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Yangshuo’s events calendar splits between seasonal shows that run for months and one-off festivals tied to the lunar calendar. The Impression Liu Sanjie show is the steady anchor, while the rock climbing festival in October brings the year’s biggest concentration of international visitors. Most dates below follow the Chinese lunar calendar, so they shift year to year; check before you book travel around them, and the Yangshuo guide page links every Yangshuo guide.
Yangshuo Events and Festivals in Spring
Impression Liu Sanjie (March to November)
The outdoor river show restarts in March after its winter break and runs most nights at 20:00 on the Li River just outside town. Tickets cost CNY 198 to CNY 680, and it tells the story of Liu Sanjie, the folk singer of Guangxi legend, with hundreds of local performers against the lit karst backdrop.
Qingming Festival (early April)
Qingming, the tomb-sweeping festival in early April, is a family holiday rather than a public spectacle, but it does bring a short domestic travel peak. Expect fuller hotels and buses for a few days around the first week of April, and book the where to stay in Yangshuo options in advance.
Yangshuo Events and Festivals in Summer
Dragon Boat Festival (fifth day of the fifth lunar month, usually June)
Dragon Boat Festival puts paddled longboats on the Li River, with the main races held near the town waterfront. The exact date moves between late May and late June each year. Expect zongzi, the sticky-rice parcels wrapped in bamboo leaves, sold everywhere on the day.
Li River Night Cruise and Summer Light Shows
Through July and August, the riverfront adds evening boat trips and light displays aimed at domestic summer holiday crowds. The main Impression Liu Sanjie show continues nightly, but book tickets a day or two ahead because July and August are the peak months for the things to do in Yangshuo itinerary.
Yangshuo Events and Festivals in Autumn
Yangshuo International Rock Climbing Festival (October)
The climbing festival, held over a few days in October, brings climbers to the hundreds of bolted limestone routes on the cliffs around town. It includes clinics, a competition and evening gatherings on West Street. October’s clear, dry weather is why the festival lands then, as our Yangshuo weather by month page explains.
Mid-Autumn Festival (15th day of the eighth lunar month, September or October)
Mid-Autumn Festival is a moon-viewing holiday when families share mooncakes and lanterns. In Yangshuo it is a quieter, local affair, but the full moon rising over the karst peaks from a riverside viewpoint is worth planning around. It often lands close to National Day, so expect crowds if the two overlap.
Yangshuo Events and Festivals in Winter
Chinese New Year (January or February)
Chinese New Year, the lunar new year in January or February, is the biggest domestic holiday of the year. Yangshuo stays open and West Street runs at full tilt, but transport books out and hotel prices climb for the week. It is a lively time to be here if you book ahead; otherwise aim for the calmer window described in our best time to visit Yangshuo guide.
Lantern Festival (15th day of the first lunar month)
Fifteen days after New Year, the Lantern Festival closes the holiday season with lantern displays and fireworks around town. It is the traditional end of the celebrations, after which the Yangshuo neighborhoods areas quiet down for the winter low season.
For where to base yourself during festival weeks, see our where to stay in Yangshuo page, and for the practical side of reaching Yangshuo, read our Yangshuo travel tips guide.
