Spring, what better time for travelling, when daffodils bloom and butterflies dither around them. Throughout the country, you can find many festivals to celebrate the green season and have a cultural journey.    

    Jiangnan

    Jiangnan, an area which refers to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including the southern part of the Yangtze Delta, is famous for several reasons: its river, bridge, ancient townships, folk-customs and beautiful women.

    Jiangnan is famous for its townships and the “Jiangnan in March” is like a fairyland scene from a traditional Chinese painting.

    Many cities hold a variety of festivals to celebrate the season of hope, such as the plum blossom festival in Nanjing, flower festivals in Wuxi and Suzhou, rape flower in Tongli and peach blossom in Zhangjiagang.

    Besides big cities, small towns also have their ways of celebrating the spring. Imagine rowing a boat on a drizzling day in a waterside town, like Tongli, Wuzhen, Taizhou and Xitang, and how it would make you reflect on the big questions in life.

    Transport: You can fly to Shanghai, Wuxi or Suzhou from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and then get to the small towns by coach.

    Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in those places. Alternatively, you can stay with the locals.

    Cuisine: Fresh vegetables and fruits, such as waxberry and horsebean, are recommended. Fishing in the river is also a must try.

    Xishuangbanna

    As the biggest event of the Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province, this year’s Water-Sprinkling Festival is from April 13 to 15.

    The Dais are mainly distributed in Dehong and Xishuangbanna. The festival, the New Year of the Dai calendar, held in the last 10 days of the sixth month or early in the seventh month of the Dai calendar, usually lasts three to five days.

    The first day of the festival is the day for seeing off the old and welcoming the new. On this day, the Dai people dip flowering branches in water and sprinkle the water on one another for blessing. The second day is devoted to splashing water on each other as a symbol of good luck and happiness; the more water one is sprayed with, the happier one will be.

    On the third day are the “dropping the pouch” game and the “ascending high” competition. During the festival, the Dai people also hold boat races, dance the peacock dance and conduct games.

    Transport: Fly to Kunming from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and fly to Xishuangbanna from Kunming.

    Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in those places. Or stay with the locals.

    Cuisine: Meat barbecue, aquatic products, boiled fish with sour bamboo shoots and glutinous rice are recommended.

    Jiuzhaigou Valley

    The famous Jiuzhaigou Valley is a nature reserve in the north of Sichuan Province, known as the habitat of giant pandas and for its many multi-level waterfalls and colorful lakes. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It is part of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The name means Valley of Nine Villages, derives from the nine ancient Tibetan villages that call it home. Its highest point is 4,700 meters above sea level, with the main sightseeing areas between 1,980 to 3,100 meters.

    Until April 15, there are a cultural and custom festival held in the area to experience Tibetans’ lives and cultural. There will be Tibetan clothing exhibition, food exhibition and a carnival held during the festival and tourists can dance together with the locals to celebrate the big event.

    Transport: Fly to Chengdu from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and fly to Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu.

    Accommodation: There is a wide selection of hotels and hostels in those places.

    Cuisine: Yak meat, samba, and buttered tea are recommended.

    (Wang Yuanyuan)