South West China – Holidays and Festivals

South West China celebrates all the major, national Chinese holidays but the minority peoples in this area add a few of their own.

The Chinese New Year is the most important of the year. Calculated by the traditional Chinese calendar, this falls between January 21st and February 20th by the western calendar. In the days before, people are busy cleaning their homes and buying and preparing the special foods they will consume over the holiday.

At midnight, everything seems to explode and the sound and smell of firecrackers is everywhere. This is the traditional way to welcome the year and the more noise the better as it frightens away any evil spirits which may be about to bring bad luck in the New Year.

New Year's Day is usually quiet as most people stay at home with their families, eating and drinking. Note that most shops will be closed on New Year's Day, although larger restaurants remain open. The following days are reserved for visiting friends and shopping, especially for young people who are itching to spend the New Year gifts of money in lucky red envelopes which are traditional for the younger generation at this time.

The holiday lasts three days, although traditionally it lasts for 15, ending with the lantern festival at the first full moon. Then, the streets and squares are filled with bright lanterns and many people like to make tiny hot air balloons using candles which they let rise into the air.

Other important national festivals include Qing Ming or Tomb-Sweeping Day (April) used to commemorate ancestors; the Dragon Boat Festival (June) and the Mid-Autumn Festival (September), similar to the western Harvest Festival.

What make this area special though are the festivals of the ethnic minority peoples. Each ethnic group has its own festivals but they also share some with other groups. Festivals fall into four major groups: religious festivals, agricultural festivals, commemorative festivals and festivals for no reason other than it's fun to have a festival!

The Bai people in Dali have two important festivals. The 3rd Month Fair begins on the 15th the 3rd lunar month (March or April) and has its origins in Buddhism. The fair lasts five days and is held at the foot of the Diancang Hill to the west of Dali. Besides the commercial side of the fair, there are sporting contests and theatrical performances and people get together to enjoy dancing, horse racing and other games. On the 25th day of the 6th month (usually August) the Bai hold the Torch Festival. People carry torches everywhere to bring in the harvest and bless the people with good luck. Villagers walk around in the fields carrying torches to drive insects away – showing us the origin of the festival.

In Lijiang, the Naxi people's most important festival is Sanduo Festival. Sanduo is the God of War and the protector of the people in Naxi mythology. The festival itself is relatively simple. People visit temples in the morning to give thanks and leave offerings then this is followed by an afternoon picnic in some pleasant spot. Later there is by dancing and partying.

The Dai people in Xishuangbanna love to celebrate the Water Splashing Festival (August or September). In the morning, people gather together armed with buckets and basins of water, and attack each other with ladles of water, whether or not they know each other. A feature of the festival is a parade of floats, from which girls and boys splash water on the crowd while getting soaked themselves. There are usually also three to five elephants with beautiful girls sitting on their backs, waving to the crowds. The elephants and girls are soon as wet as everyone else, but everyone smiles happily and the elephants don't seem to mind.

These are but a few of the many festivals celebrated in the minority areas. If you are in the region you can ask about local festivals and their dates. The people will offer you a warm welcome.