|
|
|
|
|
|
Chinese Traditional Festivals
As an historical and civilized country with a
long history, the abundant number of traditional festivals is an
integral part of the cultural landscape. Each festival has its own
historical origin, legend and enjoyment. They reflect a nation's
traditional habits and religious morality. The main traditional
festivals are the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival,
Dragon Boat Festival, Chinese Valentine's Day, Mid-Autumn Festival,
Double Ninth, etc – all of which are spectacular celebrations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Spring Festival is the most celebrated traditional Chinese festival
and known as "Guo Nian" in Chinese. With the coming of Chinese New
Year, every family will gather to have dinner, known as "Tuan Nian"
which means "getting together". People will stay up late even all night
on Chinese New Year's Eve, putting up the spring festival scrolls and
decorating with lanterns and streamers. Meanwhile, local people will pay
visits to each other at the beginning days of Chinese New Year, play
the lion dance and the dragon lantern dance, put on Shehuo show, visit
flower markets and appreciate lantern lights.
Recommended Tourist Attractions & Activities
Longhua Bell Toll
Longhua Temple is the oldest, largest and
most magnificent Buddhist architecture in Shanghai. It is said that the
temple was built in 247 AD. The temple, the pagoda, the temple fair and
the evening bell chiming constitute a religious tourist attraction.
Activities: Longhua Bell Toll
Tel: +86 21 64566899
Add: 2853 Longhua Road
Public transport: Bus No.73, 56
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival.
The 15th day is the first night to see a full moon. Therefore, the day
is also called Yuan (Round) Xiao (Night) Festival in China. According to
the Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there
is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of
colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. At this time,
people will try to solve the puzzles on the lanterns and eat Yuanxiao
(glutinous rice ball) and get all their families united in the joyful
atmosphere.
Recommended Tourist Attractions & Activities
Yuyuan Lantern Show
With the dragon-like nine-turn zigzag bridge
and the reflective nature of the river's surface, set with the Mid-Pond
Pavilion and Oriental Pearl TV Tower as the background, the exhibit put
many colorful and dramatic popular lanterns on show – an opportunity to
appreciate and gain a greater understanding of Chinese traditional
culture and the culture of lanterns. It is a wonderful way to greet the
New Year as well as to see and appreciate the new Shanghai and its
seven-hundred-year history and culture.
Activities: Lantern Show
Tel: +86 21 63559999
Add: 269 Middle Fang Bang Road
Public transport: Bus No.932
Guyi Garden
Guyi Garden is located in Nanxiang Town,
Jiading District. Inside the garden, there are constructions such as
Mid-Lake Pavilion, Nine Zigzag Bridge, Long Corridor and Plum Blossom
Pavilion. The most famous historic relic in the Garden is
One-Corner-Lacking Pavilion, which was built in 1931.
Activities: Lantern Festival Riddle Contest — Searching for plum blossom,
guessing a riddle and appreciating lights
Tel: +86 21 59122225、59121535
Add: 218 Huyi Road, Jiading District
Public transport: Bus Beijia Line
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Qingming Festival meaning Clear and Bright Festival, is a
traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice
(or the 15th day from the Spring Equinox), usually occurring around
April 5 of the Gregorian calendar. Every leap year, Qing Ming is on
April 4. Astronomically, it is also a solar term. In solar terms, the
Qingming festival is on the 1st day of the 5th solar term, which is also
named Qingming. Its name denotes a time for people to go outside and
enjoy the greenery of springtime, and also to tend to the graves of
departed ones.
Qingming is a statutory public holiday in mainland China in 2008 for the first time since 1949.
The holiday is also known by a number of other names in the English language:
• All Souls Day
• Clear Brightness Festival
• Festival for Tending Graves
• Grave Sweeping Day
• Chinese Memorial Day
• Tomb Sweeping Day
• Spring Remembrance
Tomb Sweeping Day and Clear Brightness
Festival are the most common English translations of Qingming Festival.
For the Chinese, it is a day to remember and
honor one's ancestors at grave sites. Young and old pray before the
ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, (joss)
paper accessories, and/or libation to the ancestors. The rites are very
important to most Chinese and especially farmers. Some people carry
willow branches with them on Qingming, or put willow branches on their
gates and/or front doors. They think that willow branches help ward off
the evil ghosts that wander on Qingming. Also on Qingming, people go on
family outings, start the spring plowing, sing, dance, and Qingming is a
time where young couples start courting. Another popular thing to do is
fly kites (in shapes of animals, or characters from Chinese opera).
Hanshi, the day before Qingming, was created
by Chong'er, the Duke Wen of the state of Jin during the Spring and
Autumn Period when he accidentally killed his personal friend and
servant Jie Zhitui and his mother in a fireblaze in the hope of making
him return to him (Chong'er). On Hanshi, people were not allowed to use
fires to heat up food, thus nicknaming it the Cold Food Festival.
Eventually, 300 years ago, the Hanshi "celebration" was combined with
the Qingming festival, but later abandoned by most people.
Qingming itself was created by the Tang
Emperor Xuanzong in 732. It is said that because the wealthy held too
many expensive, elaborate ancestor-worshipping ceremonies, in a needed
effort to lower this expense, Emperor Xuanzong declared that respects
could be formally paid at ancestor's graves only on Qingming.
Qingming in Chinese Tea Culture
The Qingming Festival holiday has a lot of
significance in Chinese Tea culture since this specific day divides the
fresh green teas by their picking dates. Green teas made from leaves
picked before this date are given the prestigious 'pre-qingming' or
'mingqian' designation which commands a much higher price tag. These
teas are prized for having much lighter and subtler aromas than those
picked after the festival.
Qingming in literature
Qingming was frequently mentioned in Chinese
literature. Among these, the most famous one is probably Du Mu's poem
(simply titled "Qingming"):
A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day;
The mourner's heart is breaking on his way.
Where can a winehouse be found to drown his sadness?
A cowherd points to Almond Flower (Xing Hua) Village in the distance.
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Falling on the May 5th of the lunar calendar, another traditional
festival is held – the Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Double
Fifth Festival. People celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival so as to mourn
for the great poet, writer and noble officer, QU Yuan who is said to
have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river. In order to
prevent the fish and shrimp from biting QU Yuan, people put the ZongZi
(dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves) they
prepared into the river to feed them. The tradition of eating and making
ZongZi was passed down generation by generation. It is a festival
celebrated for more than 2,000 years. It is also referred to as Health
Day, and an opportunity for people to sweep their yards, hang calamus
and artemisia, drink rice wine and sprinkle it around the courtyard as a
disinfectant.
Recommended Tourist Attractions & Activities
Zhujiajiao Ancient Watertown
The ancient water town Zhujiajiao with many
bridges and lanes shows the abundant cultural atmosphere of this
watertown. Known as "Shanghai 's Venice" - its waters are splendid and
the town has cultivated many heroes during the past 1700 years.
Zhujiajiao's many cultural events and activities are attracting the
locals and visitors, adding a strong cultural atmosphere to the
tranquility of these peaceful and ancient waterways and lanes.
Activities: Traditional Dragon Boat Festival Activities
Tel: +86 21 59240077
Add: 23 Caoping Road , Zhujiajiao
Public transport: Bus Song Zhu Line, Shang Zhu Line
Suzhou River
Suzhou River, divides Shanghai into two
parts- the old and the new. The winding waterway is just like the road
of history making its way down to the present as it makes its way down
this artery to the Huangpu River-one views the great changes of the
Grand Dragon that is Shanghai .
Activities: Dragon Boat Competition
Add: From Jiangning Road Bridge to Changhua Road Bridge
Public transport: Bus No.112、 830、 206
|
|
|
|
|
|
Double Seventh Festival，known Qi Xi in Chinese (literally "The Night of
Sevens") and also known as Magpie Festival, falls on the seventh day of
the seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendar. It is sometimes called
Chinese Valentine's Day in recent years.
Young girls traditionally demonstrate their
domestic arts, especially melon carving, on this day and make wishes for
a good husband. It is also known by the following names:
• The Festival to Plead for Skills
• The Seventh Sister's Birthday
• The Night of Skills
In 2009, this festival falls on August 26 while in 2010 on August 16.
The story of Cowherd and Weaver Girl
In late summer, the stars Altair and Vega are
high in the night sky, and the Chinese tell the following love story,
of which there are many variations:
A young cowherd named Niulang (literally "the
cowherd", the star Altair) happens across seven fairy sisters bathing
in a lake. Encouraged by his mischievous companion the ox, he steals
their clothes and waits to see what will happen. The fairy sisters elect
the youngest and most beautiful sister Zhinu (literally "the weaver
girl", the star Vega) to retrieve their clothing. She does so, but since
Niulang has seen her naked, she must agree to his request for marriage.
She proves to be a wonderful wife, and Niulang a good husband. They
lived happily and had two children. But the Goddess of Heaven (in some
versions Zhinu's mother) finds out that a mere mortal has married one of
the fairy girls and is furious and orders her return to Heaven. (In
another version, the Goddess forced the weaver fairy back to her former
duty of weaving colorful clouds in the sky because she could not do her
job while married to the mortal.) Down on Earth, Niulang is very upset
learning that his wife is gone. Suddenly, his cow begins to talk telling
him that if he kills him and puts on his hide, he will be able to go up
to Heaven to find his wife. With tears flowing, he killed the cow, put
on the skin and carrying his two children with him and off he went to
Heaven to find Zhinu. The Goddess found out he had come and was very
angry. Taking out her hairpin, the Goddess scratches a wide river in the
sky to separate the two lovers forever (thus forming the Milky Way,
which separates Altair and Vega).
Zhinu must sit forever on one side of the
river, sadly weaving on her loom, while Niulang watches her from afar
and takes care of their two children.
But once a year all the magpies in the world
take pity on them and fly up into heaven to form a bridge of magpies
over the star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation so the lovers may be
together for a single night, the seventh night of the seventh moon.
It is said that if it rains on the night of
Qi Xi, they are the tears of Niulang and Zhinu crying at the misery of
their life.
Traditions
On Qi Xi, a festoon is placed in the yard and
the single or newly married women in the household make an offering to
Niulang and Zhinu consisting of fruit, flowers, tea, and facial powder
(makeup). After finishing the offering, half of the facial powder is
thrown on the roof and the other half divided among the young women. It
is believed by doing this the women are bound in beauty with Zhinu.
Another tradition is for young girls to throw
a sewing needle into a bowl full of water on the night of Qi Xi as a
test of embroidery skills. If the needle floats on top of the water
instead of sinking, it is believed to be an indication of the girl's
being a skilled embroideress.
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
The 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar is China's
Mid-Autumn Festival. It is so named because it falls in the middle of
autumn. The moon is roundest and brightest at this time people across
all of China will sit down and eat with their closest family and
friends, miss their hometowns, and get deluged by memories. Because of
the tendency to sit around a round table with family and friends, Mid
Autumn Festival is also called "Gathering Holiday". And there is no
denying that Mid Autumn Festival is one of the most important
traditional Chinese holidays. In some local places in China, people
still play the straw dragon dance and other such activities at the
festival.
Recommended Tourist Attractions & Activities
Guilin Park
Built in 1929, Guilin Park , formerly known
as HUANG Jinrong's Private Villa, is also known as HUANGs' Garden. It
reopened in 1958 after major renovations. Due to the sweet scented
osmanthus trees everywhere, it received the name Guilin (the forest of
sweet scented osmanthus trees) Park. There are bridges, streams, hills,
pavilions and terraces surrounded by walls, trees and flowers. 1,000
sweet scented osmanthus trees with 23 species will burst into blossom
during mid-autumn. The fragrance permeates the entire garden whilst the
visitors intoxicated by the delicious aroma.
Activities: Mid-Autumn in Tang Dynasty - wear Chinese traditional costume, taste
sweet-scented osmanthus wine, play Tang Dynasty games and stroll by moonlight.
Add: 128 Guilin Road, Shanghai
Public transport: Bus No.43、 89、 92、 93、 Hu Xin Line, Nan She Line
Huangpu River Cruise
Riding a cruise along the Huangpu River, you
will take a glimpse of the history of Shanghai. On one side of the
river, there is the Bund, a landmark of Shanghai. Lining the boulevard
of the waterfront are grandiose solid buildings of Western style dating
back to the early 19th century. You will also see the People's Heroes
Monument and Huangpu Park, the city's first park. The evening cruise on
Huangpu river presents a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the
magnificence and grandeur of the Bund's night scenery in the glittery
neon lights and the bright full moon.
Activities: Enjoy the Moon by Ferry
Add: 1333 Wai Ma Road
Public transport: Bus No.930、 920
|
|
|
|
|
|
Double Ninth Festival falls on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month of
the Chinese calendar. In the ancient Book of Changes, people take the
number six as Yin and the number nine as Yang. On that day, it's the 9
th day of the 9 th month of a year, so it is known as Double Yang or
Double Ninth. "Nine" and "long live" have the same pronunciation in
Chinese and the number "nine" is the largest in the single digit
numbers, so nine holds a significance for Chinese. In 1989 the Chinese
Government proclaimed the day Senior Citizen's Day, so now the day is
also an opportunity to care for and appreciate the elderly. To celebrate
the day, there are many activities which include visiting family and
friends, climbing mountains, wearing zhuyu (a kind of plant and
considered to have cleansing qualities ), eating Double Ninth cake,
drinking chrysanthemum wine and so on.
Recommended Tourist Attractions & Activities
Oriental Pearl TV Tower
Oriental Pearl TV Tower is 468 meters high
and is the hightest TV tower in Asia and the third highest in the world.
It lies at the mouth of Lujiazui area beside Huangpu River and just
opposite to the classical structures on the west Bund. The TV tower,
together with Nanpu Bridge and Yangpu Bridge, look like two dragons
playing with a ball - the view of which is a symbol of reform and the
opening up of Shanghai to the world as the economic centre of the waking
dragon that is China.
Activities: Climbing Competition
Tel: +86 21 58791888
Add: 1 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area
Public transport: Bus No.870、 871、 872、 81、 82; Metro Line 2
|
|
|
|
|
| Public holidays in mainland China |
|
|
|
|
|
There are
currently seven official public holidays in the mainland territory of
the People's Republic of China. There was a major reform in 2008,
abolishing the Labour Day Golden Week and reintroducing pre-Liberation
(before 1949) public holidays such as the Qingming Festival. A notable
feature of mainland Chinese holidays is that people are often required
to work at weekends in lieu of weekday holidays.
|
| Date |
English name |
Duration
|
Dates
(2012) |
| January 1 |
New Year |
3 days |
Sun 1 - Tue 3 January |
| 1st day of 1st lunar month |
Chinese New Year |
7 days |
Sun 22 - Sat 28 January |
| 5th Solar Term (April 4th or April 5th) |
Qing Ming Festival |
3 days |
Mon 2 - Wed 4 April |
| May 1 |
Labor Day |
3 days |
Sun 29 April - Tue 1 May |
| 5th day of 5th lunar month |
Dragon Boat Festival |
3 days |
Fri 22 - Sun 24 June |
| 15th day of 8th lunar month |
Mid-Autumn Festival |
3 days |
Sun 30 September |
| October 1 |
National Day |
7 days |
Mon 1 - Sun 7 October |
|
| |
Notes:Most
sources in China count the total number of days off (including
statutory holidays, transferred days and weekends), which is important
for Chinese people working a seven-day week. E.g. a holiday on a Friday
is always announced as a three day holiday (Friday-Sunday). The table
above does count weekends.
|
Transferred holidays
In all these holidays, if the holiday lands
on a weekend, the days will be reimbursed after the weekend.
The Chinese New Year and National Day
holidays are three days long. The week-long holidays on May (Labor) Day
and National Day began in 2000, as a measure to increase and encourage
holiday spending. The resulting seven-day holidays are called "Golden
Weeks", and have become peak seasons for travel and tourism. From 2008,
the Labor Day holiday was shortened to one day, and three traditional
Chinese holidays will be added.
Generally, if there is a 3 day holiday, the
government will declare it to be a 7 day holiday, making the weekend
after normal working days. This means that shops, banks, schools, etc.,
treat Saturday and Sunday as if they were Monday and Tuesday (or
whatever weekdays they have been 'swapped' with). The resulting
disruption is accepted as normal.
|
|
| Other four official public holidays |
|
|
|
|
|
In addition
to these holidays, applicable to the whole population, there are four
official public holidays applicable to specific sections of the
population:
|
| Date |
English name |
Duration |
Applicable to |
| March 8 |
International Women's Day |
half-day |
Women |
| May 4 |
Youth Day |
half-day |
Youth above the age of 14 |
| June 1 |
Children's Day |
1 day |
Children below the age of 14 |
| August 1 |
Army Day |
half-day |
Military personnel in active service |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
New Year's
Day marks the first day of the new year on the Gregorian calendar.
Although not was well celebrated as it is in the west, mainly due to
being overshadowed by Chinese New Year, New Year's Day in the Gregorian
calendar is still seen as an important time in China. It is marked with a
paid day-off for workers, and people can be seen having parties and
dancing in halls and parks.
|
|
| • International Women's Day |
|
|
|
|
|
International
Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of
global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements
of women. This date is designated in China as a half-day public holiday
for women.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Labour Day, known as May Day and International Workers' Day is celebrated on May 1, and is a public holiday in China.
In the 1990s, the Labour Day holiday was
extended from 1 day to 3 days. The Chinese government made it a 7 day
holiday by moving the prior and upcoming weekends together with these 3
days. The Labour Day holiday was one of the three Golden Weeks in China,
allowing millions of Chinese people to travel during this period.
Starting January 1, 2008, the People's
Republic of China reduced this holiday period down to 1 day, while
simultaneously reviving three traditional Chinese holidays: Dragon Boat
Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Youth Day in
mainland China is on May 4. It was established in December 1949 by the
Government Administration Council to commemorate the beginning of the
May Fourth Movement in 1919. People from 14 to 28 have a half-day
holiday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
On June 1,
all Chinese children under 14 get a holiday on Children's Day. China's
central government in December 1949 announced "June 1 International
Children's Day" to replace the original "Children's Day on April 4 ".
|
|
|
|
|
|
The National
Day of the People's Republic of China is celebrated every year on
October 1. It is a public holiday in the People's Republic of China to
celebrate its national day.
The PRC was founded on October 1, 1949 with a
ceremony at Tiananmen Square. The Central People's Government passed
the Resolution on the National Day of the People's Republic of China on
December 2, 1949 and declared that October 1 is the National Day.
The National Day marks the start of one of the two Golden Weeks in the PRC.
The National Day is celebrated throughout
mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau with a variety of
government-organised festivities, including fireworks and concerts.
Public places, such as Tiananmen Square in Beijing, are decorated in a
festive theme.
When the anniversary is a multiple of five
(e.g. the 50th, 55th, or 60th), large scale official celebrations may be
held, including an inspection of troops on Tiananmen Square. 2009 marks
the 60th anniversary.
A firework display is usually held nationwide
in all cities, including Hong Kong, where a firework display to
celebrate the National Day of the People's Republic of China has been
held since 1997 at Victoria Harbour in the evening.
|
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment