Xingyi Festivals and Events

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), there are also some ethnic festivals and activities in Xingyi. 

Liu Yue Liu(Double Sixth Festival)

Double Sixth Festival is a traditional day of commemoration and sacrifice for the Buyi people, its grand degree is only next to Spring Festival. Double Sixth Festival  may be called something different in different places, but the meaning is basically the same. By the end of transplanting rice, Buyi people offer sacrifice to field god, mountain god, dragon king, king of heaven, insect god, Pangu king and other gods, to pray for good weather and agricultural harvest. According to the autonomous regulations of Qianxinan Buyi and Miao autonomous prefecture, the prefecture will have a one-day holiday on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month every year.

Chabaige Festival(查白歌节)

The Chabaige festival is a commemorative festival for the Buyi ethnic group in Xingyi city of Qianxinan prefecture, Guizhou province. The festival is to commemorate Cha Lang and Bai Mei, who got rid of an evil for the people and died for love in the ancient time. It is celebrated at Chabai Village of Dingxiao Town in Xingyi City from the 21st day to the 23rd day of the sixth lunar month. Every year in these days, people from the surrounding counties, the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and Yunnan province come to participate in this song festival, magnificent and bustling. The main activities of the festival include song contest, visiting friends and relatives, Ganbiao and mountain worship, etc. Generally, it lasts three days and the first day is the best. The Chabaige festival is also an important opportunity for Buyi men and women to socialize.

Ganbiao(赶表)

Ganbiao, Buyi language, is a kind of social activity for Buyi men and women to seek spouse and exchange feelings. The activity usually chooses to be held when having happy events and farming idle. Ganbiao song is divided into love song, bitter song, escape marriage song, complaint song and other types, the lyrics are nine-character, seven-character, five-character and four-character. During the activity, young men and women can express their love through singing, blowing Leyou(a buyi musical instrument). But when meeting elders and relatives, they must avoid, or it will be considered impolite. If both parties feel the need for further contacts, the man will invite the girl to meet again. If the girl does not agree, she can refuse politely.

Ba Yue Ba Miao Customs Festival(八月八苗族风情节)

Every year on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, in the rice harvest season, the Miao people in Xingyi will kill chickens and ducks, make new glutinous rice liquor, cook colorful glutinous rice, or invite guests, or visit friends. Men and women, young and old, in their festival costume, gather together to sing and dance to celebrate the harvest. This custom has been handed down from generation to generation and has continued to this day. According to the autonomous regulations of Qianxinan Buyi and Miao autonomous prefecture, the prefecture will have a one-day holiday on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month every year.

The Torch Festival of Yi(彝族火把节)

In Xingyi, torch festival is a traditional festival of the Yi people in Lubuge town. It is held every year on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month. Located in the deep mountain valley at the border of Yunnan and Guizhou province, Lupi(鲁毗) is the only Yi village there, about 70 kilometers away from Xingyi. Lupi is located in the core area of Yunhu mountain scenic spot, and the torch festival is held here every year. The main activities are worship ancestor, worship fire god, worship agriculture god, blessing and other traditional folk activities.