Fuxi  Culture  Festival                                                                Turpan  Grape  Festival

As we all know , the famous silk road  in China started from Xi’an ,extending to Kashgar, mainly passing by Gansu province,Ningxia province,Qinghai province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. There are different culture ,custom and festivals in different parts of China.

Here is a example list of top fun things, such as traditional festivals and celebrations, tourist events and activities, entertainment and nightlife for travel choices.  

Xi’an in Shaanxi Province
1. Zhuge Liang Memorial Temple Fair during the Spring Festival;
2. Chang’an International Chinese Calligraphy Annual Conference, the last week in March yearly;    
3. Xi’an Ancient Culture & Art Festival in September every year;
4. Xi’an City Wall International Marathon Friendly Match, the first Sunday inNovember annually;    
5. Yan’an Yangko Dance Festival during Chinese Lantern Festival each year; 
6. Yaowangshan Mountain Temple Fair from 2 to 21 in February each year;
7. Biking on the City Wall of Xi’an;
8. Climbing the Huashan Mountain;

Gansu province
1. Gannan Shambhala Tourism Art Festival
Time: Mid August every year
Venue: Dangzhou Grassland in Hezou City, GannanTibetan Autonomous prefecture, Gansu Province
Introduction: According to the Tibetan Buddhism and folk Legends, "Shambhala" means the pure land on the earth. Legend has it that it is a peaceful and quiet land where people and nature coexist in perfect harmony; People's soul can be purified and sublimed, and people are bathed in happy sunshine for generations. The Shambhala Tourism Art Festival is the Crystal of the pursuit for happiness and peace of Tibetan people and their good wishfor the unity and harmony of the people of all the ethnic groups. Sgor-bro Dance, the showcase of Tibetan costumes, the performance of a train of 1,000 horses, etc. will be shown around Sangke Grassland, Labrang Monastery, Milarepa Buddhism Tower. Tourists may go to Lanzhou of Gansu Province by air, and then spend4-6 hours by bus to Gannan.

2. Sharang Festival
Time: The sixth month by the Tibetan Calendar
Venue: Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province
Introduction: In the Tibetan language, the Sharang Festival means “cutting firewood,” and the festival refers to a picnic when people cut firewood in the mountains. In the past, the lamas of the Labrang monastery in Xiahe went out to cut firewood in hot summer every year. As the mountains were far away from the Monastery, the lamas who could not return to the Monastery at the same day had to camp at the foot of the mountains or by the rivers. More often , they had to live in the open area several days running. As time went by , it has become a traditional festival loved by the farmers and herdsmen nearby.
In the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar, the Tibetan people living in the cities, towns and countryside go one after another to the mountain tops or Sangke grasslands to pitch tents, feel the cool in the open area, drink wine and enjoy themselves for several days in succession. In some villages various activities will be organized in the month, such as singing and dancing, horse race, running race, wrestling, tug of war, a game of chess and other cultural activities. At night, young boys and girls will leave the tents and gather at the expanse of grassland near a river or a lake to sing love songs, express affections and look for their lovers.

3. The Grand Summons Ceremony at the Labrang Monastery
Time: From the 4th to 17th day of the first month of Tibetan calendar; the 29th day of the sixth month to 15th day of the seventhmonth on the Tibetan calendar.
Venue: Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County, Gansu Province
Introduction: First constructed in the 48th year(1709) of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe is the largest Tibetan Buddhist institution of higher learning beyond Tibet. Due to its large size, the monastery ranks first in the number of Tibetan Scriptures in all the Buddhist temples throughout China. Every year seven largescale summons ceremonies will be held in the Labrang Monastery, of which the Monlam Prayer Assembly in the first month and the Preaching Assembly in the seven month by the Tibetan calendar are the most magnificent. Buddhism believers from Gannan, Qinghai, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia gather here to celebrate the annual festivals.
Various kinds of Buddhism services are held, such as displaying the images of Buddha, Performing the Dharma dance, chanting scriptures, Praying, holding thebutter sculpture flower fair, organizing the examinations for monks and debateson Buddhist scriptures, and celebrating the one-month Langsam Festival for the Tibetan people around Labrang Monstery，Lhamo Monastery, Bharkor City, Daligyacui Co, Daerzong Co,Dajutan Grassland, and so on.

4. Tianshui Fuxi Culture Festival
Time: The 13th day of the fifth lunar month
Venue: Tianshui City, Gansu Province
Introduction: According to ancient Chinese legends, Fuxi was the first ancestor of mankind who made outstanding contributions to the Chinese civilization. It was said Fuxi would be the first man who taught folks to weave nets for hunting and fishing, made the marriage system, created the calendar, invented musical instruments, educated people to prepare and eat cooked food and initiated the Eight Trigrams (eight combinations of three wholeor broken lines formerly used in divinations), the symbolized sign of ancient Chinese culture. Along with the move of tribes, the ancient civilization created and advocated by Fuxi was introduced to other ethnic groups along the Yellow River valley, giving birth to the Chinese nation with Yandi and Huangdi tribes as the core and taking Fuxi culture as the foundation. Legend has it that the 13th day of the fifth lunar month is the birthday of Fuxi. Tianshui is the hometown of Fuxi Culture Festival. During the festival, various kinds of folk performances are shown, of which Wushan Rotating Drum Dance and Qincheng Plywood Dance are the most attractive.

 

Qinghai province
1. Four Grand Summons Ceremonies at the Kumbum Monastery
Time: From the 14th to 15th day of the first month,the 14th to the 15th day of the fourth month, the seventh to the eighth day of the sixth month, and the 22th to the 23rd day of the ninth month by the Tibetan calendar.
Venue: Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province
Introduction: Constructed to commemorate Tsongkhapa,the founder of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the Ta'er  Monastery is the center for Buddhist activities in northwest of China and one of the "holylands" of the believers in Chinese Lamaism, known for the three consummate arts of butter sculpture flowers, murals and embroidered fabrics. The Grand Summons Ceremony is a Buddhist activity to Preach Buddhism and worship Buddha. In the Ta'er Monastery four traditional summons ceremonies with a magnificent scene and a solemn atmosphere are normally held a year, which are very attractive to tourists.
During the summons ceremony, the Tibetan, Tu Ethnics and Mongolian people hold various Buddhist activities, such as the exhibition of butter sculpture Flowers and displaying Buddhist images. From the 14th to the 15th day of the first month by the Tibetan calendar, Yamataka (Destroy of Death) Dance is performed and a large exhibition of butter sculpture flowers is held; From 14th to the15th day of the fourth month by the Tibetan calendar, Buddhism believers do Yamataka Dance and display the images of Buddha in the sun; From the seventh to the eighth day of the sixth month by the Tibetan calendar, Buddhists perform Yamatak Dance and display the image of Buddha in the sun; And from the 22nd tothe 23rd day of the ninth month by the Tibetan Calendar, pilgrims perform Hayagriva(Horse-Head God) Dance,Pay homage to Buddha and commemorate the death of Tsongkhapa. The activities are held around Ta'er Monastery, Dongguan Mosque,Qinghai Lake, Birds Island, etc.


Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
1. China Silk Road Turpan Grape Festival
Time: August 25 to September 1 every year
Venue: Turpan city in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
Introduction: Grape cultivation in the world-famous city of Turpan already has a long history of more than 2,000 years. Of the 100-odd grapes, known as "green pearls of China," are the most precious. The raisin and wine produced in Turpan are known for their lingering good tastes. Most of grapes in Turpan are grown in the renowned Grape Valley,also called “Pearl City” in the desert. The Xinjiang Grape Festival was first held in 1990 and has become an annual event in Turpan since 1990. Many interesting activities will be done around Flaming Mountain, Grape Valley in Turpan ,such as the Uygur wedding ceremony, mashlap (lively and humorousfolk dance), Koco-style songs and dances, the Hami-melon competition, economicand trade talks, a tour of the Grape and Melon Street, camel caravans, and reappearance of the Silk Road more than 2,000 years ago.

2. Festival of East Fast-Breaking
Time: the first day of the 10th month by the Islamic Calendar
Venue: the areas inhabited by the Hui, Uygur and Kazak people
Introduction: According to the Islamic scriptures, as Islam was founded, Ramadan (the ninth month of theMuslim year, during which no food or drink may be taken between sunrise andsunset) was stipulated as well. After that he put on clean clothes and led Moslems to the outskirts to hold religious services and distribute fast-breaking donations to atone for their sins. With time going by, this practice has been handed down and become one of the three major festivals of Islam.
In the early morning of the Festival of Fast-Breaking, adult Muslims would take a bath, put on their holiday costum and go to the mosque. In addition, Muslims visit friends and relatives, exchange greetings and gifts, such as offering oil and sanzi (fried dough twists) to express congratulations with each other. The people who live in a nomadic area attend the horse race, sheep-grasping onhorse-back and other activities, adding much joyous atmosphere to the festival.

3. Corban Festival
Time: The 10th day of the 12th month by the Islamic Calendar
Venue: The areas inhabited by the Hui, Uygur and Kazak people
Introduction: An ancient Arabic legend goes that Father Abraham had deep faith and trust in Allah. One day in his dream, Allah ordered him to kill his son to offer sacrifices. When Abraham was about to kill his son, Allah dispatched an angel to the site with a sheep,ordering Abraham to slaughter the sheep instead. After that, people would slaughter sheep to pray for safety on the day. Now the Corban Festival (meaning slaughtering animals festival) is celebrated every year.
At the festival, Muslims would go to the mosque where they attend the religious service and the ceremony for slaughtering animals. Then every family would start celebrations by slaughtering cattle, sheep and camels to entertain friends and relatives. During the feast, they taste various delicious foods and chat happily with each other. The ethnic minority people in Xinjiang sing songs and perform dances to celebrate the festival.Some other activities will be done as well , such as grasping sheep on horseback , horse races and "chasingafter girls".

Ningxia  province
1. China Ningxia Great Desertand Yellow River International Tourism Festival
Time: July every year
Venue: Zhongwei City in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Introduction: Jointly sponsored by the China National Tourism Administration and the People's Government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the Great Desert and Yellow River International Tourism Festival aims to develop the exchanges and cooperation with domestic and foreign counterparts, strengthen friendship between Chinese and foreign people, and promote the prosperity and development of Ningxia's tourism and economy through the display of the deserts in Ningxia,the ancient Yellow River culture, the customs and lifestyle of the Hui people and the mysterious Western Xia Kingdom.
A series of special activities are held around Western Xia Tombs, Shahu Lake,Liupan Mountain, Helan Mountain and Tengger Desert during the festival, such as a boat tour on the Yellow River, a tour of the ancient Great Wall, an exploration tour in the deserts, an ecological tour of Shahu Lake, a tour of the land of the Hui people, a tour for tracing the Silk Road, a summer holiday tour in Liupan Mountain,  an exploration tour of Helan mountai of the mysterious Western Xia Kingdom, drifting on the Yellow River with 1,000 people, walking through the Tengger Desert with 10,000 people, a Carting car race, the week for the display of Western Xia Kingdom culture, the Taoyue " Yellow River Grassland Culture Tourism festival," and so on.