lotus Festival

Location: Qu Yuan Feng He-one of the scenic spots of West Lake
Date: June – August
Main Activities: lotus flower appreciation, lotus seed peeling, lotus meal making, folk opera listening, lotus flower lanterns putting, Miss lotus flower photography contest, Chinese lotus variety show, etc.

West Lake Osmanthus Festival

Location: Man Long Gui Yu Park, Man Jue Long Village, and Hangzhou Arboretum
Date: September 10th – October 31st
Main Activities: Since osmanthus is the city flower of Hangzhou, the government has decreed that each year during September when osmanthus blooms, Hangzhou citizens host the West Lake Osmanthus Festival. Appreciating osmanthus and the food made of osmanthus, drinking tea, watching shows and painting exhibitions are the main activities during the festival.

China International Qiantang River Tidal Bore Festival

Location: Qiantang River bank
Date: September--the 18th day of the eighth lunar month
Main Activities: Appreciate the great spectacle of the Qiantang River Bore, the bore is a unique natural phenomenon triggered by the pull of the moon. When the tides come in, a wave is produced so large that it surges several meters high.

Longmen Ancient Town Folkways Festival

Location: Longmen Ancient Town
Date: Early November
Main Activities: The festival offers a variety of activities such as rural work and ancient sports games.

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Activities in Hangzhou

The local people of Hangzhou adore their festivals and participate in a variety of events throughout the year. This festival-loving quality is one of the finest characteristics of the people of Hangzhou. Over different seasons or months, there are numerous related or themed festival activities and events organized for family reacreation. 

 Major Events in Hangzhou

Spring Festival Temple Fair in Song Dynasty Town

Add: Song Dynasty Town
Time：From the 1st day to the 15th day of the first lunar month.   
Intro: During the Spring Festival Temple Fair in Song Town, tourists can enjoy being with "Song Emperors", praying for blessings and worshipping the gods while wishing for the prosperous future. It is an intersting experience to learn about 1000-year-old Song culture.

Wushan Temple Fair 

Time:January 6-January 15
Venue:Wu Hill Scenic Area
Intro:  For 9 days, the temple fair presented series of folk-custom activities such as the 10,000 lovers' tryst , the pictorial exhibition on history of long-established enterprises , Wushan flower fair , the local snack carnival etc.. The temple fair reminded tourists of their childhood and enable them to feel the flavor of Hangzhou to the core. In the pictorial exhibition on history of long-established enterprises, historical pictures of HuJinYuTang , Wanlong ham firm , FangHuiChunTang etc. made first appearance to public . As for the local snack carnival, 23 exhibition booths with various kinds of snacks greatly impressed visitors.

West Lake Mid-autumn Festival Evening

Time: the lunar August 14th – 18 th
Add: Pinhuqiuyue, Huxin Pavilion, Tea house around the West Lake, Jishagang Culture Village.
Main Activities: Singing, dancing, acrobatics, folk music performance, dinner, night tour over the West Lake, etc.

Hangzhou West Lake Expo

Time: Later October – early November
It’s the most concerned showcase of Hangzhou’s history, culture and scenery. During this period, there are various exhibitions, forums and performances, which cover all aspects of culture, art, fashion, science, technology, business, tourism and food. It’s a good chance for tourists to take part in the festival and have more fun.

China International Silk Expo     

Time: October 20 to 23
Venue: Hangzhou Peace International Conference and Exposition Center
IntroThe China International Silk Expo is jointly sponsored by the State's Ministry of Commerce and the Municipal Government of Hangzhou, and jointly undertaken by the State Cocoon Silk Correspondence Office, China Silk Association, Hangzhou Economic Committee and Hangzhou Trade Bureau, with zealous support and participation of Cocoon Silk Office of the Commercial Bureau, Silk Association, Commercial Organization, Foreign Trade Company and Silk Garment Enterprise from every province (district and city).This event is hitherto the largest, highest level and most professional Silk Exposition at home and abroad.

Other Events in Hangzhou

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Performances and Shows in Hangzhou

Show and performances in Hangzhou offer your diverse perspectives to know this charming place. You shouldn't miss the Impression West Lake Show  which can best be described as a grand spectacle of lights, music, dance and theatrics.

Impression West Lake

Venue:No. 82 Beishan Rd (across from the Yue Fei Temple), Xihu District
Time: 19:45-20:45 (First Performance)
Intro :  The show draws deeply from the legends and myths of Hangzhou's ancient folk culture to recreate some of the representative elements of West Lake's human history. It also uses hi-tech special effects to create “West Lake Rain,” which showcases the natural charm of West Lake in the rain from a side-view.

Romance of Song Dynasty Show

Venue:Song Dynasty Town, No. 148 Zhijiang Avenue, Hangzhou
Time: Afternoon Show 14:00 - 15:00; Night Show: around 19:20 - 20:20
Intro : The Romance of the Song Dynasty is an indoor performance involving many elements such as singing, dancing, acrobatics, legends, myths, traditions, and so on. It is an easy and direct way to show visitors the charm of both tangible and intangible artifacts for them to understand the history, tradition, and the lifestyles in Hangzhou.

West Lake International Fireworks Show

Venue: West Lake
Date: In the middle of October
Intro:This dazzling event in West Lake draws thousand of viewers to the fireworks site to witness the glittering and colorful skyline. Thousands of new fireworks products from different countries entertain enthusiastic visitors.

Thousand-Islet-Lake Water Show

Venue:Sep.22
Date:Thousand Isle Lake
Intro: The water show consists of activity show, charm show and potential show, involving yacht exhibition, folk art month, contest for Olympics ambassador, cooking contest and other events. 

Sites for Events in Hangzhou

• Zhejiang Concert Hall
• Hangzhou Stadium
• Hangzhou Theater
• Hangzhou Grand Theatre
• The Gold Coast Red Mill Theater
• Yellow Dragon Sports Center
• Flying Dream Simulation Flight Center
• Hangzhou International Expo Center
• F2 International Kart Racing Hall
• Hangzhou Olympic And International EXPO Center
• Hangzhou Peace International Convention and Exhibition Center

 Edited by Brittany Tian/田春燕