Guizhou Major Ethnic Minority Festivals: 2023-2024 Calendar

Guizhou, known as the "thousand islands of culture", is located in the hinterland of southwest China famous for its breathtaking landscapes, colorful ethnic culture, and diverse folk custom. There are 17 ethnic minorities inhabited there for generations, among which the Miao, Buyi, Dong, Shui, Gelao, Tujia, Yi, and Maonan nationalities have preserved their traditional festivals. These festivals constitute the basic pattern of ethnic cultural diversity in Guizhou. The numerous traditional festivals are intertwined into a bright and magnificent symphonic poem, which travels through history and stirs time and space, becoming the deepest national memory of Guizhou people.

For travelers who desire to discover more than just the beautiful natural scenery of Guizhou, then a trip to Guizhou during one of its festivals must be the best way to experience the profound and long-lasting folk cultures and customs. During the festivals, travelers will have the opportunity to see the beautifully handcrafted costumes, feel the pious ancestor worship of the locals, taste the unique and delicious festival food, enjoy primitive music and dance, and appreciate the mysterious local opera performances. Below we have comprehensively introduced the 6 top ethnic minority festivals in Guizhou, together with the 2023-2024 Guizhou festival calendar, to help visitors better plan their festival tours to Guizhou.

• Top 6 Ethnic Minority Festivals in Guizhou
  • Miao New Year
  • Lusheng Festival
  • Sisters’ Meal Festival
  • Dragon Canoe Festival
  • April 8th Festival
  • Tiaohua (Huashan) Festival
• Guizhou Ethnic Minority Festivals Calendar (2023-2024)

Benefiting from its colorful ethnic culture and diverse folk customs, there are more than 1,400 dazzling traditional festivals of all ethnic groups in the province according to incomplete statistics, forming a cultural grand occasion with festivals from the first lunar month to the twelfth lunar month.

The saying "every three miles with different styles, and every five miles with different customs; small festivals occurring every day, and grand festivals on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th of months" is the most vivid portrayal of traditional Guizhou festivals. Among them, the 6 top and most popular festivals are the Miao New Year, the Lusheng Festival, the Sisters’ Meal Festival, the Dragon Canoe Festival, the April 8th Festival, and the Tiaohua (Huashan) Festival.

The Miao New Year Festival, the most solemn traditional festival ever celebrated by the Miao people, prevails in the Miao-dwelling areas of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou and Guangxi Rongshui Miao Autonomous County. The dates for celebrating the Miao New Year are not uniform across regions, usually after the rice harvest from September to the following January of the lunar calendar.

The celebration usually lasts for 5-15 days, during which, the folks will dress formally in traditional costumes, sacrifice to the ancestors, visit the neighboring villages, play Lusheng in the day and the Miao opera in the evening, sing folk songs, etc. In addition to the above activities, the Miao people also hold traditional sports competitions such as bullfighting, horse fighting, birds fighting, shooting, and pole climbing. Among them, bullfighting and horse fighting is the most attractive activities, often attracting thousands of people to watch.

The Lusheng Festival is the most common and grand traditional festival in the Miao nationality area. The main activities of this festival are playing Lusheng music and dancing Lusheng dance. Many places in Qiandongnan of Guizhou, such as Kaili, Congjiang, Rongjiang, and Huangping, have very grand Lusheng festivals. Among them, the Lusheng Festival in Zhouxi Township on the outskirts of Kaili City and Gulong Dazhai in Huangping County is the grandest.

The time of the Lusheng Festival varies from place to place. The Lusheng Festival in Zhouxi, the border areas of the four counties of Kaili, Majiang, Leishan, and Danzhai, is held on the 16th to 20th of the first month of the lunar calendar every year, and the 19th has the grandest celebration in Zhouxi town. The Gulong Lusheng Festival in Huangping County is held every year on September 27th of the lunar calendar.

Generally, a ceremony is held before the festival. The respected old man in a certain village will preside over the ancestor worship. At the same time, each household will worship the ancestors at their own homes, and then the girls in the villages will wear the traditionally handmade costumes and silver ornaments. The young men and the Lusheng players coming from all directions all bring their own reeds to the reeds site. The young men from each village formed a circle, playing Lusheng and dancing for four or five days, with a warm atmosphere. It is a mass cultural activity that integrates singing, dancing, and fun!

The Miao Sisters’ Meal Festival is a traditional grand festival in Guizhou’s Miao ethnic region, which shows the passionate and unrestrained love life between young men and women during the transition of human society from matrilineal clan to patrilineal clan. It is a festival of love and also a grand event that showcases the colorful Miao song and dance costume art and the rich and profound Miao cultural heritage, in particular, its magnificent ethnic customs and cultural scenes.

Hailed as "the oldest Oriental Valentine's Day" by the outside world, it is an annually warm and romantic festival for the Miao people in Shidong and Gedong villages of Taijiang County. It is usually celebrated from March 15th of the lunar calendar in the Shidong Area and February 15th of the lunar calendar in the Gedong area and lasts for 3 days. During the festival, the folks will dress fine with their beautiful traditional costumes, the married women will return to their natal family for a reunion, and the young men and women will be dating in antiphonal songs. In addition, on the day of the festival, women will eat "sisters’ rice" made of colorful glutinous rice, and various activities, such as bullfighting, horse racing, traditional Miao performances, and Lusheng music will be held.

The Miao Dragon Canoe Festival is a traditional folk event held by the Miao people in Qingshui River Basin in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou on May 25th of the lunar calendar after the Dragon Boat Festival. With a history of more than a thousand years, it is an important carrier for the Miao people in the Qingshui River Basin to pray for good weather and good grains, and to inherit the national culture.

The locals will go canoeing on this day. In addition to dragon canoe races, there are other activities such as folk singing and dancing. Compared with dragon boats in other regions, the dragon boat races have unique competition rules and the dragon canoe shape. The Miao dragon canoe race is not on the Dragon Boat Festival, but 20 days after the Dragon Boat Festival. The dragon boat is simple and large, with a unique style. The body of the boat is hollowed out of three tall cedar trees which are tied in a row with bamboo strips. Besides, it is equipped with intricately carved colorful dragon heads.

The eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar is a traditional festival for the Miao people near Guiyang City, Guizhou Province to commemorate the ancient hero "Yanu". According to legend, the Miao people rehabilitated and lived in the prosperous Grogesang (near Guiyang today) a long time ago, leading a happy, fulfilling, well-fed life. In order to resist the attack of the rulers and soldiers, the resourceful leader "Yanu" led a heroic fight and dealt a heavy blow to the offenders. Near the city fountain). To commemorate the "Yanu" heroes, on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, the Miao people in festive costumes gather from all directions to the fountain in Guiyang.

By then, the red flags will be displayed next to the fountain, and there will be crowds of people, playing Lusheng and flute, expressing love to songs, playing lions, dragon lanterns, ball games, and martial arts. The young man’s Lusheng game is very interesting. They play the Lusheng while doing fast-spinning, short steps, handstands, and other skills. At night, the area of ​​Guiyang City and the fountain is brightly lit, like daytime, singing, and dancing everywhere, a scene of joy. The activities on April 8 are also widespread among the Miao people in Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, and Guizhou.

Tiaohua Festival, also known as Huashan Festival, or Tiao Hua Po, or Cai Hua Shan, etc., a traditional folk custom popular in Guizhou Province, is one of the national intangible cultural heritage. It is a folk event held by the Miao people in Guizhou to wish good weather, good harvests, etc. Every year, more than 50,000 people go to the slopes to participate in this festival. The festivals vary from place to place and are usually held between the first day and the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, for example, In Liuzhi, it is usually held on the 10th day of the first lunar month, and in Nankai village of Shuicheng county, it is celebrated on the 15th day of the 2nd lunar month, while the most large-scale Tiao Hua Po Festival is held in Wayao Village, Anshun City, from the seventh to the ninth day of the first lunar month.

The word "Tiao Hua'' is the Chinese name, named after the flower tree planted on the slope. During the festival, the Miao people, especially young men and women, wear festive costumes and their silver accessories and take this holiday time to make friends and choose mates, and the elderly play the Lusheng and flute to celebrate the good harvest. The main activities of the Tiaohua Festival are folk song singing and traditional dancing, usually, men play musical instruments such as Lusheng and women dance with the music in the flower-dancing field. If a man plays well, he will win applause from the audience as well as appreciation from the girls. Apart from the dancing and singing, other activities such as climbing flower-decorated poles, crossbow shooting and needlework skills competitions, martial arts performances, bullfighting, and other cultural and sports activities will be held to enjoy.

Interested in a trip to attend the atmospheric festivals in Guizhou when planning a tour to China? Please do not hesitate to share the thoughts and comments and contact us directly, we can definitely tailor-make the itinerary based on all the unique requirements.