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Chinese Festivals

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Owing to China's long history and 56 ethnic groups, the traditional Chinese festivals vary. Many are celebrated national wide, like Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Day, Lantern Festival, Qingming, Dragon Boat, Double Seven and Double Nine Festival.

Chinese Lantern Festival
Chinese Lantern Festival

Also there are some defined in certain area, like the Tibetan New Year and Shoton Festival, Dai's Water-Splashing Festival and Mongol's Nadam Fair. Here we go and discover what they are and how interesting they are.

 Water-Splashing Festival
Date: New Year's Day on the Dai calendar is usually in the middle of April.
Place: Yunnan Province
Activities: It usually lasts for 3-5 days.

Ceremonies are held to pray in Buddhist temples and clean dust off Buddhist statues. Also a Peacock dance is performed, dragon-boat racing and other sports competitions are organized, and people sprinkle water on each other as an expression of good wishes.

 Tibetan New Year
Date: January 1st on Tibetan calendar
Place: Tibet 

Special ceremonies are held on the day. On the eve of the Tibetan New Year, every household will paint lucky signs with wheat flour on kitchen walls and gates. Resin is burned on the roof, while painted seedlings of cereal crops and ears of wheat are displayed in the house. The first day of the Tibetan New Year is for family reunion. On the second day, people will go to call on their relatives and friends. It is also observed with wrestling, horse racing, archery and other sports competitions. Grand groups dancing and Tibetan operas are performed.

 Shoton Festival
Date: August (from the end of the sixth month to the early part of the eighth month of the Tibetan calendar)
Place: Lhasa, Tibet

It is also known as the Yogurt Banquet Festival. It is one of the grandest festivals in Tibet. During the period, traditional Tibetan operas will be performed and fairs with various materials will be held.

Lusheng Festival of Miao Minority
Lusheng Festival of Miao Minority
 Nadam Fair
Date: Between July and August every year
Place: Inner Mongolia 
Activities: Horse racing, wrestling, archery etc.

In Mongolian, Nadam means "recreation or game". The festival is a traditional gathering of the Mongolian people in Inner Mongolia, held annually in July or August when the pastures are at their greenest, and usually lasts between three and ten days. The festival is celebrated with Horse racing, wrestling, archery and other competitions as well as theatrical performances. Agricultural products, by-products, native products and animal products from different prefectures are exchanged at the fair.

During the festival, tourists may participate in horse racing, archery, or enjoy an imperial banquet of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), or local wedding ceremonies, a memorial ceremony at the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, also tours highlighting Mongolian customs and a visit to the hot spring forest.

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