Local Festivals
Join in the local festivities of Dongguan. Experience fireworks festival, moon festival, dragon boat festival and many more.
Chashan Tea Garden Parade
(Mar 25th Lunar, grand folk parade & temple fair)
A grand Lingnan-style parade and temple fair is taking over the town! Watch the spectacular street procession featuring the Aoyu (Giant Carp) Dance, Qiangu Drum Dance, traditional Lion Dance, and the stunning Piaose (Floating Colors) floats. The event also features a food market and trendy cultural & creative pop-ups.
Dongguan Dragon Boat Month
(Entire 5th lunar month, national intangible heritage dragon boat racing)
Unlike the single-day national Dragon Boat Festival, Dongguan celebrates a month-long dragon boat season. Towns including Wanjiang, Daojiao, Machong, and Wangniudun host rotating dragon boat races. Festive highlights include dragon boat banquets, traditional pastries, and the ritual of bathing in "dragon boat water," with Daojiao’s guozheng zongzi as a seasonal staple. The event also showcases dragon boat making, a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, alongside the races.
Hengli Straw Dragon Mid-Autumn Festival
(Aug 15th Lunar, straw dragon parade & lantern night)
Dongguan features distinctive Mid-Autumn customs that set it apart from general celebrations. Highlights include a 100-meter straw dragon parade in Hengli village, children carrying pomelo lanterns for night moon-viewing, and a local BBQ feast enjoyed under the moon.
Yuanxiao Festival with Thousand-Horn Lantern Show
Guancheng's National Intangible Cultural Heritage Thousand-Angle Lantern is on display. Village festivities include lantern-lighting and dismantling rituals, fish lantern dances, and lantern riddles. Additionally, families with newborns host traditional "Lantern Head" tea banquets to celebrate and entertain their neighbors.
