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Lijiang’s festival calendar follows the lunar calendar, so dates move by a few weeks each year against the Western calendar. The big Naxi events are the Sanduo Festival in spring, the Torch Festival in summer, and the Bangbanghui fair around Lantern Festival. Most are free to watch and unfold in the old town streets rather than ticketed venues. Start with the Lijiang travel guide for an overview, and see our best time to visit Lijiang guide to plan around the weather.
Lijiang Events and Festivals: Spring
Bangbanghui (Lantern Festival Fair)
Bangbanghui, literally “shoulder-pole gathering”, falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which is usually February. It began as a market where farmers traded wooden tools and now fills the streets around the old town with food stalls, crafts, and flower sellers. Expect dense crowds and street food prices a little higher than usual. It pairs well with a quiet February trip, and you can pair the outing with the practical pointers in our Lijiang travel tips guide.
Sanduo Festival
The Sanduo Festival, on the 8th day of the second lunar month, usually March, honors Sanduo, the protector deity of the Naxi people. Pilgrims gather at the Sanduo Temple at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain for rituals, horse races, and song and dance in traditional Naxi dress. It is the most important Naxi festival of the year, and the temple grounds get crowded by mid-morning. This is a good reason to visit in March, one of the clearest months for the mountain views described in our things to do in Lijiang list.
Lijiang Events and Festivals: Summer
Torch Festival
The Torch Festival, shared by the Naxi, Yi, and Bai peoples, runs on the 24th to 26th days of the sixth lunar month, landing in July or August. The old town lights up with bonfires and torches, and locals dance in circles around Sifang Jie and the surrounding squares, with young people throwing resin powder into the flames for bursts of sparks. It is loud, smoky, and packed, but it is the most energetic night of the year in Lijiang. Note this overlaps with the summer rains covered in our Lijiang weather by month guide, so carry a light waterproof.
Lijiang Events and Festivals: Autumn and Winter
Naxi Ancient Music Performances
Year-round, the Naxi Ancient Music Orchestra performs in the old town, often at the Naxi Concert Hall near the Water Wheels, playing a repertoire of Daoist, Confucian, and Naxi court music on traditional instruments. Tickets run roughly 100 to 140 CNY for a 90-minute evening show, and many musicians are elderly local performers. Check the exact venue and start time at your guesthouse, since the troupe has shifted halls over the years. It is a quieter complement to the daytime sightseeing.
Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day
Mid-Autumn Festival, on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, brings mooncakes and lantern displays to the old town squares, and it often lands within a week or two of the National Day holiday on October 1. The National Day Golden Week, the first week of October, is the single busiest stretch of the year, with peak room rates and full cable cars, so book the Lijiang neighborhoods you want and check the where to stay in Lijiang options months ahead if you travel then. Outside that week, October is one of the most comfortable months to explore.
