Yuyuan New Year Folk Customs and Lantern Festival

Date: Jan. 1 - Jan. 18 (lunar calendar), every year
     (Feb. 7 - 24, 2008; Jan. 26 - Feb. 12, 2009; Feb. 14 - Mar. 3, 2010; Feb. 3 - 20, 2011)

Place: Inside Yuyuan Shopping City (close to Yuyuan Garden)

Feature: Lanterns are an indispensable part of Chinese New Year celebrations. During the festival, colorful lanterns can be seen on Mid-Lake Pavilion and Jiuqu Bridge in front of Yuyuan Garden. These exquisite handmade lanterns imitate natural sceneries, animals or cartoons, with expressions of good wishes painted on them. The locals believe that the lanterns can bring good fortune to them in the New Year. There are performances of dragon and lion dances and Yangge, which is a rural folk dance popular in north China. Visitors can also participate in the game of guessing lantern riddles, which is a good way to learn about traditional Chinese folk customs and culture.

Flower Festival

The Flower Festival is based on the pinciple of chrysanthemum and in the second place are orchid and plum flower.

The plum flower exhibition; Jan.1 (lunar calendar), but it isn't held every year.

The orchid exhibition: the last ten-day of April (lunar calendar), for three days every year.

The chrysanthemum exhibition: Sep.& Oct. (lunar calendar) for every year