Nanjing Festivals & Events

Nanjing Festivals

Qinhuai International Lantern Festival
When: Jan/Feb (Held on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which varies by year)

This Festival is an important component of Qinhuai culture and a famous traditional festival of Nanjing. Hundreds of thousands of red lanterns illuminate the Confucius Temple area of Nanjing at this largest lantern festival in China. Traditionally celebrated to pray for a happy family, peaceful world and good weather for crops, the Qinhuai International Lantern Festival traces its origins to the Southern Dynasties period, and today is observed with a variety of folk customs. It has been successfully held for 26 years in the Confucius Temple-Qinhuai Scenic Belt since 1985. 

Nanjing International Plum Blossom Festival
When: Late February–March (depending on the annual blossom)

Nanjing's city flower is the plum blossom, and every spring Purple Mountain awakens with color and fragrance during the Nanjing International Plum Blossom Festival. Around 35,000 trees unfurl to reveal a rainbow of purples, pinks, oranges and magentas in one of Nanjing's most scenic areas, alongside traditional Chinese music and dance performances.

Nanjing Dragon Boat Festival
When: June

Dragon Boat Festival is one of important Chinese festival and dragon boat races are one of China's oldest traditions, dating back more than 2,500 years, and scores of spectators gather every summer to watch teams compete in these long, wooden, colorfully decorated boats at Nanjing’s Mochou Lake Park. During the festivities, revelers also enjoy traditional foods such as zongzi, which are rice dumplings flavored with nuts and wrapped inside bamboo leaves.

Hairy Crab Festival
When: Sep-Oct

Rich, buttery hairy crabs are considered a delicacy throughout Asia, and one of China’s best breeding grounds is Gucheng Lake, located in Gaochun County in southern Nanjing. It’s here that these fur-fringed crustaceans are celebrated every fall, when the crabs reach peak flavor. Vendors and stalls flood the streets, selling hairy crabs as fast as hungry foodies from China and beyond can eat them.

Rain Flower Stone Festival
When: Sep

With striking patterns and swirls of color, rain flower stones are a special Nanjing treasure, polished smooth by the constant flow of the Yangtze River. Every September, the Rain Flower Stone Festival celebrates this unique sedimentary stone with exhibitions, stone-picking tours and traditional performances.

Tangshan International Hot Spring Culture Tourism Festival
When: Oct

Tangshan is a very famous hot spring resort of China. It used to be exclusively for imperial families in ancient times. Tangshan International Hot Spring Culture Tourism Festival started in 2009. Many hot spring experts and international tourists come to attend various activities and forums related to hot springs every year. The festival has become a famous vacation and leisure brand of Nanjing.

Nanjing Events

Ro-MAN 2018
Date: 27th Aug 2018

The 26th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, RO-MAN 2018, will be held in Nanjing, China, from 27 to 30 of August 2018. This leading forum covers state-of-the-art innovative results, the latest developments covers a wide range of topics related to Robot and Human Interactive Communication.

The theme of the conference is social intelligence in interactive robots. Original contributions including basic findings, multi-disciplinary approaches towards friendly, open and useful robots in practical/real life applications such as healthcare, industry edutainment, etc., are highly encouraged.

2nd Asia-Pacific Plant Phenotyping Conference
Date:  23th Mar 2018 

Plant phenotyping is a young interdisciplinary research, which emphasizes the communication and collaboration of scientists from different areas, such as biology, computer science, physics etc. To meet this requirement, the 1st Asia-Pacific Plant Phenotyping Conference was initiated and held in Beijing in October, 2016. More than 200 participants from 67 institutes of 13 countries attended the conference.

To promote the most advanced research progresses in plant phenotyping, the 2nd Asia-Pacific Plant Phenotyping Conference will be held on March 23-25th, 2018 in Nanjing, a beautiful capital city of six dynasties. We warmly welcome all scientists or representatives who are interested in plant phynotyping to participate!

China Mission 2018
Date: 19th June

United Methodist Volunteers in Mission/North Central Jurisdiction is now accepting applications for Discover . . . Mission, China-2018, scheduled for June 19 through July 2. Leaders include Bishop Hee-Soo Jung (Wisconsin Area), Rev. David Newhouse and Mrs. Christy Newhouse. Cost for the first ten accepted team members (preference ages 18-28) is $3250.00 (double lodging) or $3706 (single lodging.) The included international airfare component ($1065.00) is not guaranteed to stay this low for late applicants/accepted team members. Applications must include a $400.00 refundable deposit.

The Discover . . . Mission, China-2018 is a journey in partnership with the China Christian Council/Three-Self Patriotic Movement (CCC/TSPM). The primary purpose of this journey is to connect with young adult Christians of China and learn about the work and witness of faith in the context of contemporary China. The itinerary expects to include briefings from CCC/TSPM, interaction with Christian leaders and leaders-in-training at leading Chinese seminaries, and working/learning alongside young Christians of the YMCA, the Amity Foundation, and local Christian congregations. The Discover . . . Mission, China-2018 journey will include experiences in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing and include significant sites like the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City. Participants may elect to receive volunteers-in-mission leader training and certification as part of the journey experience.

Discover . . . Mission, China-2018 will depart from Chicago O' Hare on June 19 (arriving in Shanghai) and return to Chicago on July 2 (from Beijing.) Accepted team members will be responsible for personal expenses including travel immunizations, passport and visa, and transportation to and from Chicago O' Hare Airport. Payment must be complete by March 20 in order finalize airline reservations.