Shanghai Festivals

Although Shanghai is a modern and developed city, many people of Shanghai is still living their traditional way of life, thus many traditional customs are preserved and last to show the fascination of Shanghai. to celebrate the customs, numerous festivals and plentiful exhibitions are held and have made profound influence in shanghai people's daily life. In addition to the traditional chinese festivals, shanghai also celebrates the following ones:

Chinese New Year

At the new year eve of the traditional Chinese calendar: hitting the Longhua bell for the new year
Hitting bell for the new year is a traditional event for Shanghai people to welcome the coming new year. hitting the bell for 108 times is believed can dispel trouble and disasters, and can bring people good luck and longevity. each year, under the longhua ancient pagoda, the Longhua temple will ceremoniously held the event of "hitting the Longhua bell at mid night for the new year". the strikes of buddhist oracles vibrate not only in the temple but also in everyone's heart, which make people feel calm and content. Longhua park is famous for its ancient temple, the Longhua pagoda, its evening bell-striking ceremony and beautiful peach blossoms. It is especially worth visiting during the Longhua temple fair, the largest in Shanghai and supposedly the day when dragons visit the temple to help grant people's wishes.

Longhua Temple Fair

March of the traditional Chinese calendar: Longhua temple fair
Longhua temple fair, held in Longhua old town, has a history of more than 300 years. Legend tells that the laughing Buddha was born under the Longhua tree, preached buddhism and saved people from secular sufferings. This later developed into a temple fair. Today, the fair is the largest folk gathering in eastern China. It is a colorful fair with stalls, folk art, jugglers and stilt walkers, and is made all the more colorful by the blossoming of the peach flowers prevalent in the area at that time. Stalls surround the temple and thousands and thousands of people fight their way to the booths selling every kind of traditional Chinese food, crafts and almost everything else.
Opening time: around march 15 of chinese traditional calendar
Address: longhua ancient town, Shanghai
Bus lines: 41,44,56,73,87,104,714,733,734,770,809,847,864,932,933 etc.

Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival （April)

Shanghai international tea culture festival is held annually in April and will last for about one week. it is a traditional and great festival for Shanghai people to promote Chinese national culture and develop friendship with people from all over the world.
The history of the tea culture festival goes back to when the revolutionary history exhibition hall in zhabei district opened the songyuan teahouse. making good use of the historical documents of wu juenong (1897-1989), China's modern tea master who lived in the district Zhabei for seven years, the teahouse became an advocate of this traditional beverage - the get-together and seminars held at the songyuan teahouse became the inspiration for the tea culture festival.
An ancient Chinese book "Chuang-Tzu" claims that shennongshi, chief of the primeval tribe, developed farming and medicine. around 5000 years ago, during his search for edible plants, he tasted many leaves, fruits, vegetables and roots. it is recorded that on one particular day he got poisoned for 72 times. fortunately he happened to eat some tea leaves also. they worked as an antidote for the poison. from then on, Chinese people discovered that the magical leaves could relieve thirst, refresh the mind and also cure some diseases. thus they began to drink the liquid stewed with tea leaves and the legend of tea was born.
Hundreds of thousands of tea lovers, experts and tea producers make it to Shanghai for the international tea culture festival. As well as plenty of impressive tea ceremonies, visitors get to taste a good few brands as activities spread around town, attend seminars and visit famous tea spots.

Shanghai Peach Blossom Festival（April)

Shanghai peach blossom festival is held annually in late March or early April in the tens of thousands acres of peach planting area in nanhui district, suburb of Shanghai. The festival highlights cultural significance. many activities are designed on the basis of rural life. chinese people have a special love for peaches and the peach blossom. the peach blossom, with its pleasant flowers, symbolizes life, growth and prosperity. the flowers, in a visual hierarchy due to the ascending or descending of colors, form a rosy sea. it is regarded as the most auspicious of all plants. the peach, in Chinese culture, is a symbol of long life and one of the strongest defenses against evil.
Since 1991, nanhui (pronounced nan-hwey) district has organized its annual peach blossom festival in march and April. this festival signifies a combination of peach blossom appreciation and chinese folk culture presentations and has won much applause from visitors. set up in huinan town in nanhui district, Chengbei folk peach orchard is the main meeting-place of the peach blossom festival that is held when the peach blossom blooms luxuriantly every year. as a thriving port area, Nanhui district is seeking more attractions for tourists. the chengbei folk peach orchard was set up last year as a scenic spot for tourists from across the world.
Teaturing a mixed architectural style in both Chinese ancient garden and the Chinese country, the village offers picturesque scenery to visitors. peach leaves dance elegantly with the tender breeze. The village is a place to be surprise, and enjoy sweet pleasures. you will explore some delicious local specialties, delicate craft works, beautiful scenic sights, and the fruitful ancient peach trees that add to the charm of Nanhui.

　
The Dragon Boat Festival 

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, celebrates the national hero Qu yuan, who drowned himself in the 3rd century, B.C. In protest against the corrupt emperor. Legend has it that people attempted to prevent fish from feeding on his body by throwing rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves into the sea and frightening fish away by beating drums. today crews in narrow dragon boats race to the beat of heavy drums, and rice wrapped in bamboo leaves is consumed.

Festivals in May: Qingpu international dragon boat race; putuo international flower festival in putuo district; Shanghai international fashion & culture festival; Shanghai spring international music festival.　

Shanghai Film Festival (June)

Thanghai Television Festival

Shanghai Television Festival (stvf) has become the most influential and prestigious international tv festival in asia. festival highlights include the showcase of excellent international TV programs, press conferences and signing ceremonies of international cooperation.

The international tv & film market, a major part of the shanghai television festival, turned out to be more market-oriented than its predecessors. in addition to the exhibiting companies present, the market invited potential buyers to attend in order to establish their own trade platforms for the first time. a new rule established at last year's festival, allows potential buyers to be exempt from registration fees. also, certain major buyers will be offered a benefits package, including items such as free air tickets to attend the following year.

Festivals in november: shanghai international arts festival; shanghai asian music festival; shanghai arts fair; shanghai television festival.

Shanghai International Ballet Competition (August)

Shanghai Tourism Festival (September)

Shanghai tourism festival is a large-scale metropolitan tourist festivity with the theme of "walking into happiness and joy", jointly sponsored by Shanghai municipal people's government tourism administrative commission, Shanghai municipal economic commission and Shanghai municipal culture, broadcasting, film and TV administrative Bureau. It is held annually from the third saturday of september to october 16. the massive Shanghai tourism festival showcases not only all the city has to offer visitors, but is the perfect event for locals and foreigners to discover the fascination of chinese culture and history. the festival offers a huge amount of traditional and not-so-traditional entertainment at venues across the city. the bill for 2005 includes a "rose wedding" ceremony, float parades, markets, a folklore tour of Shanghai lanes, a Chinese festival at Yu garden and a music fireworks festival in century park. there's much hype around town at the time and plenty of opportunity to pick up details of all the events.
The opening ceremony parade composed by the floats and the performing teams is a typical activity of shanghai tourism festival. More than twenty floats of different styles and above twenty different performing square teams will perform the cultures of different area, showing their individual charm. while the floats are marching forward, the crowds are immersed in happiness. every september, the float parade can always attracts hundreds of thousands of people, and let huaihai road become the ocean of cheerful chat and joyous songs immediately.

Festivals in September: Shanghai Tourism Festival; Shanghai international music fireworks festival; Shanghai sweet-osmanthus festival

Check out Floats for 2011 Shanghai Tourism Festival  

2011 Shanghai Grand Carnival

The Grand Carnival airborne to Pudong Expo Park, the original entrance to the Expo, fourth, Expo Boulevard and is located in bailianjing road Pudong South Road. Handle network · 2011 Shanghai International Carnival there are 5 major new experience, let us find out what!

Shanghai International Arts Festival

Approved by the state council of the people's republic of China, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, a national level international arts festival is hosted by the ministry of culture of p.r.c and implemented by Shanghai municipal people's government.

The purpose of the china Shanghai international arts festival is to present the best cultures from around the world, to promote Chinese traditional arts, to enhance sino-international cultural exchanges and to develop cultural markets.
Shanghai hosts the one month-long arts festival every year with a varied program of more than 150 performances, including symphony orchestras, dance, opera, acrobatics, magic and drama from home and abroad. other activities include an international piano competition, an international magic festival and competition, an asia music festival, and an arts and crafts fair.

Festivals in october: shanghai international arst festival; shanghai oranges festival; Shanghai international magic festival; Shanghai international tourism trade fair.

Shanghai International Marathon (December)

Shanghai Citizens Health Festival (December)

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