- Listening to the Bells at the Hanshan Temple on the Lunar New Year’s Eve
Time: From the eve of the Lunar New Year to the first day of the New Year
Venue: Hanshan Temple
What’s on: During the festival, you can toll the bell, taste delicious local dishes and snacks, watch theatrical performances, participate in the Jiangfeng Islet Colorful Lantern Night Tour, appreciate the on-site production of traditional handicrafts, attend the Fanbei Concert in the Big Bell and Big Tablet Garden, and listen to the 108 bells on the New Year’s Eve.
- Pingjiang Lantern Fair
Time: February
Venue: Pingjiang Road, Suzhou
What’s on: Various activities are held at the lantern fair, such as gathering folk lantern-making artisans, collecting the folk festival celebration activities, and holding the parade of colorful lanterns along Pingjiang Road.
- Biluochun Tea Culture Tourism Festival
Time: March to April
Venue: Jinting Town, Suzhou
What’s on: The inauguration ceremony for tea picking and frying, participating in the picking and frying of Biluochun tea, the performance of folk art and the display and sales of folk snacks.
- China Suzhou Zhouzhuang International Tourism Art Festival
Time: April
Venue: Old Town of Zhouzhuang, Kunshan
What’s on: Watching the performance with the real-life scenery of small bridges, flowing waters and houses in South China. The items include the folk songs and dances of South China and the performance of waving cotton cloth.
- Suzhou “Tongli Spring” International Tourism Culture Festival
Time: April
Venue: Tongli Water Town, Wujiang City
What’s on: The evening party of the opening ceremony, the China Tongli Film Forum, the “Tongli Cup” China Go Game Tianyuan Finals, March 3rd Tongli Poem Party, and the Presentation of the “Tongli Spring” Tour.
- Suzhou Luzhi Water Land Costume Culture Tourism Festival
Time: April to May
Venue: Luzhi Water Town
What’s on: The opening ceremony of the tourism festival in the evening, the display of the costumes of the land of water, the “Luzhi Cup” Water Land Photography Competition, the local performances at all tourist attractions, Suzhou pingtan (storytelling combined with ballad singing in Suzhou dialect), the on-site show of folk handicrafts, Lion Dance and Dragon Dance.
- Mudu Dragon Boat Folk Custom Culture Festival
Time: The fifth day of the fifth lunar month
Venue: Mudu Ancient Town
What’s on: The sacrificial ceremony of the Wu clan, Mudu Lantern Riddle Competition, Mudu-Xukou “King Xu Culture Tracing Tour”, Wu Area Folk Snack and Zongzi (a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves) King Competition, Wu Area Folk Literature and Art Get-together, etc.
- Suzhou Tiger Hill Temple Fair
Time: From late September to early November
Venue: Tiger Hill, Suzhou
What’s on: Folk vaudevilles, South China dances, Yueju Opera, martial arts and the performance of folk musical instruments.
- South China Lotus Seeds Picking Festival
Time: June to August
Venue: Suzhou
What’s on: Appreciating lotus flowers, Lotus Flower Photography Competition, the performance of pingtan and fishermen’s songs, the exhibition and sales of bowl-shaped lotus roots and potted lotus flowers, and tasting the lotus pond ecological foods in summer.
- Suzhou Taihu Lake Fishing Festival
Time: August
Venue: Taihu Lake in Suzhou
What’s on: Theatrical performance at the opening ceremony with the prayer ceremony for the fishing festival as the mainstay, which falls into six parts: inviting the god, offering sacrifices to the god, pleasing the god, sending off the god and setting free the captured fish, so as to display the original Taihu Lake fishermen’s culture and the braveness and firmness of fishermen on Taihu Lake.
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