Tianjin Festivals and Events

Tianjin Festivals and Events introduce a brief introduction of festivals and activities and tell travelers Top Things to Do for Tianjin festivals Tours and important Tianjin festivals and activities including traditional festivals, ethnic festivals, unique events, performances in Tianjin.

Tianjin offers a good selection of festivals and seasonal events around the year. All of the country's major annual festivals are enjoyed in Tianjin and also in the nearby city of Beijing, where you can appreciate festivities on a larger scale, with the city easily reached by car or train. Visitors are almost always welcome to join in the fun. Things to do, annual festivals and other notable events are listed below.

Festivals in Tianjin

Traditional Festivals in Tianjin

Holiday Name	Date	Remarks
Spring Festival(Chinese New Year)	1st day of 1st Lunisolar month	Based on Chinese calendar. Holidays last two full weeks up to the Lantern Festival.
Lantern Festival	15th day of 1st Lunisolar month	Based on Chinese calendar
Qingming Festival(Tomb Sweeping Day)	April 4	Based on the Qingming solar term.
Dragon Boat Festival	5th day of 5th Lunisolar month	Based on Chinese calendar
Double Seventh Day	7th day of 7th Lunisolar month	The Chinese Valentine’s Day, based on Chinese calendar
Spirit Festival(Ghost Festival)	15th day of 7th Lunisolar month	Based on Chinese calendar
Mid-Autumn Festival	15th day of 8th Lunisolar month	Based on Chinese calendar
Chongyang Festival	9th day of 9th Lunisolar month	Based on Chinese calendar
Winter Solstice Festival(Dongzhi)	December 21st, 22nd or 23rd	Based on Chinese calendar
Summer Solstice Festival(Dongzhi)	June 21st or 22nd	Based on Chinese calendar
Laba Festival	8th day of the 12th Lunisolar month	Based on Chinese calendar

Ethnic Festivals in Tianjin

In Tianjin, the main minorities are Hui and Manchu.

Hui Minority

About 170,000 Hui people live in Tianjin, and they live in various places in the form of “large dispersion and small concentration”. The famous gathering places are Tianmu Village in Beichen District and the northwest corner of Hongqiao District.

The Hui people have three main festivals: Hari Raya Puasa, Eid Al-Adha, and Mawlid an-Nabi. All the festivals and memorial days follow the Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is calculated according to the moon; one year is divided into twelve months. Each year contains is made up of about 354 days. In leap years, once every 30 years, there are 355 days. There are no leap months in the Islamic calendar. Compared with the Gregorian calendar, there are eleven days less each year, and there is one more year by the calculation of the Islamic calendar in every 32.6 Gregorian years. As a result, using the Gregorian calendar, the above-mentioned three main festivals of the Hui Nationality occur one month earlier every three years.

Hari Raya Puasa of the Hui Minority (Fast Ending Festival)

The feast month of the Hui minority, which is also called Ramadan, comes in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During the fasting month, the life of the Hui people is always much more colorful and sumptuous than normal. Usually all the Muslim families prepare beef, mutton, rice, flour, white sugar, tea, fruits and many other kinds of nourishing food. The festival of Hari Raya Puasa lasts for three days. On the first day as soon as the foredawn comes, people begin to prepare in a bustle. All families get up very early and then begin to clean the courtyard and laneways, in order to create an atmosphere of cleanness, comfort and pleasure to others. All people, including men and women, young and old wear their favorite new clothes. The mosques are all cleaned up during this festival. Big banners with slogans of Celebrating the Hari Raya Puasa Festival and colorful lanterns are hung there in the mosques.

The Eid al-Adha Festival of the Hui Nationality (Feast of Sacrifice)

Eid al-Adha, pronounced according to Arabic, means sacrifice or devotion; as a result, it is also called Feast of Sacrifice or Festival of Fidelity and Filial Piety. It is usually celebrated seventy days after the Fast-Ending Festival. People should choose the strong and bonny livestock to kill. After the animals are killed, the meat has to be divided into three parts, the first part is for the family members, the second part will be sent to relatives, friends and neighbors and the last part will be used as alms to help the poor.

The Mawlid an-Nabi of the Hui Minority(The Birthday and the Anniversary of the Death of Mohammed)

Mawlid an-Nabi is a day to commemorate the birthday as well as the anniversary of the death of the Islamic prophet Mohammed, As the birthday and the anniversary of the death of Mohammed are both on the twelfth day of the third month according to the Islamic calendar, the Hui people celebrate them together and call this festival Mawlid an-Nabi. On this day, the Muslims first go to the mosque to chant the Koran, sending blessing on Mohammed and his family (Durood), and listen to the lectures about the life stories of Mohammed given by imams. When the ceremony is over, people begin to gather and dine together. In some places where the economy is well developed and there are large and spacious places for a big dinner, they prepare dozens of tables of dishes for everybody to enjoy the food happily.

Manchu Minority

Traditional festivals of the Manchu are similar to those of the Han people. During the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival and on Mid-Autumn Festival, distinctive sports like skating are included in the festivities of the Manchu people.

Spring Festival

Nowadays, festivals of the Manchu people are similar to those of the Hans, but customs and traditions between the two are different. The Manchu Spring Festival has its special features. As the Spring Festival approaches, every family will tidy up the house and courtyard. They will make their traditional snack -- Saqima, which, by local practice, is made of refined flour, eggs, sugar, sesame, fruits and melon seeds. It looks nice and tastes delicious.

Dragon Boat Festival

Manchus celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, and refer to it as the May Festival. They celebrate the festival for the purpose of keeping off disasters and pests instead of memorising Qu Yuan (a scholar in ancient China) as the Hans do. It is said that long ago, the God of the Heaven sent officers to the human world to people's situation.

Laba Festival

The Laba Festival, also called the Laba Rice porridge Festival, is a common traditional festival of the Manchus. The 12th lunar month is called 'La' month in Chinese and eight is pronounced 'ba', which is how the name 'Laba' was derived. It is not only regarded as a day of sacrifice, but also the day on which Sakyamuni (founder of Buddhism) realised truth and became a Buddha.

Banjin Festival

In various regions of China, Manchus celebrated the Banjin festival on the 13th day the 10th lunar month, a memorial day for the birth and naming of the Manchu ethnic minority. The majority of the Manchus were derived from the Nvzhen minority, and they absorbed some other minorities to form a new community. The date of the renewal also stands for the birth of the Manchus.

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Activities in Tianjin

Unique Activities in Tianjin

Yangliuqing Folk Culture Tourism Festival

Date: December 23-January 16 of the lunar calendar
Location: Yangliuqing Town, Tianjin

The town of Yangliuqing, found in the western region of Northern China’s Tianjin Municipality, is renowned for its traditional Chinese folk art. Specifically, vibrant woodblock paintings are made to commemorate the Chinese New Year. The Yangliuqing Folk Culture Festival is one of the best ways to view these ornate pieces. Whilst not the most heavily visited of the Lunar New Year celebrations, Yangliuqing festival is definitely unique.

Tianjin Royal Gathering(天津皇会)

Date: March 23 of the lunar calendar
Location: Temple of the Queen of Heaven, Tianjin

In order to commemorate the birthday of the Queen of Heaven, Tianjin Huanghui is held, and the origins came from a long time. Later, Emperor Kangxi visited Tianjin to admire the Flower Festival in Temple of the Queen of Heaven. Later, it was renamed the “Royal Gathering”. Every Tianjin Royal Gathering, there will be a grand performance held in Temple of the Queen of Heaven, including the lion dance.

Five Great Avenues International Culture Art Festival

Date: May 1-3
Location: Tianjin

Exotic songs and dances, rhythmic drums, different skin color performers, the first day of the "May 1st" holiday, the Five Great Avenues Cultural Tourism Zone usher in the International Culture and Art Festival. What's more, the tourism zone will also launch a series of cultural tourism activities to the public.

Tianjin International Beer Festival

Date: June, July
Location: Nanshi Food Street

The Tianjin Beer Festival is held every July, and a number of well-known beer companies will be present at the event. During the festival, various activities are colorful. Of course, you can drink beer, listen to music, and eat delicious food.

Tianjin Crosstalk Festival

Date: September-October
Location: Tianjin

The actors will bring all kinds of performances including crosstalk, Tianjin Clapper Talk, Pingshu, Shandong Clapper Ballad, Taiping Lyrics. All the actors will try their best to bring more laughs to the audiences.

Physical Properties of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Date: Nov. 19th - 21th 2019
Location: Nankai University, Tianjin, China

Metal-organic frameworks, a class of hybrid materials built from metal ions or clusters and organic ligands, exhibit interesting physical properties. In this regard, a fundamental and interdisciplinary understanding of these systems is key to future advances and applications. This conference will bring together leading international researchers to discuss current and emerging themes on the physical properties of these coordination polymers, and explore new research directions and frontiers.

International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Systems

Date: Dec. 4th-6th, 2019
Location: Tianjin, China

The International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Systems (ICPADS) provides a great platform for researchers to share the cutting-edge ideas, new research trends, and latest outcomes in parallel/distributed computing, networking, systems, algorithms, frameworks, and architectures.

International Conference on Field-Programmable Technology (FPT)

Date: Dec. 9th-13th, 2019
Location: Holiday Inn Tianjin Riverside, Tianjin

International Conference on Field-Programmable Technology is the premier conference in the Asia-Pacific region on field-programmable technologies, reconfigurable computing devices and systems.

China Aviation Industry Summit (CAIS)

Date: Feb. 27th-28th, 2020
Location: Tianjin, China

The China Aviation Industry Summit is themed as Collaborative Innovation for the Development of Aviation Industry and it will provide the attendees with the opportunity to gain insights relating to topics such as Strategic Cooperation of Global Aviation Manufacturing Industry, How to Improve the Airworthiness Certification Capability, How to Consolidate the Status of a Global Aircraft Manufacturer, Application of Nanocomposites in the Field of Aviation, etc.

China (Tianjin) International Industrial Exposition

Date: Mar. 6th-9th, 2020
Location: Tianjin Meijiang Conference & Exhibition Center, Tianjin, China

The Tianjin International Industrial Expo is an event that integrates brand display, technology exchange, trade cooperation, promotion, and international research to provide a one-stop exhibition platform for global industrial upgrading. Machine tools, robots, automotive equipment, automation, plastic rubber & packaging, laser & sheet metal, etc. will be featured in their own areas.

China Tianjin International Robot Exhibition

Date: Thu, 12-Sun, 15 Mar. 2020
Location: Tianjin Meijiang Conference & Exhibition Center, Tianjin

China Tianjin International Industry Robot Exhibition exhibits Regulator, Ethane-sensitive Element, Measurement Device, Transmitter, Measuring Instrument, Metrical Instrument, Indicator, Electronic Measurement Instrument, Actuator, Control Valve, Positioner, Weighing Device, Signal Processor, Inteligentized Instrument, Laboratory Equipment and Analysis and Optical Equipments and Meters etc.

China Tianjin International Machine Tool Exhibition

Date: Mar. 12th-15th, 2020
Location: Tianjin Meijiang Conference & Exhibition Center, Tianjin, China

China Tianjin International Machine Tool Exhibition features a display of metal-cutting machine tools, EDM and laser processing machine tools, forging machinery, metal cutting and welding equipment, molds and sheet metal processing equipment, industrial robots, flexible manufacturing cell and manufacturing systems, CNC system, servo drives, computer application technology, network technology, automation technology and complete sets of equipment and various types of software manufacturing technology, testing instruments, measuring instruments, measuring tools, abrasives, superhard materials, coated abrasives etc.

International Conference on Computing and Artificial Intelligence

Date: April 23rd-26th, 2020
Location: Tianjin, China

ICCAI is an international conference devoted specifically to facilitate synergies in research and development in the areas of Computing and Artificial Intelligence. It provides the communication platform for those who are leading experts and scholars in Computing and Artificial Intelligence from around the world.

International Conference & Global Competition on Systematic Innovation

Date: Jul. 10th-12th, 2020
Location: Baiyun Hotel, Tianjin, China

International Conference & Global Competition on Systematic Innovation will publicize the application of innovation methods in industries and universities which includes the development, dissemination and popularization of innovation methods, innovative training for industries and implementation of Systematic Innovation TRIZ. The conference will contain plenary speeches/tutorials by world-renown researchers/practitioners and parallel technical sessions. The conference will foster collaboration, networking and joint efforts among the participants to advance the theory and practice as well as to identify significant trends for the application of innovative methods in industries and academe.

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Performances in Tianjin

2019 Marksim & His Band Crossover Piano Concert Tour

Date: November 22, 2019
Location: Tianjin Grand Theater, Tianjin

2019 Urna Chahar-Tugchi "Paradise Bird"

Date: December 7, 2019
Location Tianjin Grand Theater, Tianjin

Between East and West-Tianjin University 2020 New Year Concert

Date: December 23, 2019

Location: Tianjin Grand Theater, Tianjin

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