You’ve planned your dream holiday to China, you’ve known what to do and where to go for years. But did you check which dates to avoid on your dream holiday?
 

We are all know to avoid travelling to China during the Chinese New Year, Labour Day(May 1st-3rd)and the National Day Holiday(October 01st-07th)when the whole of China is on the move! Hotels, trains and flights, including international ones, are overbooked and tourist attractions are overcrowded. Those are festivals which affect every single corner of this vast country but there are small, regional festivals which are gathering interest outside the country, making it difficult to visit certain parts of China when those festivals take place.

We tried to make a list of major local festivals in China which can affect your travelling in this beautiful country.

At the beginning of the year the Ice and Snow opening ceremony takes place on the 5th?January in the capital of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin. Since the establishment of the festival in 1963 its popularity has grown both in China and around the world. Today the Ice and Snow Festival is biggest of its kind and made the Guinness Book of Records in 2007 for the world’s largest snow sculpture.

During the Ice and Snow Festival, the price of flights and trains from Beijing and Shanghai to Harbin treble. The hotels are overbooked and overpriced. The advantage is the duration of the festival，it lasts until the end of February, maybe March，depending on the weather conditions.

August sees the celebration of the national pride of China Qingdao Beer, which since its worldwide publicity has changed its name to the Asian Oktoberfest. Shandong Province and its largest city, Qingdao, has a very interesting history Qingdao was ‘leased’ to Germany during the 19th century, and as a result there is a lot of European architecture visible in and around the city. To feel more at home in Qingdao, the Germans built a brewery as well. The history of the brewery is a microcosm of the history of Qingdao，exhibited in it are items from all of the great 19th century empires ，French, German, British, Russian and Japanese. Today the brewery is a pleasant place to visit and taste different beers.Following the German influence on the region, the Chinese introduced a beer festival in 1991 which today is the biggest in the world.

Again, flights, hotels and trains from the major cities are overpriced and overbooked and you should reconsider travelling to Qingdao during the beer festival.

Canton Trade Fair takes place between April 15th and May 5th in Guangzhou (formerly called Canton) near Hong Kong, with 400,000 overseas buyers and 22,000 exhibitors from China’s manufacturing industries. It is arranged in three one-week phases for the benefit of both hosts and guests, with electrical goods and machinery exhibited the first week, ceramics and household goods the second week, and medical and clothing the third. International flights are overbooked and the hotels are overpriced. The advantage is you can buy a package with flights, accommodation and entry tickets to the fair.

From kicking off with 12 teams in front of 3,000 people at the Hong Kong Football Club in 1976, Rugby 7 has grown to today’s three-day extravaganza of international rugby revelry, with 28 teams playing in front of a total of 120,000 spectators. Getting flights or hotels are proving to be very difficult. Advantage is the Hong Kong Tourism Board which publishes dates well in advance, giving you enough time to plan your trip to Hong Kong accordingly.

There are other festivals which don’t have international coverage but they are very popular locally and can disrupt your travel plans.The dates are changing on a yearly basis as they follow the lunar calendar. Festivals and their dates which you need to check before booking a trip to China are:

A very interesting Festival is the Dragon Boat Festival which is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th moon in June. Intricately designed and colourfully painted dragon boats are the highlight of the event.

The Qing Ming Festival Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice falling on April 4-6 each year. After honouring their ancestors’ spirits, the Chinese believe that the temperature rises and rainfall increases, thereby bringing a good harvest ?C honouring the dead is therefore an important part of the order of the universe. This festival is so important to the Chinese people that it is not just a public holiday but also features on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a what we in the west celebrate as Valentines Day. The Double Seventh Day is not a public holiday in China, but it is widely celebrated and enjoyed.

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. In Chinese culture, the full moon is a symbol of peace and prosperity for the whole family, and the number 8 symbolizes wealth and prosperity. In the middle of the lucky 8th month the moon is full, so an auspicious time for celebrations.

All these festivals above are celebrated mainly by the Han Chinese, the largest of the country’s ethnic groups of which there are over 50, each with their own festivals ?C these are some of the most well-known.

Water-Splashing Festival of Dai regarded as the New Year of the Dai ethnic minority, who live in Yunnan Province. It takes place from the 14th to 16th April (24th to 26th day of the 6th month of the Dai calendar).

Bullfight Festival of Miao takes place on the 25th day of the first lunar month in Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces. The Miao ethnic minority people are primarily farmers who naturally regard cattle as an indispensable friend, this festival is to celebrate them them.

Adult Ceremony of Jino, this indicates the transition from childhood into adulthood when both clothing and hairstyles are changed. This festival takes place on the 15th birthday for girls and 16th for boys in Yunnan Province.

March Fair of Bai, the biggest trading festival. It takes place from 15th to 21st day of the 3rd lunar month in Yunnan Province, at the foot of Mount Cangshan in Dali.

Nadam Fair of the Mongolians takes place on the 15th July in Inner Mongolia.

Kaizhai Festival takes place at the beginning of the 10th month of the Islamic calendar in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinjiang and Gansu Provinces. According to Islam, the 9th month of the Islamic calendar is the fasting month of Ramadan. After 29 or 30 days of fasting comes the traditional Kaizhai Festival on the first day of the 10th month and it lasts 3 days.

The Muslims of China also celebrate the Corban Festival on the 10th day of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar.

As well as these festivals, China also celebrates International Women’s Day (8th March), Labour Day (1st May), National Youth Day (4th May),International Children’s Day (1st June), People’s Liberation Army Day (1st August), Teachers Day (10th September).