Xinjiang Festivals And Activities

Festivals provide one of the most direct ways to understand the cultures of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区). Throughout the year, religious observances, agricultural rituals, nomadic sporting events, harvest celebrations, artistic exhibitions and winter carnivals take place across its oasis cities, mountain valleys, grasslands and desert communities.

Xinjiang’s festival culture can be divided into four broad groups: religious and community holidays, ethnic-minority traditions, seasonal agricultural celebrations, and modern tourism, arts and trade events.

Some festivals, including the Roza Festival and Corban Festival, are observed by several Muslim ethnic communities. Others are closely connected with one particular group or region, such as the Xibo Westward Migration Festival in Qapqal, Tajik spring rituals in Taxkorgan and Mongolian Naadam events in Bayinbuluke.

The dates require careful planning. Islamic festivals move approximately ten or eleven days earlier each Gregorian year, while other traditions follow the Chinese lunar calendar, the Islamic calendar, agricultural conditions or locally announced schedules.

Main Festivals Celebrated by Several Ethnic Groups

Roza Festival or Eid al-Fitr

The Roza Festival (肉孜节), also known as Eid al-Fitr or the Festival of Breaking the Fast, marks the end of Ramadan. It is an important occasion for Uygur, Hui, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and other Muslim communities.

Families clean their homes, prepare pastries and festive food, wear formal clothing, attend prayers and visit relatives and neighbors. Public cultural performances and community gatherings may also be organized, although programs differ between cities and years.

In 2026, the official festival date in Xinjiang was March 21, with a regional public holiday from March 20 to 22.

Kashgar (喀什), Hotan (和田), Yining (伊宁), Turpan (吐鲁番) and parts of Urumqi offer some of the most visible festive atmospheres. Religious ceremonies should be observed respectfully rather than treated as staged tourist performances.

Corban Festival or Eid al-Adha

The Corban Festival (古尔邦节), or Eid al-Adha, takes place on the tenth day of the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.

The festival includes prayers, visits between relatives, shared meals, charitable giving and, for families choosing to do so, the traditional sacrifice of livestock. Public squares and tourism districts may organize music, dancing, food markets and community programs after religious activities.

In 2026, Corban Festival fell on May 27, and Xinjiang’s official holiday period ran from May 27 to 31.

Festival-day transport controls may affect areas surrounding major places of worship. Some shops and restaurants may open later than usual on the first day.

Nowruz Festival

The Nowruz Festival (诺鲁孜节／诺吾鲁孜节) welcomes spring around the March equinox. It is celebrated in different forms by Uygur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik and other communities with cultural links to Central Asia.

Activities may include preparing a ceremonial grain dish, visiting relatives, singing, dancing, wrestling, horse racing and community games. The Ili Valley, Kashgar, Kizilsu and the Pamir Plateau are important areas for Nowruz-related cultural activities.

Public programs are normally announced locally, and not every village celebration is open to tour groups.

Tajik Festivals of the Pamir Plateau

Tajik Spring Festival

Tajik communities in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County (塔什库尔干塔吉克自治县) celebrate a spring festival often known as Xogum Bahar or the Tajik Spring Festival (肖贡巴哈尔节).

The festival period is associated with the arrival of spring around March 21. Traditional sporting and cultural activities may include horse racing, yak-based competitions, polo-style games, music and communal gatherings.

The festival can be combined with Kashgar, Baisha Lake (白沙湖), Karakul Lake (喀拉库勒湖) and Taxkorgan, but mountain weather remains cold and changeable in March.

Water Diversion and Sowing Festival

The Tajik Water Diversion and Sowing Festival (塔吉克族引水节和播种节) developed from the agricultural cycle of Pamir villages.

Community members traditionally work together to open frozen irrigation channels and begin the spring sowing season. The practices express cooperation, respect for water and hope for a successful harvest.

The combined Water Diversion and Sowing Festival is included among Xinjiang’s nationally protected intangible cultural heritage traditions.

Visitors should attend only through an officially organized cultural program or a locally approved community arrangement.

Baroti Lamp Festival

The Baroti Festival (巴罗提节) is a traditional Tajik observance connected with lamps, family blessings and remembrance.

Households traditionally prepare lamps for family members, light a larger lamp or torch and gather for prayers and food. It normally follows the Islamic calendar rather than a fixed Gregorian date.

Baroti is primarily a household and community tradition. A public tourism performance should not be assumed to represent every private custom.

Xibo Westward Migration Festival

The Xibo Westward Migration Festival (锡伯族西迁节) is celebrated on the eighteenth day of the fourth lunar month, usually falling in May.

It commemorates the historical westward relocation of Xibo communities to the Ili Valley during the Qing dynasty. Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County (察布查尔锡伯自治县) is the principal destination.

Programs commonly include archery, Xibo-language performances, traditional music, dance, food, exhibitions and historical interpretation. The festival is included in China’s national intangible cultural heritage system.

A festival tour can combine Qapqal with Yining, Kazanqi Folk Tourism Area, Liuxing Street and the Ili River Valley.

Mongolian Naadam in Xinjiang

The Naadam Festival (那达慕大会) is a major Mongolian cultural and sporting gathering. It is normally held during the grassland season, although local events can also take place in winter.

Horse racing, wrestling and archery form the traditional foundation of Naadam. Modern programs may also include camel racing, long-song performances, folk art, food markets and evening concerts.

The Eastward Return Naadam in Hejing County (和静县东归那达慕大会) is one of Xinjiang’s best-known examples. A recent edition in Bayinbuluke combined traditional competitions with concerts, intangible-heritage programs and Jangar epic activities.

Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County (和布克赛尔蒙古自治县) also organizes cultural activities connected with the Mongolian epic Jangar.

Uygur Meshrep and Muqam Experiences

Meshrep (麦西热甫) is a traditional form of community gathering that can include music, dance, storytelling, games and social customs.

Different regional forms are preserved in Kashgar, Aksu, Hami and Turpan. Official heritage records include Dolan Meshrep, Kok Meshrep and other locally distinctive traditions.

Meshrep may be presented during major holidays, cultural festivals and public performances, but it should not be described as a single annual festival with one province-wide date.

The Twelve Muqam and regional musical traditions can also be incorporated into cultural tours through museums, theaters and approved heritage centers.

Spring Festivals and Events

Spring festival travel is strongest in Kashgar, the Pamir Plateau, Ili and Turpan. Major themes include Nowruz, Tajik spring rituals, apricot blossoms, Xibo culture and performing arts.

The Xinjiang Culture and Art Festival is a major regional arts event featuring stage productions, exhibitions and public cultural programs. Its second edition was held from April 26 to May 12, 2024, with hundreds of activities across Xinjiang; future editions should be treated as periodic events whose dates require confirmation.

Spring is also a practical season for international cultural groups because temperatures in Kashgar and Turpan are milder than in midsummer.

Summer Festivals and Events

Summer is the main season for grassland festivals, horse culture, heritage exhibitions and agricultural celebrations.

The Xinjiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Week (新疆非物质文化遗产周) is generally organized around China’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day in June. Programs have included heritage performances, craft exhibitions, food, creative products and public workshops across all 14 prefecture-level regions.

The grasslands of Bayinbuluke, Ili, Zhaosu, Bortala and Tacheng host sporting, equestrian and nomadic-culture activities during July and August. Exact dates depend on local government announcements, grassland conditions and event schedules.

Turpan Grape Festival

The Silk Road Turpan Grape Festival (丝绸之路吐鲁番葡萄节) is one of Xinjiang’s leading harvest and tourism events.

Normally held in August, it combines grape tasting, agricultural exhibitions, wine and raisin products, cultural performances, food events, parades, photography and tourism programs.

The date changes annually: the 2024 edition opened on August 16, while the 2025 edition opened on August 8. The festival period should therefore never be marketed using a permanently fixed date.

The festival can be combined with Grape Valley, Jiaohe Ancient City, the Karez Well System, Flaming Mountains and Tuyoq Village.

Autumn Harvest and Poplar Festivals

Autumn festivals in Southern Xinjiang frequently center on harvests, fruit, local food and the golden Populus euphratica forests.

Bachu County in Kashgar has held the Silk Road Cultural Poplar Festival, combining poplar scenery, photography, agricultural celebrations and regional culture. Similar autumn programs take place around Luntai, Yuli, Shaya and other areas of the Tarim Basin.

The timing of golden foliage depends on temperature and water conditions. Late October is often important, but the color period cannot be guaranteed for one fixed week.

Winter Festivals and Ice-and-Snow Events

Xinjiang has developed an extensive winter festival season linking skiing, snow villages, folk sports, light shows, food and intangible heritage.

Urumqi Silk Road Ice and Snow Festival

The Urumqi Silk Road Ice and Snow Festival (乌鲁木齐丝绸之路冰雪风情节) is the capital’s principal winter tourism event.

The twenty-third edition opened on November 29, 2025 and was connected with skiing, winter holidays, cultural activities and experiences across Urumqi’s resorts and public spaces.

The wider program may continue for several months, although individual events have separate dates and venues.

Kanas and Hemu Winter Festivals

Kanas and Hemu organize snow carnivals, skiing, horse-drawn sledges and traditional sporting demonstrations around New Year and the Spring Festival.

Previous programs have included snow throwing, horse racing, wrestling, archery, traditional fur skiing and village New Year activities.

Winter visitors need flexible transport because snow and wind can affect flights and roads.

Ili Winter Events

Ili’s winter season may include snow parades in Liuxing Street, light and ice festivals, horse events in Zhaosu, blue-ice sightseeing and winter cultural experiences in Xibo communities.

One officially announced winter season included more than 30 events across the prefecture, demonstrating that Ili is not solely a summer destination.

Winter Naadam

Bortala and other Mongolian areas may organize winter Naadam programs involving horse racing, traditional sports, sledges, food and snow activities.

Schedules are highly variable and should be confirmed before including them as guaranteed itinerary items.

Major Cultural Exhibitions and Trade Events

China–Eurasia Expo

The China–Eurasia Expo (中国—亚欧博览会) is a major international exhibition held in Urumqi. It focuses on trade, investment, technology and cooperation between China and countries across Eurasia.

The ninth China–Eurasia Expo was officially planned for Urumqi in 2026, but final public dates and admission arrangements should be checked through the organizing authorities.

This event is more suitable for business delegations, government groups and professional visitors than ordinary sightseeing tourists.

China–Eurasia Commodity and Trade Expo

The China–Eurasia Commodity and Trade Expo (中国—亚欧商品贸易博览会) is another important Urumqi exhibition platform.

The 2025 event was held at the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center and included dozens of trade-promotion, investment and product-launch activities.

China Xinjiang International Art Biennale

The China Xinjiang International Art Biennale (中国新疆国际艺术双年展) is a major contemporary-art exhibition normally presented at the Xinjiang Art Museum.

The fourth edition opened in July 2024. Future editions are periodic rather than guaranteed annual events.

Festival Tours with Yaso Trip

Four-Day Kashgar Roza or Corban Festival Tour

Route: Kashgar–Kashgar Old City–Local Cultural Districts–Optional Surrounding Villages

Spend the first day exploring Kashgar Old City and learning about local history and festival etiquette. Attend only officially announced public programs during the festival and avoid interfering with private religious observances.

Add Kashgar Museum, craft workshops, food experiences and surrounding market communities.

Best for: First-time international visitors, cultural groups and photographers
Main experiences: Festival food, public performances, old-city life and Silk Road culture

Six-Day Pamir Nowruz and Tajik Spring Tour

Route: Kashgar–Baisha Lake–Karakul Lake–Taxkorgan–Pamir Villages–Kashgar

Travel around the March equinox for Tajik spring traditions, subject to local scheduling and approval.

Combine cultural activities with Stone City, Golden Grassland and Pamir landscapes. Because nights remain cold, hotels with reliable heating should be selected.

Best for: Ethnography, cultural photography and university groups
Main experiences: Tajik music, spring agricultural traditions, highland scenery and village culture

Five-Day Xibo Westward Migration Festival Tour

Route: Yining–Qapqal–Xibo Cultural Sites–Huocheng–Yining

Attend public Xibo Westward Migration Festival activities in Qapqal and combine them with archery, language, traditional food and historical exhibitions.

Extend the journey to Liuxing Street, Kazanqi, Huocheng or Sayram Lake.

Best for: History, ethnic culture and educational travel
Main experiences: Xibo heritage, archery, music, food and Ili Valley scenery

Six-Day Bayinbuluke Naadam Tour

Route: Korla or Yining–Nalati–Bayinbuluke–Hejing

Plan the trip around an officially confirmed Naadam program. Watch horse racing, wrestling, archery and cultural performances while exploring the Bayinbuluke Grassland.

Best for: Families, sports groups and grassland photography
Main experiences: Mongolian culture, equestrian sports, grasslands and traditional music

Four-Day Turpan Grape Festival Tour

Route: Urumqi–Turpan–Grape Valley–Jiaohe–Tuyoq–Urumqi

Attend the official opening or public festival activities before visiting grape-growing villages and Silk Road heritage sites.

Taste fresh grapes and raisins, explore traditional irrigation and participate in an approved agricultural or food workshop.

Best for: Families, food travelers and agricultural study groups
Main experiences: Grape culture, food, music, ancient cities and oasis agriculture

Eight-Day Southern Xinjiang Poplar Festival Tour

Route: Kashgar–Bachu–Aksu–Kuqa–Luntai–Korla

Travel in October for poplar forests, desert scenery and oasis culture. Combine the festival program with Kashgar Old City, Kuqa heritage and the Tarim Basin.

The route must remain flexible because autumn foliage conditions change annually.

Best for: Landscape photography and road trips
Main experiences: Golden poplars, desert, harvest culture and Silk Road cities

Eight-Day Altay Winter Festival Tour

Route: Urumqi–Altay–Hemu–Kanas–Keketuohai–Urumqi

Combine winter festivals with skiing, snow photography and village cultural activities.

Use vehicles and drivers experienced in snow conditions, and avoid arranging tight flight connections after long mountain transfers.

Best for: Winter sports, snow photography and family holidays
Main experiences: Skiing, wooden villages, snow sports and winter folk culture

Festival Travel Planning Tips

Confirm the Date before Advertising the Tour

Roza and Corban follow the Islamic calendar. Xibo Westward Migration follows the lunar calendar, while Naadam, grape, poplar and winter events depend on annual official arrangements.

Yaso Trip should confirm the festival date before publishing a guaranteed departure and reconfirm the detailed program shortly before arrival.

Distinguish Public Activities from Private Customs

A festival may include religious ceremonies, family gatherings and public tourism performances. Not every part is open to visitors.

Product descriptions should state clearly whether the group will attend an official public celebration, a cultural performance, a community workshop or a private invitation.

Reserve Hotels and Transport Early

Kashgar during major holidays, Taxkorgan around spring events, Bayinbuluke during Naadam and Turpan during the Grape Festival may experience strong demand.

Book key hotels and vehicles one or two months ahead, with a longer lead time for large international groups.

Respect Religious Etiquette

Wear modest clothing in and around places of worship. Keep voices low and do not block entrances or prayer areas.

Do not photograph worshippers, women, children or religious ceremonies without permission. Drones should not be used near religious sites or crowded public events without authorization.

Plan for Changed Opening Hours

On the first morning of a religious holiday, shops and restaurants may open late. Main streets may also have temporary transport controls.

Breakfast, lunch and vehicle pick-up points should be confirmed the day before.

Use Local Cultural Interpreters

Many traditions involve Uygur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Mongolian, Tajik, Xibo or local dialect vocabulary.

A trained cultural interpreter helps international visitors understand the meaning of music, dress, games and rituals rather than seeing the festival only as entertainment.

Major Xinjiang Festivals and Events Table

Xinjiang festival travel is most rewarding when the itinerary follows the rhythm of the community rather than treating a celebration as a short photography stop. Roza and Corban reveal hospitality and faith, Nowruz and the Tajik spring festivals mark renewal, Naadam expresses grassland traditions, while grape, poplar and ice-and-snow events connect local culture with the changing landscape.