Traditional Chinese Festivals

These traditional festivals will really introduce you to life in China. There are annual events like Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, the Qingming (Tomb Sweeping) Festival, Double Seven Festival, and the Winter Solstice.

The festivals introduced here have been selected for their traditional Chinese nature. Often the dates will vary from year to year because they are celebrated according to the Chinese calendar. See below for this year’s dates. You may need to inquire for dates in the following year.

Traditional Festivals and Events List

Chinese New Year 2019 (Dates, Traditions, Animal Signs )

 Feb. 4 to Feb. 10

Chinese New Year (within 15 days of February 5) is also called Spring Festival. It is the most important festival to Chinese people. Many activities are held to celebrate the festival, such as dragon dances, setting off firecrackers, making dumplings, etc.

Dragon Boat Festival 2019

 Jun. 7 to Jun. 9

The most popular and representative activity of Dragon Boat Festival is dragon boat racing. Dragon Boat Festival falls on month 5 day 5 of the Chinese lunar calendar (around mid-June). During this traditional festival in China, people customarily eat rice dumplings.

China's Lantern Festival 2019: Traditions, Activities, Places To Go

 Feb. 19 

The Lantern Festival is traditionally the last day of the Chinese New Year period. It became a festival about 2,000 years ago. Billions of lanterns and giant lantern and drone displays makes the time festive.

Qingming Festival 2019

 Apr. 5 to Apr. 7

Qingming Festival (around April 4) is Chinese people’s day for visiting graves and burial grounds to pray their respects to their ancestors. It’s known as Tomb Sweeping Festival in English. Many Chinese also go for a picnic during Qingming Festival to enjoy the picturesque scenery of spring.

Double Seventh Day — How to Celebrate China's Valentine’s Day

 Aug. 7 

Double Seventh Day falls on the 7th day of the 7th month of China’s lunar calendar (around mid-August); that’s why it is called Double Seventh Day. Known as China’s Valentine’s Day, it is a festival that has legendary links with romance and love in China.

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival

 Sep. 13 to Sep. 15

Mid-Autumn Festival in China video Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) is a harvest festival, celebrated in China and other East Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Singapore.