Qianxinan Festivals And Activities

Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (黔西南布依族苗族自治州) is one of Guizhou’s most rewarding destinations for festival travel. The prefecture is home to Buyi, Miao, Yi, Hui, Gelao, Zhuang, Yao, Dong and Han communities, whose celebrations are closely connected with farming seasons, ancestor worship, courtship, music, dance and village life.

Unlike events based on fixed Gregorian dates, many of Qianxinan’s traditional festivals follow the Chinese lunar calendar. Their corresponding dates change every year, and public celebrations may begin several days before the traditional festival date. Programmes also vary by village: one community may emphasize rituals and communal meals, while another organizes parades, concerts, markets or tourism performances.

The busiest festival period runs from the third lunar month to the eighth lunar month, covering the Buyi Sanyuesan Festival, June Sixth Festival, Chabai Song Festival, the Yi Torch Festival and the Miao August Eighth Festival. In summer 2026, Qianxinan incorporated these traditional celebrations into more than 120 cultural, tourism and sporting activities across the prefecture.

Main Characteristics of Qianxinan Festival Culture

Buyi Festivals, Songs and Agricultural Traditions

Buyi culture forms the foundation of Qianxinan’s festival calendar. The most important celebrations include Sanyuesan on the third day of the third lunar month, June Sixth on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, and the Chabai Song Festival beginning around the twenty-first day of the sixth lunar month.

These festivals traditionally combine rituals for mountains, village deities, fields or ancestors with singing, courtship, communal dining and exchanges between neighbouring villages. Five-coloured glutinous rice, rice wine, long-table banquets, antiphonal singing and traditional clothing are commonly seen during large public programmes.

Buyi Bayin Zuochang (布依族八音坐唱) is frequently performed during weddings, festivals and important community occasions. This traditional musical storytelling form is especially widespread in Xingyi, Anlong, Ceheng and Wangmo and was included in China’s first national intangible cultural heritage list.

Miao Harvest, Courtship and New Year Celebrations

Miao festivals in Qianxinan commonly emphasize harvest thanksgiving, family visits, courtship, clothing and Lusheng music. Representative occasions include the Miao Eryue’er Visiting-Relatives Festival (苗族“二月二”走亲节) in Zhenfeng, New Year flower or embroidery gatherings in Qinglong, and the August Eighth Folk Festival (苗族“八月八”风情节) in Xingren.

The August Eighth celebration is also known locally as Nangxin or the New Rice Celebration (囔新). Families welcome the harvest, prepare newly ripened grain and rice wine, wear traditional clothing and participate in singing, dancing and communal activities. In recent public programmes at Liyu Village (鲤鱼村) in Tun脚 Town, activities have included a new-rice ceremony, ethnic-costume displays, processions and village performances.

Yi Fire Culture and Amei Qituo

The Yi Torch Festival (彝族火把节) is generally celebrated around the twenty-fourth day of the sixth lunar month. Public activities may include collecting and passing the ceremonial flame, torch processions, bonfires, singing, wrestling, traditional sports, markets and evening performances.

Amei Qituo (阿妹戚托), meaning “the maiden’s wedding dance,” originated in the wedding traditions of Yi communities along the Beipan River. It is now performed during weddings, the Yi New Year and the Torch Festival, particularly in Qinglong, Xingren and Pu’an.

Amei Qituo Town (阿妹戚托小镇) in Qinglong is the prefecture’s principal public venue for the Torch Festival. The 2025 programme combined fire ceremonies, parades, Amei Qituo performances, concerts, mountain running, hiking, traditional sports and handicraft exhibitions. Annual dates and activities require reconfirmation.

Guizhou Village Dance and Living Intangible Heritage

Guizhou Village Dance (贵州村舞) has become an important contemporary platform for presenting local traditions. Instead of limiting performances to a formal stage, village teams parade through streets, ancient towns, scenic areas and public squares, often inviting visitors to join.

Performances may include Amei Qituo, Kangbao Dance (糠包舞), Buyi Transfer Dance (布依族转场舞), bamboo-pole dancing, bench dancing, Lusheng dancing and shoulder-to-shoulder group dances. These programmes help bring traditional music, clothing and dance into modern public celebrations, but they should be distinguished from private village rituals.

In 2026, Village Dance was incorporated into the Wangmo Sanyuesan celebration, the Zhenfeng June Sixth festival, the Chabai Song Festival and Anlong’s summer lotus programme.

Qianxinan Festivals Through the Four Seasons

Winter and Early Spring: January to March

Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival bring dragon dances, lion dances, village performances, lantern displays, markets and family celebrations to Xingyi and the prefecture’s county towns. Programmes vary annually and are usually announced shortly before the holiday.

In Wanfenglin Scenic Area (万峰林景区), rapeseed flowers commonly bloom from late January through March. The Wanfenglin Rapeseed Flower Festival (万峰林油菜花节) combines flower viewing with rural markets, Buyi performances, food experiences and outdoor activities. The second festival was held in February 2024, although its continuation and exact dates should be verified each year.

Pu’an County (普安县) is associated with some of Guizhou’s earliest spring tea. Tea-opening and first-harvest activities may begin around New Year and include tea picking, product exhibitions, industry meetings and tea-culture demonstrations. The national early-tea conference and the 2025 “First Harvest of Guizhou Green Tea” were jointly staged in Pu’an on 1 January 2025.

Miao villages in Qinglong also observe New Year flower, embroidery or Lusheng gatherings during the first lunar month. These remain community-based traditions, and large public performances are not guaranteed every year.

Spring: March to May

Spring is dominated by Buyi Sanyuesan (布依族三月三). Wangmo, Ceheng, Zhenfeng and Anlong are the principal areas for public celebrations.

In Wangmo County (望谟县), Sanyuesan has developed into a large multi-ethnic parade and cultural programme. The 2026 celebration involved more than 40 performance groups and thousands of participants wearing traditional clothing and presenting dance, music and local customs.

At Banai Ancient Village (陂鼐古寨) in Ceheng, the 2026 programme included rice wine, traditional food, lion dancing, martial arts, Buyi opera, Transfer Dance, antiphonal singing, light shows and interactive farming games. The village also celebrates June Sixth and Spring Festival according to local customs.

The Maoshan Tree Song Festival (毛杉树歌节) is held in Dewo Town, Anlong County, on the first traditional “Snake Market Day” after the third day of the third lunar month. Its central activities include commemorative ceremonies, mountain-song competitions, courtship singing and village performances. The tradition was included in Guizhou’s first provincial intangible cultural heritage list.

Summer: June to August

Summer is the richest festival season in Qianxinan. Four major celebrations often occur within a relatively short period: June Sixth, the Chabai Song Festival, the Torch Festival and August Eighth.

The Buyi June Sixth Festival (布依族六月六) is observed across the prefecture. Traditional customs include honouring fields or rice seedlings, worshipping village deities, preparing coloured rice, singing and social gatherings known as Langshao (浪哨).

Zhenfeng County (贞丰县) stages one of the largest public June Sixth programmes. In 2026, events included farming-culture demonstrations, a parade of 28 Village Dance teams, wedding customs, musical performances, a thousand-person shoulder dance, a long-table banquet and evening performances in Zhenfeng Ancient Town.

The Chabai Song Festival (查白歌节) is held in Chabai Village (查白村), Dingxiao Subdistrict, Xingyi. It commemorates the Buyi love story of Chalang and Baimei and traditionally begins on the twenty-first day of the sixth lunar month. The nationally listed festival combines mountain singing, courtship traditions and village gatherings.

Modern public programmes may extend over several days. The 2026 festival ran from 1 to 3 August and included an opening ceremony, blessing parade, Buyi wedding procession, dramatic presentation of the Chalang and Baimei story, regional song competitions and Village Dance performances.

Summer is also the main season for the Yi Torch Festival in Qinglong and the Anlong Lotus Season (安龙荷花季). Anlong’s lotus activities are modern tourism programmes rather than a fixed traditional festival. They usually combine lotus viewing at Zhaodi, concerts, ethnic performances, food, outdoor sports and cultural activities.

Autumn: September to November

The eighth day of the eighth lunar month sometimes falls in September or early October, making the Xingren Miao August Eighth Festival one of Qianxinan’s principal autumn celebrations. The most representative public venue is Liyu Village in Tunjiao Town (屯脚镇鲤鱼村).

Autumn also brings outdoor competitions, mountain-tourism meetings and cultural exhibitions. Xingyi has repeatedly hosted the International Conference of Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports (国际山地旅游暨户外运动大会) and meetings of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance. These are major professional and tourism events, but their dates, formats and host arrangements can change annually.

Running, cycling, baseball, martial arts and motorsport events are increasingly incorporated into the festival calendar. Representative examples include the Wanfenglin Half Marathon and Qinglong’s 24-Turn Road hill-climb and mountain-running events. These should be treated as annually programmed sports events rather than fixed traditional festivals.

Festival Travel Planning

Confirm the Gregorian Date

Traditional festival names such as Sanyuesan, June Sixth and August Eighth refer to lunar dates. Check the corresponding Gregorian date for the travel year, then confirm the final public programme through prefectural, county or scenic-area announcements.

A village may observe the traditional ceremony on the lunar date while holding its tourist parade or evening show on the nearest weekend. Avoid booking non-refundable transport until the public schedule has been released.

Choose the Festival According to Your Interests

For large parades and highly accessible public activities, choose Wangmo Sanyuesan, Zhenfeng June Sixth, the Chabai Song Festival or the Qinglong Torch Festival.

For singing and courtship culture, prioritize Chabai or the Maoshan Tree Song Festival. For Miao clothing and harvest customs, visit Xingren during August Eighth. Visitors interested in seasonal scenery can combine the Wanfenglin rapeseed-flower period or Anlong lotus season with cultural performances.

Reserve Accommodation Early

Rooms in Chabai Village, Zhenfeng Ancient Town, Wangmo, Amei Qituo Town and rural festival communities are limited. For major festivals, accommodation should normally be reserved at least one or two weeks in advance.

Staying in Xingyi provides the widest choice of hotels, but some festival villages are several hours away by road. Private transport is more practical when combining two counties or attending evening activities.

Respect Community Traditions

Public dances and markets welcome participation, but ancestor worship, mountain ceremonies and village rituals may have restrictions. Ask before entering ceremonial spaces or photographing elders, ritual specialists and private family banquets.

Accepting a small cup of welcome rice wine is customary at some public programmes, but visitors may politely explain dietary, religious or medical restrictions. Do not pressure performers to pose during rituals.

Prepare for Summer Weather

Many major events take place from June to August, when Qianxinan is warm, humid and rainy. Carry a lightweight raincoat, sun protection, comfortable non-slip shoes and a change of clothing. Village streets, fields and temporary festival grounds may become muddy after rain.

Major Festivals and Events Across Qianxinan

The table includes the prefecture’s principal recurring traditions and representative modern programmes. It does not guarantee that every public event will be staged each year.

Festival Tours with Yaso Trip

A Qianxinan Festival Tour with Yaso Trip can combine large public celebrations with village visits, natural scenery, local food and intangible-cultural-heritage experiences. A spring programme may connect Xingyi, Wangmo, Ceheng and Anlong for Sanyuesan, mountain singing and flower landscapes. A summer programme can combine Zhenfeng June Sixth, the Chabai Song Festival, the Qinglong Torch Festival and Anlong’s lotus season.

Festival arrangements are prepared according to the official programme for the relevant year rather than relying only on traditional lunar dates. Private transport, bilingual guiding, accommodation, local meals, community visits and cultural interpretation can be arranged without compulsory shopping stops.