Chongqing is unusual in that it offers very little in the way of annual festivals or events that are exclusive to the city. This is not to say that entries on the calendar are at all sparse as the city celebrates all of the popular Chinese festivals that are based on significant dates in the lunar calendar. The Chinese New Year events that are the Spring and Lantern festivals are ideal times to take a holiday in Chongqing if you are interested in cultural celebrations.

New Year’s Day: the official Chinese New Year comes later but the New Year as celebrated according to western countries and the Gregorian calendar is observed for business purposes so this is a day of relative significance to the locals in Chongqing. Shops and businesses may take a holiday and families and friends enjoy social gatherings.

Laba festival: locals in Chongqing join with Buddhists citizens across China to celebrate the day on which the Buddha attained enlightenment. It’s traditional on this day to eat a porridge style dish called Laba congee prepared from fruit and mixed grains.

Spring Festival: this is the New Year celebration according to the lunar calendar and is a big and important occasion in Chongqing. Locals buy new clothing to mark the beginning of the New Year and the city centre is filled with lively revellers enjoying fireworks and traditional dragon dances.

Lantern Festival: the arrival of this festival denotes the coming to an end of the New Year celebratory period. It’s less lively than the Spring Festival and is a chance for the locals to enjoy the romantic scenes that the glowing paper lanterns placed across the city create.

Qingming: this festival gives Chonging’s locals a chance to visit the graves of family members or friends who have passed on. Traditionally the graves are cleaned and flowers and food are left as offerings.

Dragon Boat Festival: the Yangtze River becomes the setting for this extremely lively event, which sees dragon boats filled with oarsmen in traditional costume traverse the strips closest to the city in friendly but highly competitive races.

The Chongqing Three Gorges International Tourist Festival: this annual festival is aimed at developing and promoting tourism in the Three Gorges region.

The Double Seventh Festival: held on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month and often spilling over into August, this festival is China’s equivalent of Valentine’s Day and is based the old legend of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu.

Mid Autumn Festival: held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month (so sometimes falling in October), this festival sees Chongqing’s locals celebrate by getting outside and enjoying nature and traditional cultural activities. Moon cakes are the tasty delicacy that accompanies this important festival.

The Double Ninth Festival: held on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month, the Double Ninth Festival or Chongyang Festival is a time for appreciating the chrysanthemum blooms, drinking chrysanthemum tea and getting out into the countryside. The festival is also celebrated as "Senior Citizens' Day" and is a chance for citizens to show their appreciation for the elderly.

Christmas: it’s not really celebrated with the gusto or enthusiasm of western countries but you will find Chongqing putting up a few decorations here and there and Christmas music being played in supermarkets and department stores. The 25th is something of a non-event but is celebrated by expats and tourists so some venues may offer the seasonal dining experience.