Festivals in Guizhou

China Kaili International Lusheng Festival
Time: The second 10-day period of the second lunar month every year
Venue: Kaili City, Qiandongnan (Southeast Guizhou) Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province

Origin: The Lusheng (reed-pipe wind instrument) Festival is a traditional festival of the Miao people in southeast Guizhou. Legend has it that one year the area was attacked by a serious drought, with no food crops growing on the dry land. All the local Miao people walked out of houses to pray for rainfall. They followed a regulation: The Miaos living by the river would row dragon boats to pray for rain, and those living on the slopes would blow Lusheng to ask the dragon for rainfall. This custom has gradually been evolved into the Lusheng Festival.

What's On: During the festival, a Lusheng team, which is spontaneously organized and headed by a prestigious elderly man, goes to the slope of Changshanzhai to blow Lusheng, praying for a favorable weather and a bumper harvest; young Miao girls in their holiday best stand in a circle to perform Lusheng dance; the song-bird fight is organized for middle-aged and elderly people; and young men participate in the horse race.

Transport: Tourists may go to Guiyang by air, and then take a train to Kaili.

The March 3rd Festival
Time: March 3rd of the Chinese lunar calendar
Venue: Xinpu Township, Wudang District, Guiyang

Origin: It is a ritual in which people cast cooked corn on the ground to worship the harvest god. Today, it has developed into a grand gala of singing.

What's On: On March 3rd, the Buyi ethnic group in Guiyang and neighboring counties flock to Xinpu Township, Wudang District. In the forests or by the streams, they dance and sing songs to the accompaniment of a simple instrument made of leaves.

Transport: Tourists may go to Guiyang by air or train, and then take a bus to Xinpu Township.

The April 8th Festival
Time: April 8th of the Chinese lunar calendar
Venue: People's Square (aka the Fountain Square) of Guiyang City.

Origin: Siyueba Festival is a traditional festival celebrated by Miao, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Zhuang, Yi, Tujia and Gelao peoples in Guizhou, the west Hunan and the north Guanxi. The contents and styles of celebration activities are not exactly the same in different places, of which, the most profound and far-reaching one among them is that of the Miao people in Guiyang. Legend has it that the festival is observed to worship the Miao heroes buried near the square. The festival has now become a carnival and is also celebrated by the Buyi, Dong, Zhuang, Shui, Gelao and Han peoples. It is also an opportunity for youngsters to court each other. Boys and girls fall in love as they sing and dance to their favorite tunes.

What's On: During the festival, the Miao people from Guiyang and neighboring counties hold a big gathering at the Fountain Square in the central part of the city. Wearing festival finery, they sing folk songs and dance to the tune of flute (also called the horizontal flute) and lusheng, a reed-pine wind instrument popular in this area.

Transport: Take flight to Guiyang and then take bus or taxi to the square

The New Year of the Miao People
Time: October
Venue: the Miao Areas in Qiandongnan Prefecture such as Leishan County, Taijiang County, Sansui County and Shibing County etc.

What's On: The Miao's New Year is a traditional festival to offer sacrifices to the Miao's ancestors and to celebrate a bumper harvest in October. It is usually celebrated three times - the "Big year", the "Small Year" and the "Tail year", of which the Big Year is the most popular one, in which gatherings are held, lasting three to five days or more than 10 days in some other areas. During the festival, the marriage celebration and house-building of the Miao people are often carried out when the autumn harvest is finished and farmers are free, this adding the joyful atmosphere to the Miao's New Year. In recent years many sports such as bullfight, horse race, basketball match, and chess-playing contest are held during the festival, making the old festival take on a new look.

Transport: Take flight to Guiyang by flight or train and then transfer to the places by bus.

Miao People's Dragon Boat Festival
Time: 24th day - 27th day of the fifth lunar month
Venue: In Qiandongnan Prefecture including Taijiang County, Kaili City, Shibing County, Jianhe County etc.

What's On: Unlike the Dragon Boat Festival of the Han People (held in the fifth day of the fifth lunar month). The Miao people celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in 24th day - 27th day of the fifth lunar month. They hold dragon boat race on the river between the Pingzhai Village in Shiping County and the Shidong Village in Taijiang County. In addition, they hold many other activities such as bull fighting (not like that of Spanish), horse race, drum dance, Lusheng (bamboo-pipe wind instrument ) playing etc.

Transport: Take flight to Guiyang by flight or train and then transfer to the places by bus.

The New Year of the Dong People
Time: from the end of the 10th lunar month to the the beginning of the 11th lunar month
Venue: The Dong people's villages in Rongjiang County

What's On: Every family cleans their houses. All people wear their traditional garments, sing songs, dance, watch bull fighting, play Lushnen, visit relatives and hold wedding ceremonies etc.  

How to get: 1. Take bus from Guiyang or Kaili to Rongjiang; 2. Take join a travel group whose tour itinerary is: Guilin-Longsheng-Sanjiang-Congjiang-Rongjiang-Kaili-Guiyang