Yulin (Guangxi) Festivals and Events

Yulin is an ancient city with a history of more than two thousand years. It is a beautiful place with beautiful scenery and treasures. The climate here is mild. Since ancient times, Yulin has no the chaos of war, and there is no drought or flood. There are many festivals, which are characterized by the unique cultural colors. China Tours will introduce the festivals one by one in details.

1. Lychee and Dog Meat Festival

The Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, (or Yulin Dog Meat Festival) is an annual celebration held in Yulin, Guangxi, China, during the summer solstice in which festival goers eat dog meat and lychees. The festival began in 2009 and spans about ten days during which it is estimated that 10,000–15,000 dogs are consumed. Dog eating is traditional in China, and according to folklore eating the meat during the summer months brings luck and good health. Some also believe dog meat can ward off diseases and heighten men's sexual performance.

2. Spring Festival(Chinese New Year)

Chinese New Year (or generally referred to as Lunar New Year globally) is the Chinese festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar. The festival is usually referred to as the Spring Festival in mainland China, and is one of several Lunar New Years in Asia. Observances traditionally take place from the evening preceding the first day of the year to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year. The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February. In 2019, the first day of the Chinese New Year was on Tuesday, 5 February, initiating the Year of the Pig.

3. Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival or the Spring Lantern Festival is a Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar Chinese calendar. Usually falling in February or early March on the Gregorian calendar, it marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE-CE 25), it had become a festival with great significance. During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns (猜灯谜). The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones, which they will let go of the next year. The lanterns are almost always red to symbolize good fortune.

4. Spring Dragon Festival

Ancient people believed that after the second day of the second month on the Chinese lunar calendar, the rain will increase because the rain-bringing Dragon King has awakened from his winter sleep. The day known as the Chunlong Festival, meaning Spring Dragon Festival, but the name is not as widely known as the idiomatic phrase "Er yue er, long tai tou (二月二，龙抬头)," meaning "On the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts his head."

5. Tomb-Sweeping Day

The Qingming or Ching Ming festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English (sometimes also called Chinese Memorial Day or Ancestors' Day), is a traditional Chinese festival. It falls on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. This makes it the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, either 4 or 5 April in a given year.During Qingming, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings. Offerings would typically include traditional food dishes, and the burning of joss sticks and joss paper. The holiday recognizes the traditional reverence of one's ancestors in Chinese culture.

6. Dragon Boat Festival

The Duanwu Festival, also often known as the Dragon Boat Festival, is a traditional holiday originating in China, occurring near the summer solstice. The festival now occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional Chinese calendar, which is the source of the festival's alternative name, the Double Fifth Festival. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, so the date of the festival varies from year to year on the Gregorian calendar.

7. Qixi Festival

The Qixi Festival, also known as the Qiqiao Festival, is a Chinese festival celebrating the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in mythology. It falls on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month on the Chinese calendar.The festival originated from the romantic legend of two lovers, Zhinü and Niulang, who were the weaver girl and the cowherd, respectively.

8. Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated notably by the Chinese. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar with full moon at night, corresponding to late September to early October of the Gregorian calendar with a full moon at night. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet bean paste or lotus seed paste are traditionally eaten during the festival.

9. Winter Solstice Festival

The Dōngzhì Festival or Winter Solstice Festival (冬至) is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and ethnic Chinese in East Asia during the Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice) on or around December 22. The origins of this festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in.

10. Laba Festival

The Laba (腊八) is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the eighth day of the La Month (or 腊月), the twelfth month of the Chinese calendar. It is customary on this day to eat Laba Congee.

11. Chinese New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is the last day of the year. On this day, common people try to get together with their families. The whole family gathers around the stove, drinking and eating food to resign the old year and welcome the New Year.

12. Cantonese Opera

Cantonese Opera in Yulin has been listed in the world-level intangible cultural heritages in 2010; Yulin Octave is included in the national intangible cultural heritage protection; The tea art is also included in the first Yulin intangible cultural heritage protection. So there are are many activities about the Cantonese Opera, Yulin Octave and the tea art, which forms the unique art forms in Yulin.