Bangbang Festival of Naxi Ethnic Group Lijiang

"Bangbang" or Stick Festival, is a major market day in the Lijiang old town at the old market square. The market square is a hive of activity as people haggle over farm tools, plants and children's toys. The best wares are brought to trade, from even as far as Tibet. Held on the 15th day of the 1st month in the lunar calendar the Bangbang Festival marks the end of the Spring Festival and the beginning of of the upcoming year's agricultural production.

Annually the lunar calendar January 15, is the river's" good stick meeting" of the west clan. Then, river the city wife flows such as the tide, putting on the street full the bamboo, the wood farm implements and fruit tree, flower etc. that trade. The good stick will symbolize the beginning that is over and the spring of the activity of the Chinese New Year produce. Should be turn into by" old meeting" since then, originally in the temple fair that the monastery hold, changed the soil to rushed through the meeting location to move to the ancient city of river of after return flow in the early Qing Dynasty inside, and developed to become the bamboo wood farm implements commodity fair that prepared the spring gradually, the recent years increased the fruit tree seedling, the flower arrangement to trade the contents again, rushing through the meeting location also from the ancient city inside move to the area of Xin-cheng.

The Bangbang Festival is also known as “Milazhi”, which means couples buy commodities together. It is a festival for commodity deal. On that day, merchants from nearby cities will take their local and special products to attend the festival. The city will be full of people that day. There are various kinds of commodities on sale. In addition, there will be many culture activities to be held on that day. It is one of the most attracting festivals in Lijiang City.