Qiandongnan Festivals and Events

Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture is inhabited by Miao, Dong, Han, Shui, Yao, Zhuang, Buyi, Tujia and other ethnic groups. Southeast Guizhou is known as the land of festivals, with more than 200 festivals and celebrations throughout the year.

Festivals in Qiandongnan

Besides some Chinese traditional festivals, like New Year's Day(January 1), Spring Festival(The first day of the first lunar month; February 5, 2019), Lantern Festival(The fifteenth day of the first lunar month), Tomb Sweeping Day(15 days after the Spring equinox; April 5, 2019), Dragon Boat Festival(The fifth day of the fifth lunar month; June 7, 2019) and Mid-Autumn Day(The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month; September 13, 2019), Guiyang is rich in ethnic minority festivals, including Lusheng Festival, Papo(爬坡) Festival, Sister's Meal Festival and Miao's New Year of Miao people;  Dong's New Year, Wrestling Festival and Linwang Festival(林王节) of Dong people; Duan Festival(端节) of Shui people; and Panwang Festival(盘王节) of Yao, etc. 

International Lusheng Festival(国际芦笙节)

Every year on the 18th, 19th and 20th days of the first lunar month, the Lusheng festival is held by the Miao people in Zhouxi town of Kaili city. People of all ages and both sexes from surrounding villages gather here, dressing up, blowing Lusheng and doing Lusheng dance. Today, Lusheng festival has gradually become a major international festival, with a huge number of visitors. Apart from blowing Lusheng, other recreational activities such as horse racing, bullfighting and birdfighting are also added during the festival.

6 Days Autumn Lusheng Festival Tour in Guizhou

Sister's Meal Festival of Miao(苗族姐妹饭)

The 15th day to 17th day of the 3rd lunar month is the sister's meal festival of Shidong Miao village in Taijiang county. On this day, married women return to their families to reunite. On the day of the festival, women will eat the colorful "sister's meal" made of glutinous rice, which is a steamed colored glutinous rice dyed from wild flowers and leaves collected by the girls on the mountain. In addition, there are hilarious bullfighting scenes and "Youfang" activities. Now the sister's meal festival has become a very important festival in Taijiang county, branches of the Miao ethnic group in Taijiang hold the sister's meal festival in different times, mostly in the first lunar month to fifth lunar month. And the main venues of the event are in Laotun, Pianzhai, Shidong, county seat of Taijiang, etc., the most representative is the sister's meal festival in Shidong area. At that time, various activities will be launched, such as, Miao people dress up to welcome guests, traditional folk activities of sister's meal festival, opening ceremony, Qingshuijiang night bonfire party, etc.

5 Days Guizhou Miao Sisters’ Meal Festival Tour

Hantian Festival(喊天节)

Hantian festival originated in the Huanggang Dong village of Liping County. It is said that the villagers of Huanggang village once encountered a long lasting drought. Wu Wan(吴万) of the village asked the famous heavenly master Wu Weimin(吴为民) to pray for rain, and Wu Weimin was touched by Wu Wan's sincerity, he decided to hold a ceremony to pray for rain for Huanggang village in the 15th day of sixth lunar month. Later, the 15th day of sixth lunar month became a festival for the villagers in Huanggang. On this day, Huanggang would hold a big banquet to receive the guests who came to watch the "worship heaven", and hold performances of blowing Lusheng, bullfighting, etc.

First Harvest of the Year(吃新节)

"First Harvest of the Year" is the grandest festival of the Miao people in Qiandongnan at the turn of spring and summer. It evolved from ancient sacrificial rites, and the festival time varies from place to place. Generally, it is from the beginning of the sixth lunar month to the middle of the eighth lunar month.

Miao's New Year(苗年)

Miao's New Year Festival is the biggest and most important festival of the Miao people that is equal to the Spring Festival of Han people. The Miao's New year is celebrated at different times of the year in different regions, usually from September to November in the Chinese lunar calendar(after rice harvest). Most Miao people celebrate in the 10th month in the lunar calendar, and lasts for 5-15 days, of which the first three days are the best time to attend the festival. 

5 Days Miao’s New Year Festival Tour in Guizhou

Activities in Qiandongnan

Festival activities include singing and dancing, bullfighting and horse racing, blowing Lusheng, trampling bronze drum, dragon-boat racing, playing dragon lanterns, singing dong opera and so on. Traditional sports activities of ethnic minorities mainly include "dragon boat rowing" and martial arts of the Miao ethnic group, and "sparkler-grabbing" of the dong ethnic group known as "Oriental Rugby". 

Tour of LeiGong Mountain International 100 km Ultra Trail Challenge in Guizhou(贵州雷公山挑战赛)

Guizhou Tour of LeiGong Mountain International 100 km Ultra Trail Challenge is held in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, which is known as "The Province of Parks(公园之省)", "The City of Festivals", "The Last Home of Weary Human Soul". With a total length of more than 100 kilometers, the race is divided into "three days, three places and three segments". It is the only multi-location, multi-stage, three-day super-long-distance international challenge in China. The competition set up "daily competition schedule" and "general competition schedule" two kinds of competition reward scheme. Every year in the early November, the competition is held in Kaili City, Leishan County and Zhenyuan Ancient Town of Qiandongnan, Guizhou Province. 

Drum Tower Culture and Art Festival in Liping of China(黎平·中国侗族鼓楼文化艺术节)

Dong's drum tower culture and art festival held in Liping County of China is one of the largest festivals in Qiandongnan. There are activities with unique ethnic features during the festivals, including Grand Song Performance of Dong, Song and Dance of Dong, Dong's custom display, etc. 

Sparkler-grabbing(抢花炮)

Sparkler-grabbing, a traditional sports event widely carried out by Zhuang and Dong minorities, is popular in Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi. Every year, during Spring Festival or other major festivals, Dong people from Liping County, Congjiang County and other places wear festive dress, according to traditional habits, have a sparkler-grabbing competition among villages. Sparkler-grabbing have strong antagonism and fast attack and defense conversion, it requires both personal breakthrough and the overall cooperation. As a result, it is known as "Oriental Rugby".