Shiping County Festivals And Activities

Festivals in Shiping County (石屏县) offer some of the most vivid expressions of Yi culture in southern Yunnan. The county is the birthplace of the nationally protected Haicai Tune and Cigarette-Box Dance, as well as an important center for Huayao Yi embroidery, costume, ritual, and folk music.

Shiping’s festivals are closely connected with ancestral worship, seasonal farming, courtship, singing, dancing, and community identity. Spring brings song and costume competitions beside Yilong Lake, summer is illuminated by the Yi Torch Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival fills the ancient town with traditional customs, wild-mushroom markets, and lotus scenery.

Spring Festivals in Shiping County

Singing, Dancing and Costume Festival

The Singing, Dancing and Costume Festival (二月初十赛歌赛舞赛装节) is held on the tenth day of the second lunar month and is one of Shiping’s most important ethnic celebrations. With a history extending over several centuries, it commemorates Ma Heinu, a former local Yi leader and official who was known in the Yi language as Luose.

A popular saying among local Yi communities translates roughly as: “Whether there is food or not, the festival on the tenth day of the second lunar month must still be celebrated.” This expression reveals how deeply the occasion is embedded in community life.

Festival participants dressed in colorful Yi clothing gather beside Yilong Lake (异龙湖) for performances and competitions. The two principal attractions are Haicai Tune (海菜腔) and Cigarette-Box Dance (烟盒舞), both of which entered China’s first national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Haicai Tune is performed through powerful antiphonal singing, while Cigarette-Box Dance combines rhythmic wooden percussion with agile steps, turns, squats, and jumps. Recent celebrations have also included short singing challenges, bamboo-pole dancing, ethnic costume shows, and heritage markets featuring paper cutting, tie-dyeing, and Yi embroidery.

Depeihao Grand Dragon Worship Festival

The Depeihao Grand Dragon Worship Festival (德培好大祭竜) is one of the most solemn traditions of the Huayao Yi people around Shaochong Town (哨冲镇).

The dragon-worship tradition has two forms. A smaller annual ritual, known as Migahao (咪嘎好), is held on the first Horse Day following the Beginning of Spring. The grand Depeihao ceremony is celebrated only once every twelve years, when the designated Horse Year, Horse Month, and Horse Day coincide according to the traditional calendar.

The grand ceremony normally lasts three days. On the first day, a bimo ritual specialist leads offerings at the sacred dragon tree. On the second day, men from the village form lion-dance teams and visit households with New Year greetings. On the third day, villagers dress in traditional clothing for dragon dances, lion dances, and Huayao Yi song-and-dance performances known locally as Tiaodong.

Shaochong was designated a provincial Huayao Yi Traditional Cultural Protection Area and has also been recognized as a center of Chinese folk culture and art. Depeihao is therefore not simply a tourist event but an important communal ritual associated with ancestry, protection, prosperity, and the relationship between people and nature.

Visitors should not assume that the grand ceremony occurs annually. Its date must be confirmed with local cultural authorities before planning a journey.

Red Bayberry Cultural Festival

The Shiping Red Bayberry Cultural Festival (石屏杨梅文化节) is generally held during the bayberry harvest season in May. Shiping’s sunshine, soils, and climate support the cultivation of high-quality red bayberries, making the fruit one of the county’s best-known agricultural products.

The festival combines orchard visits, fruit picking, agricultural-product displays, countryside tourism, food stalls, and local cultural performances. It is particularly suitable for families, food travelers, and visitors interested in rural tourism.

Harvest dates vary according to altitude, weather, and the fruit variety. Confirm orchard conditions before traveling, especially when visiting early or late in the season.

Summer Festivals and Events

Dragon Boat Festival in Shiping Old Town

The Dragon Boat Festival (端午节) falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. In Shiping, it is celebrated through a relaxed combination of traditional customs, ancient-town culture, seasonal markets, and lakeside scenery.

The Shiping Old Town Library and other cultural venues may organize rice-dumpling making, traditional pitch-pot games, cinnabar-marking customs for children, and activities related to classical literature and local history.

The festival also coincides with the beginning of Shiping’s wild-mushroom season. West Gate Farmers’ Market (西门农贸市场) becomes especially lively when villagers bring freshly collected mushrooms for sale. The greatest variety often appears later in the day, although availability depends on rainfall and local harvesting conditions.

Around Yilong Lake, large areas of lotus begin flowering during summer. Walking or cycling along the lakeside boardwalk combines festival culture with wetlands, village scenery, and seasonal flowers.

Huayao Yi Torch Festival

The Huayao Yi Torch Festival (花腰彝火把节) is the most energetic summer celebration in Shiping and is particularly lively in Shaochong Town. It is generally held around the twenty-fourth day of the sixth lunar month.

During the day, visitors can explore intangible cultural heritage markets where embroiderers demonstrate Huayao Yi needlework and sell handmade clothing, bags, ornaments, and decorative pieces. Costume shows present both traditional ceremonial garments and contemporary designs incorporating Yi embroidery.

After dark, torch-dragon processions, ritual fire ceremonies, fireworks when officially arranged, and communal bonfires create the festival’s most dramatic scenes. Villagers and visitors gather around the fire to perform traditional Huayao Yi dances.

The Torch Festival carries meanings related to purification, protection, harvest, prosperity, and community unity. Visitors should follow local safety instructions and remain outside restricted ritual or fire-control areas.

Tiaogupo Festival

The Yi Tiaogupo Festival (彝族跳鼓坡节) is traditionally held on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month among Yi communities in Shiping’s southern mountain areas.

“Tiaogupo” refers to gathering on a hillside to dance to drum rhythms. Historically, some activities were associated primarily with male participants, but modern celebrations are more inclusive. Men and women gather to sing, dance, socialize, trade agricultural products, and enjoy community performances.

The festival offers a less commercialized experience than Shiping’s larger celebrations. Independent travelers should arrange local transport because participating villages may be remote and public transportation limited.

Other Ethnic Festivals in Shiping

Shengmian Festival of the Dai People

The Dai Shengmian Festival (傣族生面节) is associated with Dai communities around Dazhai Village (大寨村) in Yilong Town. The event reflects local Dai food customs, community gatherings, and ethnic traditions.

Public information about the festival’s annual arrangements is limited, and it may be observed principally at the village level. Travelers interested in attending should confirm the date and visitor arrangements through local contacts.

Huayao Yi Song and Dance Festival

The Huayao Yi Song and Dance Festival (花腰彝族歌舞节) celebrates the cultural traditions of Huayao Yi communities concentrated in Shaochong, Longwu, and Longpeng.

Participants wear elaborate embroidered clothing and perform traditional songs, dances, and musical pieces. Costume displays, heritage exhibitions, handicraft markets, and community exchanges may accompany the performances.

Unlike fixed traditional festivals, modern song-and-dance festivals may be organized on different dates according to local cultural programming. Their schedules should be confirmed annually.

Ancient-Town Market Days

Traditional market days in Shiping Old Town occur on dates ending in five and ten according to the local market calendar. These are not formal festivals, but they provide one of the best opportunities to experience everyday culture.

Farmers and traders gather to sell vegetables, tofu, wild mushrooms, fruit, spices, handicrafts, household goods, and prepared foods. Market days are especially lively during the Dragon Boat Festival, mushroom season, and major public holidays.

Shiping Festivals Through the Four Seasons

Spring: Singing, Rituals, and Fruit Blossoms

Spring is the richest season for ethnic traditions. The Singing, Dancing and Costume Festival brings Haicai Tune and Cigarette-Box Dance to Yilong Lake, while Shaochong’s dragon-worship ceremonies preserve the spiritual traditions of the Huayao Yi people. Late spring introduces bayberry picking and countryside tourism.

Summer: Fire, Lotus Flowers, and Wild Mushrooms

Summer combines the Torch Festival’s bonfires with Yilong Lake’s lotus fields and Shiping Old Town’s mushroom markets. Although summer is part of the rainy season, it is also the most colorful period for vegetation, food, and large community celebrations.

Autumn: Harvest and Village Culture

Autumn has fewer fixed major festivals but offers comfortable weather, harvest landscapes, local markets, and opportunities to visit traditional villages. This is a good season for cultural photography, cycling around Yilong Lake, and exploring Zhengying, Doudiwan, and Huayao Yi settlements.

Winter: Old-Town Life and New Year Preparations

Winter is usually dry and mild during the day, with cooler mornings and evenings. Traditional markets, tofu workshops, ancestral halls, and preparation for the lunar New Year reveal a quieter side of Shiping’s cultural life.

Shiping County Festival and Event Calendar

Festival dates based on the lunar calendar change every year. Modern cultural events, markets, and public performances may also be adjusted according to weather, venue management, and community arrangements.

Festival Travel Advice

Choosing the Right Festival

For sacred Huayao Yi ritual culture, Depeihao is the most significant occasion, but it is celebrated only once every twelve years. The annual Migahao ceremony provides a smaller alternative, although access may be community-based.

For national intangible cultural heritage, the Singing, Dancing and Costume Festival on the tenth day of the second lunar month is the best choice. Visitors can experience Haicai Tune, Cigarette-Box Dance, Yi clothing, and traditional crafts in one gathering.

For a large, energetic celebration, choose the summer Torch Festival in Shaochong. Travelers who prefer old-town life, food markets, lotus scenery, and a slower pace will enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival period.

Main Festival Locations

Yilong Lake and Shiping Old Town are the principal locations for the Singing, Dancing and Costume Festival, Dragon Boat Festival activities, lotus viewing, and seasonal markets.

Shaochong Town is the core destination for Huayao Yi culture, including the Torch Festival, dragon worship, embroidery, and traditional song-and-dance performances. Longwu and Longpeng also preserve important Huayao Yi traditions.

Getting to Festival Venues

Shiping currently does not have a conventional high-speed railway station. Travelers can take high-speed rail to Jianshui Railway Station (建水站) and continue to Shiping by road. Buses and private transfers are also available from Kunming, Jianshui, and other cities in Honghe Prefecture.

Self-driving or a prearranged vehicle is recommended for Shaochong, Longwu, Longpeng, and remote mountain villages. During major celebrations, roads may be congested and parking controlled, so arrive early and follow temporary traffic arrangements.

Food and Festival Shopping

Festival foods include Shiping Grilled Tofu (石屏烧豆腐), Eight-Sided Fried Fish (八面煎鱼), cold rice noodles, Yi buckwheat foods, and seasonal wild mushrooms. Only eat wild mushrooms in reputable restaurants and ensure that they are fully cooked.

The Torch Festival is a good time to buy Huayao Yi embroidery and local agricultural products, including Shaochong sheep products. Heritage markets may also offer paper cuts, tie-dyed textiles, ethnic clothing, ornaments, and locally made food.

Cultural Etiquette

Dragon worship, fire worship, ancestral ceremonies, and bimo rituals are sacred community traditions. Remain outside ceremonial areas unless invited, keep quiet during prayers, and never touch offerings, sacred trees, ritual objects, or costumes without permission.

Ask before photographing elders, ritual specialists, performers backstage, or children. Drone use may be restricted near crowds, fire ceremonies, villages, and protected cultural sites.

Festival Tours with Yaso Trip

Shiping’s festivals carry the sound of Haicai Tune across Yilong Lake, the crisp rhythm of wooden cigarette boxes, the glowing colors of Huayao Yi embroidery, and the warmth of thousands dancing around a summer fire.

Festival Tours with Yaso Trip can connect visitors with the Singing, Dancing and Costume Festival, Huayao Yi rituals in Shaochong, Shiping Old Town’s seasonal markets, and the lakeside traditions of Yilong Lake. With carefully arranged transport, local interpretation, and respectful community access, travelers can experience these celebrations as living traditions rather than staged attractions.

Whether joining a song gathering beside the lake, watching a torch-dragon procession, tasting freshly grilled Shiping tofu, or learning embroidery from a village craftswoman, a festival journey through Shiping reveals the cultural heartbeat of this historic “Land of Literature.”