Fashion, eating and sports are the biggest crowd-pullers in Dongguan’s line-up of exciting festivals and events. The Humen Fashion Festival is the largest of its kind in the world and is one of the main events of the year along with the obligatory Chinese New Year celebrations.
Chinese New Year: the biggest event of the year in Dongguan sees fire crackers and dragon dances galore and a great atmosphere all over. The event follows the Chinese lunar calendar and thus differs in which days it is celebrated each year. Locals return home to see family and eat traditional moon-shaped dumplings called jiaozi. Getting about during this time is naturally very tough and hotels need to be booked way in advance.
Body Sale: this traditional Dongguan festival which stems from the Ming dynasty is held in Dongkeng district in early February and features monumental water fighting not unlike that experienced in Thailand’s famed Songkran festival. The water is believed to wash away bad fortune in time for the upcoming new year.
Lantern Festival: a big and significant festival for Dongguan, Lantern Festival, or Yuanxiao Festival, marks the end of Chinese New Year with innumerable coloured lanterns appearing throughout the city. Locals hang the lanterns from shops, houses and just about everywhere else they can, lighting up the city at night. Yuanxiao, after which the festival takes its unofficial name, is a sticky rice dumpling which is eagerly consumed on this day.
Qintong Boat Festival: in early April features two days of folklore in the fishing villages of Qingtong near to Guangzhou. Boats are launched on the river, where traditional dragon dances ensue.
Qingming Tomb Sweeping Festival: also known as Chingming, this annual event takes place all over China and is a time for mourning the dead. Families traditionally pay respect to departed souls on this day, clean graves and offer, wine, food and flowers to their ancestors.
Dragon Boat Festival: is one of the biggest event in all towns China-wide and the oldest festival in the country. Dragon boats are launched on waterways in Dongguan and teams race to the sound of drums.
Lychee Festival: in late June in Hengli Town sees lots of lychee picking and eating along with a profusion of fairs and interesting dance performances. This is a fine time to be in Dongguan for tourists.
Qi Qiao Jie: Chinese Valentine’s Day is celebrated with vigour in Dongguan, where lovers observe the old folk legend of Zhi Nu and Niu Lang. Females traditionally do all the legwork by making offerings of fruit and praying for a happy marriage.
Mid Autumn Festival: is one of the most important festivals in China and of special interest in Dongguan owing to the passion for snacking the residents have. The event is held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month and sees citizens of Dongguan celebrate by eating moon-shaped cakes with delicious fillings such as: almond, coconut, sesame and walnut.
Humen International Fashion Fair: is a unique event for the city of Dongguan which showcases the shopping prowess of the city with a noisy and colourful fair. Luckily temperatures during this time of the year are quite pleasant during the day.
Christmas: large Chinese cities, including Dongguan, celebrate Christmas with decorations, songs and present giving. The shopping malls of Dongguan gear up for Christmas with carols and decorations, while fun entertainment goes off in other areas of town.
Perfect location for where i needed to go. I felt safe and the level of English speaking by the staff was good. Every one was very helpful and i would return to stay....
