In China’s fall, picking the right time to travel is essential. Thinking about traveling to Guizhou November 9-12th? Get ready for an eye-opening adventure. Thinking about traveling October 1-7th? Get ready to wait in line. Timing your visit to China for early November will put you there for the Lusheng Festival, a time of rich celebration for a culture that is thousands of years old. Planning your visit during China’s National Holiday in October will get you closer to great crowds than the Great Wall.
During early November, those lucky enough to find themselves with WildChina in Guizhou are in for a real treat: The Lusheng Festival of the Miao people. This annual event is a festival that celebrates the courtship between the young men and women of the local villages. Taking its name from the Lusheng instrument played by the men during ceremonies, the festival is marked by a host of activities. In addition to singing by the women in their traditional bright colors and shimmering head dresses, buffalo fighting and horse racing are also a part of the celebration. If you choose to explore this event along the Damochong Valley with us, we will take you into the homes of the Paika villagers for dinner and give you a chance to try the Lusheng instrument for yourself. As Catherine Meng, one of WildChina’s travel consultants explains, “The Lusheng festival is unique because outside of the Sisters’ Meal Festival in the spring, it is the only festival where all the different Miao minorities come together for a single event.” China’s Lusheng festival truly has something for everyone to enjoy.
Now on to something no one enjoys. Have you ever tried booking a last minute ticket home for Thanksgiving? Now imagine trying to book that ticket in a country where the population is 1.5 billion. This is the reality of China’s two Golden Weeks, times during which it is virtually impossible to move about the country. While the first Golden Week which celebrated the Chinese New Year passed in January, the second Golden Week will take place October 1-7. During this time, WildChina would recommend you avoid visiting the country because not only will transportation be jammed, but national parks and monuments will be flooded with people.
Though travel during China’s Golden Weeks is certainly something to be avoided, a journey to Guizhou during the fall festivals can be life changing. WildChina traveler Anthony Garrett described the trip he and his wife had in Guizhou as something they “will treasure the rest of their lives.” Pick the right time to come to China and you stand a good chance of leaving feeling the same way.
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If you are interested in service in Guizhou check out our recent trips with Harvard Business School Alumni and also with Princeton’s Summer of Service students. If you have any other questions about travel in Guizhou email us at info@wildchina.com
Photos by WildChina & Chinanews.com
