Bring in the Year of the Snake with rich cultural events

Visiting flower fairs is a beloved tradition in Guangdong, especially popular in the Pearl River Delta region. These fairs sell flowers and various Chinese New Year decorations. From the 28th day of the 12th lunar month until the early hours of New Year's Day, locals often visit flower fairs to "walk the flower street" in hopes of good luck for the coming year.

Foshan's Chen Village Flower Fair:

Dates: 9:30 AM - 9:30 PM, January 18-27Location: Chen Village Flower World

Originating from Guangdong's Chaoshan region, Yingge dance, literally the Songs of Heroes dance, is a traditional folk dance based on the stories of the 108 heroes from the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh. The dance is usually performed during festivals and celebrations, and dancers tend to wear colorful costumes and props such as masks, snakes, spears, and drums as they perform acrobatic movements and stunts.
Shantou City will host an array of Yingge dance activities during the Spring Festival:
1. Yingge Feast
Time: January 31 afternoonLocation: Dongli Ancient Village, Chaonan District (潮南区东里古寨)Highlight: Enjoy delicious Yingge cuisine and watch a lively Yingge dance performance to welcome a year filled with fortune and health.
2. Yingge Carnival

Time: February 2 morningLocation: Wenguang Pagoda Square, Chaoyang District (潮阳区文光塔广场)Highlight: Over 30 Yingge and lion dance troupes, with over 1,000 participants delivering a joyful New Year's greeting.Until February 12, over 100 Yingge dance performances will take place across the city. You can catch a performance nearly every day, anywhere you go.

No Chinese New Year celebration in Guangdong is complete without the lion dance, a traditional performance symbolizing the expulsion of evil spirits and the arrival of good fortune. Different regions have their unique styles: Guangzhou's lively Shakeng lion dance, the high-pole lion dance from Suixi in Zhanjiang, and the powerful lion dances from Foshan. You can also enjoy an underwater lion dance performance at Guangzhou's Grandview Mall during the Spring Festival.

To welcome the Spring Festival, various cities in Guangdong have begun lighting up their New Year's lantern displays, creating a strong festive atmosphere.
1. 2025 Greater Bay Area Lantern Carnival
Combining the national-level intangible cultural heritage project Zigong lantern show with cultural elements of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the carnival features 218 light displays, 200,000 colorful lantern ornaments, over 2,000 varieties of regional delicacies, and over 1,000 performances.

Time: January 22 to March 30Location: Puzhou Garden (蒲洲花园), Nansha Tianhou Palace (南沙天后宫), and Coastal Park (滨海公园) in Guangzhou's Nansha District
2. 2025 Guangzhou Spring Festival Lantern Fair
This year's lantern fair showcases 75 lantern displays in nine exhibition areas. Visitors can see a 20-meter-tall Cantonese opera phoenix coronet lantern at the main entrance, as well as lanterns themed around the National Games, the Year of the Snake, poetry, and koi fish.

Time: January 16 to February 16Location: Yuexiu Park (越秀公园), Guangzhou
3. Grandview Tang-Style Lantern Fair
Time: January 17 to March 5Location: 4th and 5th floors, Grandview Mall (正佳广场), Guangzhou
4. 2025 Grandview Maofeng Bay Lantern Festival
Event Time: January 25-27, 15:00-21:00Driving Guidance: Search Grandview Maofeng Bay Lantern Festival (正佳帽峰湾千灯会) on your map app, or navigate to Yuansheng Green Resort (元生绿色山庄) and drive 300 meters per the road signs to reach the festival site.
5. Dongguan Longwan Lantern Carnival
Time: January 29 to February 28Location: Longwan Wetland Running Park (龙湾湿地乐跑公园) and Longwan Square (龙湾广场), Dongguan
6. Foshan Ancient Town Lantern Festival
Time: January 9 to February 12Location: Ancestral Temple (祖庙) and Lingnan Tiandi (岭南天地), Foshan
Source: GDToday