Yunnan has the most number of ethnic population in China, with 26 ethnic minorities including Bai, Yi, Dai, Naxi, Hani, Miao, Tibetan, Hui and Yao. Yunnan offers a unique and exciting experience of ethnic customs, with more than 400 ethnic festivals celebrated throughout the year. The ethnic minorities maintain their unique folk traditions and customs full of myths, singing, dances, paintings and ancient music. China Highlights has listed the following ethnic festivals worth attending while visiting Yunnan.

There are numerous ethnical groups and ethnical festivals in Yunnan Province. The number of ethnical festivals, either important or not so important, reaches about 400. In some ethnical groups, besides the common and important festivals, different branches have different festivals as well. Some festivals are celebrated by many different ethnic groups, but the time, means of celebration and legends may be different. For example, besides Yi, Bai, Naxi and Pumi also celebrate the Torch Festival. Besides Dai, Bulang and A’chang also celebrate the Water-splashing Festival. On the occasions of festivals, people will gather together in their traditional costumes, singing, dancing and playing games. The young people will look for their expected lovers and carry on love affairs with each other. Each festival is a jamboree activity when the tourists can get a better understanding of the ethnical culture. 

Yunnan is inhabited by nearly half of China’s ethnical groups, whose festivals mainly concentrate on the contents of traditional ethnical culture at all levels. Exhibiting the most typical in rather a short period, the festivals with their special features have become a living Folklore Museum. On the festivals, you can see the historical tradition, legends and myths, religion, social thoughts, ethical awareness, and aesthetical standards of the ethnical groups. The clothing, food and drink, songs and dances, recreational activities, and arts of the festivals are spectacular. Reflecting the different living customs, production habits, ideas and thoughts, and social structures of the ethnical groups living in various backgrounds of history, geography and culture, the festivals can be rated as an encyclopedia of highly typical and highly iconic ethnical culture. Therefore, Yunnan is a best place for culture exchanges and cultural tourism.

Featured Yunnan Festivals

March Fair of Bai Ethnic Group

Dali, Apr. 17 to 23, 2011

Also known as the Kwan-yin Fair, March Fair is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Bai Ethnic People in Dali in southwest China's Yunnan province. During the March Fair, the streets at Dali town is compete with temporally stalls selling a mind-boggling variety of items. Ethnic minority souvenirs. 

Naxi Torch Festival

Lijiang, Jul. 25 to Jul. 27, 2011

The Torch Festival is a traditional festival among Yi and Bai minority groups. It is also known as the Oriental Carnival. Among those torch festivals, the most famous one is the Lijiang Torch Festival. According to the ancient rule of Naxi people, the Torch Festival should last for 3 days. According to the rule, every family should light a big torch in front of their doors for the 3 days. Customize a trip to celebrate this festival

Water Splashing Festival

Xishuangbanna, April. 12 to 15, 2011

The annual Water Splashing Festival of the Dai ethnic minority falls during the New Year celebrations of the Dai Calendar. It is the most important festival observed by the Dai ethnic people of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, and, similar to neighboring Thailand's Songkran Festival, it involves three days of celebrations that include sincere, yet light-hearted religious rituals that invariably end in merrymaking, where everyone ends up getting splashed, sprayed or doused with water. See our Water Splashing Festival Tour.

Sanduo Festival

Lijiang, Feb. 29, 2012

The Sanduo Festival is a traditional festival of the Naxi ethnic group. The festival takes place on the 8th of the second Chinese lunar month. During the festival the Naxi ethnic people gather around Sanduo Temple (also known as Beiyue Temple ), located in Baisha, Lijiang, for a grand memorial and scarified ceremony.

Worship Gathering In The Three Temples

Dali, May. 25 to 27, 2011

This activity is called Guanshanglan in the Bai language. It is a carnival for the Bai people in Dali to entertain themselves during the slack season for farming. It is also an occasion to welcome the coming of immortals from heaven. This event dates back to ancient times and was originally a religious ceremony. The three temples involved are the Chongsheng Temple, the Shengyuan Temple, and the Jinkui Temple.