Guizhou ethnic festival calendar

Find a festival in your month

Travel month

Ethnic interest

Festival vibe you want

How to read the result

The festival

Each entry names the festival in Chinese, the rough solar-calendar date band, and which sub-group runs it. Lunar dates shift by 11 days each year — the solar band is a guideline.

The host village

Most major festivals rotate villages year to year. The village named here is the most reliable public host — the one that runs it on schedule and welcomes outsiders.

What to expect

The "vibe" badge — Loud or Quiet — matches your input. "Loud" means drums, parades, bullfights; "Quiet" means courtyard rituals, ancestral chants, and small offerings.

What this tool can't tell you

The exact dates for this year — lunar dates are confirmed only 6–12 months ahead by each village committee. Confirm with the local Culture Bureau (文化局) closer to the time.
Whether a public festival has been moved indoors for political reasons. In some villages, the bullfight has been re-framed as a "cultural exhibition" to satisfy upper-level cultural-protection guidelines.
Personal entry into a private ritual. Some sub-group ceremonies (Dong ancestor worship at the drum-tower base) are closed to outsiders even during public festivals.
Travel logistics. Festival weekends sell out Kaili and Congjiang hotels 2–3 weeks in advance; this tool does not book them.
Whether you'll be allowed to photograph freely. Many festivals now require a small "photography fee" (拍摄费) of ¥100–200 — usually enforced by the village committee, not officially.

Common questions

When exactly is Miao New Year?

There is no single "Miao New Year" date. Western Miao sub-groups celebrate it on the 10th lunar month, which usually falls in November. Eastern Miao (Shidong, Jianhe) sometimes run it in the 9th or 11th lunar month. Each village committee decides 2–3 months in advance. November is the safest bet for the largest public celebration, often in Kaili or Rongjiang.

Is the Lusheng Festival in Leishan the same one in Huangping?

No. "Lusheng Festival" (芦笙节) is a name shared by 10+ sub-groups. Leishan's is in the 2nd lunar month (often March), Rongjiang's is in the 11th lunar month (often December), and each county's version features different dances. They are not interchangeable.

What's Sister's Meal Festival like?

Sister's Meal (姊妹节, 4th lunar month, often May in solar) is Taijiang County's most distinctive festival — young women in full silver parade, sticky rice dyed five colours is exchanged as a romantic gesture, and bullfighting happens in the afternoon. It is one of the more accessible festivals for outsiders; Taijiang town is 1.5 hr from Kaili.

Sources & reference data

Qiandongnan Prefecture Ethnic & Religious Affairs Bureau 2024–2025 festival schedule; Kaili City Cultural Heritage Office bulletins; field reports from festival attendees 2023–2025. Lunar-to-solar conversions are typical averages — confirm exact dates 30 days before travel.

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