Festivals in Zhangjiajie
 2016-12-20 16:49:30   Zhangjiajie Tourism Information Website  

Three Annual Festivals of the Tujia Ethnic Group

The Tujia people observe three major festivals each year, the Spring Festival that falls on the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, the 6th Lunar Month Festival on the 25th day of the 6th Lunar Month in memory of a mass migration of Tujia people in history, and the 10th Lunar Month Festival that falls on the 1st day of the 10th lunar month. The whole community goes outside to dance and sing on these three grand occasions.


Torch Festival of the Bai Ethnic Group

At dusk on the 25th day of the 6th lunar month, the Bai people put many torches together and jump them over repeatedly. They pray in this way to the God of Fire to eliminate all the pests hazardous to the farmland and to chase away all evil.


Buddha-Bathing Festival

Also called Buddha-Birth Festival, the event celebrates the birthday of Sakyamuni. It falls on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month. Buddhist monks wash statues of Buddha in scented water and offer incense sticks and flowers to Buddha. Buddhist followers donate money to the temples and set free captive animals as a token for pursuing happiness.


Mid-Autumn Festival

Like many Chinese, people of the Tujia ethnic group celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. They eat moon cake but are not very keen to appreciate the moon. An interesting activity on this occasion is for people to steal wax gourds and present them to couples who have no children, implying fertility and the delivery of babies to them.