Time 5^th day of the 5^th lunar month, which falls on May 30 in 1998, June 18 in 1999, and June 6 in 2000.

Venue All over China

Origin During the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet of the state of Chu, was removed from office and sent into exile by the duke of Chu. In sorrow, Qu took a stone in his embrace and drowned himself in the Miluo River on the 5^th day of the 5^th lunar month. The local people wrapped glutinous rice in mugwort leaves and threw it into the river to lure the shrimps, fish and crabs away form the remains of the deceased poet. With the passing of time the practice of throwing rice into the river as a sacrifice to Qu Yuan gradually evolved into a custom.

Time April 8-25

Venue Baihuaping in Bijie Prefecture's Qianxi County

Origin A vast stretch of azaleas is found where Qianxi and Dafang counties in Guizhou Province’s Bijie Prefecture share the same boundary. The flowers in the Pudi Azalea Zone of Dafang County and the Jinpo Azalea Zone of Qianxi County are the most famous. There the azalea begins to bloom in March, reaches its full glory in April, and continues into May, so that for three months a year, the heavily wooded place is taken over by a riot of color and becomes a veritable natural flower garden rarely seen anywhere in this world. The Azalea Festival, which was first started in 1993, is an annual event in Guizhou.

Time July 3-9 (8^th day of the 4^th lunar month, 6^th day of the 6^th lunar month, and 15^th of the 7^th lunar month).

Venue Xining, Qinghai.

Origin Hua’er refers to folk songs popular among the ethnic Hui, Dongxiang and Baoan peoples in Province. Love is a major theme of such songs, which are characterized by sweet, soul-stirring tunes rich and varied motifs, and an unmistakable idyllic flavor. After the 5^th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, hua’er festivals are held in many paces in Qinghai, and local singers take this opportunity to sing their life, labor, love and ideals in a most infatuating way. The folk song festival, which takes place on the 6^th day of the 6^th lunar month at Lianhuashan, Xining, is so famous that it eventually became an annual weeklong event.

Time July 25-August 25 every year.

Venue Taihuai Town, Wutai County, Shanxi Province.

Origin Since ancient times the Wutai Mountain has been a site of temple fairs. With the passing of time, these temple fairs have gradually evolved into the Wutai Mountain International Tourist Month, which sets the stage for displaying the Wutai Mountain as one of china’s four major Buddhist mountain sanctuaries and its wealth of ancient sites and cultural artifacts.

Time June 10-14 every year.

Venue The Nahu Lake, Yueyang, Hunan Province

Origin Dragon boats and the folklore associate with them originated in the Miluo River and the Dongting Lake, on whose shores the patriotic poet Qu Yuan had lived and composed poems during his lifetime. To celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival at the Nanhu Lake thus acquires double meaning: paying tribute to Qu Yuan, and disseminating the Chinese culture. The Yueyang International Dragon Boat Festival first held on June 16, 1991, is an annual event.

Time Around July 15 every year.

Venue Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Origin In Mongolian the word "nadam" means "amusement and entertainment". The Nadam Festival is a traditional occasion for Mongols to get together for a few days of festivity. In the past, herdsmen in the region gathered in summer to sacrifice to celestial beings and amuse themselves in celebration of a thriving animal husbandry. After the birth of new China, the Nadam Festival has become a ten-day even at the banner or sumu level during the summer-autumn interregnum. Now the festival has acquired a new name, " Nadam Grassland Tourist Festival".

Time  July 25-27 in 2000.

Venue Shicun Town of the Lunan Yi Autonomous County, and the city or Chuxiong in the Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture.

Origin According to a legend among the Yi people in Lunan, once upon a time there lived a demon king who were terrorizing the local people. During an uprising the local people bound torches to the horns and hind legs of a herd of goats, and eliminated the demon king by lighting the torches and driving the goats into its lair. On the 24^th day of the 6^th lunar month the local people lit torches for an entire night’s merry-making in celebration of the victory.

Time August (from the end of the 6^th month to the beginning of the 8^th month according to the Tibetan calendar)

Venue Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region

Origin In the Tibetan language the word "shoton" refers to "yogurt banquet". The Shoton Festival had its beginning prior to the 17^th century. By Buddhists discipline, monks are confined in their monasteries for several dozen days until summer is over. The day the "confinement" is over the local people treat the monks to banquets, at which yogurt is served liberally.

Time April 20-26 every year.

Venue Turpan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Origin Grape cultivation in the world-famous city of Turpan dates back to more than two thousand years ago. Of the 100-odd grain strains in Turpan, the stone-less white grapes, dubbed "green pearls of China", are the most precious. The raisin and wine produced in Turpan are known for their lingering good tastes. Most of Turpan’s grapes are grown in the renowned Grape Valley or "Pearl City. The Xinjiang Grape Festival was first launched in 1990 and has since become and annual event in Turpan.