May · Bai

Rao San Ling

23rd–25th days of the fourth lunar month

Next: 28–30 May 2027

绕三灵

For three days, groups of Bai villagers in their best clothes, many of them older women, walk between temples along the west shore of Erhai, singing, dancing and playing drums and the bawang whip as they go. It is a pilgrimage and a spring outing in one, and one of the Bai customs least changed for tourism.

How to join: Watch from the villages along the road north of Dali Old Town, especially around Qingdong 庆洞 near Xizhou, where the groups gather at the Shengyuan Temple 圣源寺 on the first day. With a local guide you can walk a stretch with a group.

Etiquette: It's a religious event: ask before photographing, don't push into the dance circles, and dress modestly at the temples.

Where: Dali

Festivals & seasons

Yunnan festival calendar 2026–2027 →

February · Nationwide

Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) 春节

Next: 6 Feb 2027

China's biggest holiday.

Where: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Xishuangbanna

Details

China's biggest holiday. In the run-up, Kunming's Dounan Flower Market 斗南花市 sells armfuls of blooms for the home, families gather on New Year's Eve for a reunion dinner, and in the first days of the year temples such as Yuantong Temple 圆通寺 fill with people burning incense for luck. Warm Xishuangbanna and the old towns of Dali and Lijiang are favorite holiday escapes for families from across China.

How to join: Visit a temple on the first or second morning of the year, walk a flower market, or ask to share a family's reunion dinner. Book trains and rooms well ahead: this is the busiest travel period of the year and prices climb sharply.

Etiquette: Wish people 'xin nian kuai le' (Happy New Year) and avoid talk of death or illness. Many small restaurants and shops close for the first three days.

April · Season

Rhododendron season 杜鹃花季

Next: Apr–Jun 2027

Yunnan has hundreds of rhododendron species, and in spring whole hillsides turn pink, red and white.

Where: Diqing, Dali, Chuxiong

Details

Yunnan has hundreds of rhododendron species, and in spring whole hillsides turn pink, red and white. The bloom climbs with altitude: Zixi Mountain 紫溪山 near Chuxiong flowers from April, the upper slopes of Cangshan above Dali follow, and the meadows and forests around Shangri-La, including Pudacuo National Park 普达措, peak from late May into June.

How to join: Walk rather than just stopping at a viewpoint: the Cangshan cable car takes you up to the high slopes, and the Pudacuo boardwalks pass through rhododendron forest. Bring rain gear, as the rainy season starts in June.

Etiquette: Don't pick flowers or break branches.

April · Bai

Third Month Fair 大理三月街

Next: 21–27 Apr 2027

A market fair with more than a thousand years of history, held on the slopes below Cangshan just west of Dali Old Town.

Where: Dali

Details

A market fair with more than a thousand years of history, held on the slopes below Cangshan just west of Dali Old Town. For a week, stalls sell herbs, tea, tools and crafts, alongside horse races, Bai and Yi song and dance and plenty of street food.

How to join: Walk up from the old town's west side to the Third Month Street area and the racecourse; the opening ceremony is on the first morning and the market runs all day. In 2027 it ends just before the May Day holiday; mornings are the calmest time.

Etiquette: Watch your bags in the crowds, and ask before photographing traders or performers in costume.

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