Hainan Island Culture & Festival

Hainana Island has a long history with many different nationalities immigrating to the island, which has resulted in a rich diverse island culture with many different nationalities represented. The mixing of different customs has come together to create a truly unique and unforgettable experience for anyone spending time on the island. There are many special festivals in Hainan such as the Junpo Festival to pay respects to National Heroine, Madam Xian; the Fucheng Flower Exchange Festival and the Sanyuesan Festival for the young people to find their loved ones; the Festival of Song Contest in Danzhou for people to express their joy for life.

Like the rest of Chinese, local Hainan people celebrate major traditional Chinese festivals such as Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival. Junpo for local Han People and Sanyuesan for local minority are the most important ones in Hainan Island.

Junpo Festival

Junpo Festival, or Military Field Festival. It is celebrated to commemorate a national heroine, Madam Xian, who helped to develop and unite a disordered and barbaric Hainan between 513 and 603 AD. She quelled the local rebellions and actively promoted the communication of Hainan Island with mainland China. She has donated all her life to the development of local agricultural and economy. The Military Field Festival remembers her with martial arts matches, puppet show, lion dancing and death defying feats like man walking on hot coals or piercing their cheeks with sharp metal poles. During these days, at some places, the local people will kowtow to the statures of their beloved folk heroine and carry out the demonstration in every village. Some people come to worship in the temples with cooked chicken, meat, wine, incenses and candles to pray for the new life. Of course, it is a big ban meal for all villages.

Sanyuesan Festival:

The Sanyuesan Mar. 3rd Festival was originally celebrated by the Li and Miao minority group, but has become a public holiday organized by the government. Thaditionally the festival was a way for unmarried men and women to get together to celebrate life and love, but now people of all ages can join in the festivities and entertainment.