Festivals

The Miao People of Yunnan celebrate this annual one-day festival in honor of their ancestors. They dress in traditional costume and plant a flower tree on a mountain. Classical music, dancing, and lion dancing are accompanied by a bullfight. There are games and competitions with prizes and a local market of food and crafts.

The day before Chinese New Year, people clean their houses to clear away bad luck and welcome good luck. Homes are decorated, new clothes are bought and families hold a reunion dinner comprised of fish and dumplings to symbolize wealth. Many people visit the temple at midnight to light incense and pray for a prosperous new year.

This seven-day holiday is one of the most important in the Chinese calendar and is referred to as Golden Week. There are noisy celebrations with fireworks, family reunions where older relatives give youngsters red envelopes with cash, and lion dance performances. Most businesses reopen on the sixth day with spring dinners for employees.

This is a popular four-day festival celebrated by the Miao ethnic minority of Guizhou. The Lusheng reed pipe dates back to the Tang dynasty and, as a symbol of Miao history, is played throughout the festival at ceremonies and performances of traditional dances. There are horse races on the third day and bullfighting on the fourth.