Wa New Rice Festival in Cangyuan: harvest rites in the 8th lunar month
Gourd Town (葫芦小镇) and Wengding, Cangyuan County
The Wa celebrate the rice harvest with the New Rice Festival, which Cangyuan's county regulations fix on the 14th day of the eighth lunar month, the eve of Mid-Autumn, so its Gregorian date changes every year. In recent years the public celebrations have been timed to China's National Day holiday in early October: in 2026 the main rites ran on October 2–4 at Gourd Town's central square and the Sigangli theatre. Elders chant to call the soul of the rice home, crowds haul and wash a new log bridge, and new rice is pounded and shared before a night of drum-led circle dancing round a bonfire. In 2026 Wengding also ran a harvest programme all through October, from cutting rice to pulling the wooden drum.
What locals sayVisitors describe being pulled into the dance circles almost as soon as they arrive; expect crowds, since it falls in the national holiday.
- Time
- 1–3 days · Lunar 8th month; public events in early October
- In Chinese
- 沧源 佤族新米节
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Based on what locals and regular visitors share, checked against current sources · Updated September 2026. Details change — check opening times locally.
