Guizhou Ethnic Festivals 2026: the Best Minority Culture Experiences in China

Written by Veronica | Updated April 17,2026

Located in southwest China, Guizhou is a province with diverse ethnic minority groups, including Miao, Dong, Yi, Buyi, Tujia, and more. The minorities celebrate many festivals in their own ways. Throughout the year, there are a total of about 1,400 traditional festivals in Guizhou.

By timing your Guizhou tours during local festivals, you will truly immerse yourself in their unique cultural treasures. The village is no longer a quiet backdrop, but a bustling stage. You will hear the Kam Grand Choirs resonating through the valleys, taste the authentic long-table feasts and experience the intangible cultural heritages. Below are the most popular ethnic festivals in Guizhou, including their dates, celebrations, best places to visit and suggested itinerary for the festival experience.

Content Preview

• 1. Miao Sisters’ Meal Festival
• 2. Miao Dragon Boat Festival
• 3. Miao New Year Festival
• 4. Miao Lusheng Festival
• 5. Dong New Year Festival
• 6. Torch Festival
• 7. The Taste of New Rice Festival
• 8. June 6th Festival
• 9. Mao Festival
• 10. Dragon Dance and Flower Festival
• Guizhou Ethnic Festivals Calendar 2026
• How to Plan a Guizhou Ethnic Trip?
• Explore Guizhou with China Xian Tour

1. Miao Sisters’ Meal Festival

• Time: March 15-17 in Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Where to see: Taijiang County
• Celebrations: Make and eat colorful rice, bullfighting, Lusheng dance, competition of Miao songs, and costume shows

Celebrated by the Miao people from March 15 to 17 in the Chinese lunar calendar, the Miao Sisters’ Meal Festival is one of the most famous ethnic festivals in Guizhou. During the festival, Miao girls make colorful rice and give the rice to each other to pray for good luck and prosperity.

Besides, there will be activities and performances to celebrate the festival, including bullfighting, Lusheng dance, competition of Miao songs, and costume shows. Miao Sisters’ Meal Festival is one of the most interesting minority festivals in Guizhou, never miss it on your Guizhou tours.

2. Miao Dragon Boat Festival

• Time: May 24-27 in Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Where to see: Miao villages along the Qingshui River
• Celebrations: Canoe dragon boat racing, make zongzi, worship ancestors, singing and dancing

On May 24-27 in the Chinese lunar calendar every year, the Miao community in the southeastern region of Guizhou celebrates the Miao Dragon Boat Festival, which is also one of the traditional Guizhou ethnic festivals for Miao ethnic groups, especially for Miao people of Taijiang County. Over 60 Miao villages, with about 60,000 people celebrating the festival and engaging in canoe dragon boat racing, make the villages bustling.

3. Miao New Year Festival

• Time: October or November in the Chinese lunar calendar
• Where to see: Leishan County, Taijiang County, Jianhe County
• Celebrations: butcher pigs and sheep for feasts, worship ancestors, family gatherings

Miao New Year Festival is one of the most solemn ethnic festivals in Guizhou. It is usually celebrated in October or November in the Chinese lunar calendar. During this festival, Miao people will do cleaning, butcher pigs and sheep for feasts, and worship their ancestors. Families gather and dine together, stay up late, and set fireworks to welcome the “New Year’s Dragon.”

Also, it’s a great time for young people to develop a romantic relationship. Young women, who dress up and wear silver earrings and bracelets, dance along with the Lusheng songs performed by young men. Also, they sing folk songs to each other to express love.

4. Miao Lusheng Festival

• Time: varies based on different places, mainly concentrated in January and September in Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Where to see: Kaili City, Huangping County, Shi Bing County
• Celebrations: Lusheng Citang, Lusheng racing, mountain climbing, bullfighting, horse racing

Miao Lusheng Festival is one of the most popular and big ethnic festivals in Guizhou Miao ethnic minorities. It mainly features activities like Lusheng Caitang and Lusheng racing. Except for the Lusheng dance, there are many other activities, including mountain climbing, bullfighting, horse racing, and more. The celebration time differs among different places as they have various origins of the festival.

5. Dong New Year Festival

• Time: November in Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Where to see: Loping County
• Celebrations: Worship ancestors, Dong songs and operas, celebrate the harvest, Dousha ceremony

Being one of the most important ethnic festivals in Guizhou, the Dong New Year is mainly celebrated in the last season of the year. During this festival, the Dong people worship ancestors, celebrate the harvest, and present Dong culture. Besides, there is an important ceremony in this festival, named Dousha, which is a way of singing ancestor worship songs and a form of cultural heritage. You can visit Dong ethnic groups on your tour of Guizhou and experience the traditions in person.

Recommended Tour

15 DAYS

China Tour with Ethnic Culture: Guilin, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet

Explore This Tour

6. Torch Festival

• Time: June 24-27 in Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Where to see: Hezhang County, Bijie City
• Celebrations: Make and set torches on fire, sing and dance around the torch, horse racing, archery competitions, wrestling contests, and tug of war

Among Guizhou ethnic minority festivals, the Torch Festival is mainly celebrated by the Yi people. They wish to use fire to get rid of pests and protect the crops. During the festival, people make torches with dried pine woods and pine nuts and set them on fire at night. Besides, young men and women sing and dance around the huge torch for the whole night. Furthermore, there are horse racing, archery competitions, wrestling contests, and tug of war, which make the festival more enjoyable.

7. The Taste of New Rice Festival

• Time: July 7^th in Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Where to see: Jinsha County, Gaofeng Town, Pingzheng Gelao Ethnic Township, Wuchuan County
• Celebrations: welcome guests, harvest the freshly ripened grains to worship ancestors, ceremony of opening up wasteland

The Taste of New Rice Festival is the most ancient and grandest festival of the Gelao ethnic group. A complete process includes welcoming guests, reproducing the scene of opening up wasteland, picking new grains, worshipping ancestors, enjoying food made from the newly picked grains and holding entertainment activities. Tourists can also watch the ceremonies and take part in the activities.

8. June 6th Festival

• Time: June 6 in Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Where to see: Zhenfeng County
• Celebrations: worship ancestors, duet, parade, long-table banquet, bonfire party

For the Buyi nationality, the June 6^th Festival is the grandest and most profound traditional festival. Usually, it is held on June 6^th, but if the busy farming season is not over, it will be postponed to June 16^th or June 26^th. Actually, it is a grand agricultural ceremony to worship Pangu, the ancestor of rice cultivation, the God of the Field and the God of the Village.

During the festival, every family will bring the five-coloured glutinous rice, triangular rice dumplings, a rooster and a paper horse to the fields and hold the sacrificial ceremony. Besides, the young people will socialize openly by singing songs in duet, playing the “flower-tossing” game and strumming the moon lute, to find their ideal partner.

9. Mao Festival

• Time: June 6 in Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Where to see: Libo County, Sandu County, Jiuqian Town
• Celebrations: Singing duets, enjoy banquet

Mao Festival of Shui ethnic group is renowned as the Oriental Valentine’s Day or Song Festival. In addition to the harvest celebration and ancestor worshiping ceremony, the festival is also a grand ceremony for young men and women to express their feelings through songs and look for their beloved one.

In some places, a horse racing league will be held. The riders do not use saddles and gallop at full speed, which is truly thrilling. When night falls, join in the locals to taste the signature dish Fish Wrapped with Leeks and characteristic Jiuqian Liquor, meanwhile, appreciating the ethnic song and dance performances and the horsetail embroidery fashion show.

10. Dragon Dance and Flower Festival

• Time: 5 – 17 in Chinese Lunar Calendar
• Where to see: Taijiang County
• Celebrations: Dragon parade along the main streets, spray fire-blowing tubes, guess lantern riddles

Dragon Dance and Flower Festival is a national intangible cultural heritage unique to Taijiang County. It is reputed as the Game for the Brave. The bare-chested dragon dancers, together with surrounding spectators, ignite a dramatic and visually spectacular fire carnival.

The Miao People will light homemade “fire-blowing tubes” and spray up to the dragon’s body. They believe that the more sparks are sprayed, the more blessings the dragon’s body and the dancers will receive. So, you will see the dancers manoeuvring the dragons and weaving through the sea of flames.

Guizhou Ethnic Festivals Calendar 2026

How to Plan a Guizhou Ethnic Trip?

For first-timers, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture will not disappoint you. Here gather the most concentrated ethnic customs and well-developed tourist facilities. The festival activities are held almost all year round here. For a classic ethnic trip, it needs about 5 – 7 days.

To experience the festival activities, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Zhaoxing Dong Village and Kaili Ethnic Minorities Museum are the hottest destinations. However, they tend to be a bit more commercialized and crowded.

If you prefer a quieter or more immersive experience, take some hidden villages into consideration, such as Basha Miao Village and Langde Miao Village. In these places, you can also take part in hands-on activities, like batik-making or crafting silverware, to make a unique souvenir for yourself.

Recommended tour

6 DAYS

Guizhou Ethnic Minority Tour

Explore This Tour

Explore Guizhou with China Xian Tour

For international travelers, it is strongly recommended to explore Guizhou on a guided tour. The charm of Guizhou exactly lies in the diverse ethnic customs. Only if you travel with a local guide will you gain deep insights into the culture of local minorities. If you are interested, the guide can also arrange unique experiences like family visits and handicraft making.

In addition, the road conditions in Guizhou are relatively complex, a local driver can escort you between the scenic areas safely and seamlessly. For those seeking a worry-free travel experience, China Xian Tour is glad to tailor a personalized trip for you. Feel free to contact us at any time.

• Top 10 Things to Do in Guizhou
• Top 12 Ethnic Villages in Guizhou
• Top 8 Traditional Chinese Festivals