Shanghai Travel Guide - Festivals & Events

 
 
 
February Festivals

Chinese New Year: the Shanghainese believe that hitting the Longhua Bell one hundred and eight times on the eve of Chinese New Year brings good luck for the coming year. The Longhua Temple is the scene of many of the festivities during New Year celebrations.
March Festivals

Longhua Temple Fair: is held at Longhua Old Town and has a 300 year old history. The fair is held in late March at the time the peach flowers are blossoming and attracts thousands of people with its many stalls selling all sorts of items and food, folk art, jugglers and stilt walkers.
Shanghai Peach Blossom Festival: is held in April and attracts hundreds of people to the Nanhui District, which houses tens of thousands of acres which are planted with peach trees.
June Festivals

Dragon Boat Festival: is celebrated to honour the Chinese hero Qu Yuan. There are dragon boat (boats that are shaped to look like dragons and decorated spectacularly) races to be enjoyed and the traditional rice wrapped in bamboo leaves to be consumed.
October/November Festivals

China Shanghai International Arts Festival: dramas, operas, art fairs, ballet performances, musicals, choir and orchestral performances are on offer during this packed festival that usually lasts for a month.