Yueyang Festivals and Events

Yueyang, a place with many ethnic minorities, has many unique folk festivals and the strong customs, which have become the major scenery line of Hunan Tourism. Although there are many traditional festivals in China, the most exciting is undoubtedly unique festivals for tourism. Here, China Dragon Tours will introduce the representative ethnic festivals in Yueyang.

Dongting Birding Festival(洞庭观鸟节)

Time: February-March
Location: Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve
Dongting Lake is one of the seven important wetlands in China that have been included in the Convention on Wetlands. From October to March of the following year, there are 217 species of birds, with total of 10 million migratory birds live through the winter here. White cranes, white storks, gray cranes, cygnets, egrets and other national first-class and second-class protected animals can be seen everywhere in Dongting Lake. What's more, there are many of the birds that have been declared endangered in Dongting Lake, such as white-headed cranes, bustards, swan geese. The Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve in Yueyang City will hold a bird watching festival every year from February to March. Thousands of tourists and bird lovers come here every year, and there are ornithologists from all over the world.

Wujian Mountain Forest Festival(五尖山森林节)

Time: May
Location: Wujian Mountain Forest Park
Wujian Mountain is a forest park in Hunan Province. There are large virgin forests on the mountain, which is a good place for citizens to relax. Every May, Linxiang City holds a forest festival in the park. Thousands of tourists go up the mountain to spend a holiday at a summer resort.

Tuanhu Lake Lotus Festival(团湖荷花会)

Time: August-October
Location: Ecological Square at Tuanhu Lake Lotus Park
Tuanhu Lake, located in Guangxing Town, Junshan District, Yueyang City, has 5,000 acres of wild lotus flowers and is the largest natural lotus spot in Southeast Asia. Since 1999, Yueyang City holds the Tuanhu Lake Lotus Flower in the Ecological Square at Tuanhu Lake Lotus Park from August to October every year. 

International Dragon Boat Festival(国际龙舟节)

Time: May 5 in the Lunar Calendar
Location: Nanhu Resort Area
Yueyang is the birthplace of the dragon boat movement. As early as 278 BC, at the beginning of the lunar calendar in May, the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan, jumped into Miluo River. After the local people heard the news, they rushed to rescue Qu Yuan by boat, and threw away the food such as Zongzi and steamed stuffed bun to the center of Miluo River to ask the water monster not to devour Qu Yuan. In order to commemorate this world cultural celebrity, every year, people will hold a grand dragon boat race on the river.

Height Ascending Festival(登高节)

Time: March 3 and September 9 of the  Lunar Calendar
Time: Dayun Mountain International Forest Park
Dayun Mountain is 911.1 meters above sea level and has been regarded as a national forest park. Since ancient times, Dayun Mountain has been a famous religion mountain in the north of Hunan. There are many temples and Taoist temples. The number of pilgrims who worship God on the March 3rd and September 9th of the lunar calendar every year is countless. Since 1999, Dayun Mountain holds the Height Ascending Festival, and the number of guests who come to visit is countless.

New Year of Tujia Minority(土家新年)

Tujia people celebrate the New Year for three times, namely "Guogan Year(过赶年)" on the 29th or 28th of December in the lunar calendar, "June Year(六月年)" on June 25 in the lunar calendar. and "October Year(十月年)" on October in the lunar calendar and they generally hold these festivals in the Tujia Minority Villages.

At the night of Guogan Year, people make a bonfire in the playground of villages and encircle the fire to play, dance and sing songs. On June Year, the Tujia people slaughter cattle as a sacrifice. On October Year, Tujia people celebrate the festival together.

Tujia June 6(土家六月六)

Tujia June 6 is celebrated on June 6 in the lunar calendar and is held in Tujia Towns and Villages. Tujia June 6 has a very rich festival customs, some related to the sky, some related to the earth, some related to God and some related to the ancestors. The customs related to the sky are mainly "worshiping the Sun God." Some Tujia people in Xiangxi think that June 6 is the birthday of the sun. Therefore, it is necessary to worship the sun god, pray for the sun god to give sunshine,  and ensure a good harvest.

Keep Reading

Yueyang Happy Water Park

Yueyang Happy Water Park

Yueyang Happy Water Park is one of the Best Tourist Attractions and Top Things to Do in Yueyang, it introduces the main attractions, entrance tickets booking, The best time...

Attractions    Veiw