What Festivals and Events Are Held in Foshan?

"Walking the flower street" is a long-standing folk custom among people in the Pearl River Delta. The flower fairs open three days before the Lunar New Year, with New Year’s Eve marking their bustling peak. Crowds pack the streets shoulder to shoulder. Purchasing fresh flowers symbolizes good fortune and promising prospects for the new year.

On the 16th day of the first lunar month every year, locals in Foshan follow the tradition of the Tongji Bridge Walk. In the past, a river named Tongji River ran near present-day Nanpu Park in southern Foshan, crossed by Tongji Bridge. A local Foshan dialect saying goes, "Walk Tongji, no worries shall stay". Though the river has long vanished, the bridge still stands. Each year on this day, streams of visitors cross the bridge, burn incense, toss lettuce leaves and spin pinwheels, creating a lively, nonstop procession.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, folk dragon boat races are held across Foshan. Villages field fully equipped teams to compete against one another. Vibrant, eye-catching dragon boats race furiously along the waterways. Spectators line both riverbanks, while the thunder of drums and cheering shouts rise and fall in an exuberant atmosphere.

Also known as Autumn Night Show or Autumn Scenery Parade, Qiuse is a grand folk cultural entertainment event unique to Foshan.

Historically, the Autumn Parade took place in the evenings after autumn harvest. Its performances fall into seven categories: lantern floats, decorated carts, horse displays, ground floats, water floats, suspended figurine floats and landscape floats. The tradition flourished during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty. Elaborate handicrafts are paraded through streets, accompanied by dragon dances, lion dances, Shifan folk wind and percussion ensembles, and drum cabinet performances for onlookers to admire and judge. Year after year, the craftsmanship grows more sophisticated and the scale ever larger.