What are the unique festivals in Suzhou?

What are the famous traditional festivals and customs activities in Suzhou? Let's take a look at the sharing of Xiaobian!

1. Spring Festival

Time: the first day of the first lunar month

Introduction: As the year is approaching, people in Suzhou will go to the market to snap up all kinds of vegetarian food, which is called buying new year's goods. Because shops are closed from New Year's Eve to the fifth day, they have to buy all of them. The business of shops is very hot, especially deli, dolphin-hoofed chickens and ducks are very hot. On the day after the stove is delivered, that is, on the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, all families in Suzhou will cook porridge with red beans and miscellaneous rice as a sacrifice to the gods. After the sacrifice, everyone in the whole family, old and young, has to eat a bowl, even infants and cats and dogs at home, and they have to eat a little symbolically. If they go out and don't come back, their share has to be prepared. This is called mouth-counting porridge. It is said that eating a few mouthfuls of porridge can avoid the plague, and if you eat it with bean dregs, you can also avoid sin. Before New Year's Eve, Suzhou had the custom of sending New Year's plates. According to Gu Lu, a scribe in Suzhou, people gave each other pig's feet, herring, fruit and so on between the doors and walls of alleys, which was called New Year's plates. In those days, there were crowds of servants, and they were in a constant stream, and they were rewarded with a little abundance.

2. Lantern Festival

Time: the fifteenth day of the first lunar month

Introduction: The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival that Suzhou people attach great importance to. On this day, Suzhou city has become a sea of joy. According to records, since the Southern Song Dynasty, there has been a tradition of trying lights on the 13th and setting lights on the 18th, and the most convenient place for the lantern market is in the area of Changmen. However, in addition to the custom of decorating lanterns and watching lanterns, there are some unique local customs and some little-known folk activities in Suzhou around the Lantern Festival, that is, offering sacrifices to valiant soldiers and praying for a bumper harvest; Take the three bridges to eliminate all diseases; Pick up Zigu and offer sacrifices to the silkworm god.

3. Tomb-Sweeping Day

Time: around April 5, Gregorian calendar

Introduction: Tomb-Sweeping Day, a Suzhou native, will plant willow branches and wear willow branches, and the newlyweds will go to the grave together. Suzhou people will have its unique connotation and activity form when they go to Tomb-Sweeping Day. Suzhou people do not dare to neglect their graves on Qingming Festival, especially those who have lost their lives for seven years but have not yet reached the anniversary. In the past, every family had to "celebrate the festival" to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. In ancient times, if the descendants of grave owners could not come back from other places, they would take the way of "remote sacrifice" in the direction of their hometown. The newlyweds must be present at the new grave buried within one year, which is called "Shanghuafen", which means to let the new wife know the location and situation of the ancestors' tombs. Meeting the gods is commonly called "going out" by Suzhou people. Suzhou used to be famous for its three festivals, namely, the Qingming Festival, July 3 and October (the first day) three times a year, among which Qingming Festival was the most prosperous.

4. Dragon Boat Festival

Time: the fifth day of the fifth lunar month

Introduction: The Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is one of the important traditional folk festivals of the Chinese nation, commemorating the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. But the Dragon Boat Festival in Suzhou is different from other places. It commemorates Wu Zixu, a famous soldier of the State of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period. The Dragon Boat Festival in memory of Wu Zixu is the biggest annual folk festival in Suzhou, which has a set of folk activities adapted to local natural climate conditions, daily production and living habits and economic and cultural characteristics. Although some activities are not much different from the Dragon Boat Festival activities in other places, their details reflect Suzhou's unique water town customs.

5. Mid-Autumn Festival

Time: August 15th of the lunar calendar

Introduction: Dou Xiang, also known as Xiang Dou, is an important ritual instrument for the Mid-Autumn Festival in old Suzhou. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, seasonal fruits such as Hong Ling, raw lotus root and ginkgo are placed on the Xiang Dou, and homemade moon cakes and various cereals representing bumper harvests are presented, and incense is burned under the moon to offer sacrifices to the moon to pray for yourself and your family. After burning the incense, the whole family can share the offerings, which means family reunion. There is a thousand-year-old bridge in Dan Tai Lake, Suzhou. According to legend, it is called "baodai bridge" because it was built for the local officials to take the lead in raising money and the people responded. This bridge has 54 spans, which is a famous bridge in the south of the Yangtze River. On Mid-Autumn Festival night, the moon is bright. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many citizens went to baodai bridge to enjoy the moon on Mid-Autumn Night. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the poet Shen Chaochu had a poem: Suzhou is good, and there is a long bridge in the string of moons. The long bridge in the poem is the best place to see the moon, which refers to a nine-ring cave bridge called Xingchun Bridge on the east side of Shihu and on the right side of the bridge.

6. Double Ninth Festival

Time: the ninth day of the ninth lunar month

Introduction: On Double Ninth Festival, Suzhou people will eat double ninth cake. In addition to the delicious cake itself, it is more important because the Chongyang cake itself has a beautiful meaning. According to folklore, climbing high on the Double Ninth Festival can avoid disasters. Because of the homonym of "cake" and "high", people came up with a way to make a symbolic cake and put a small flag on it, which means climbing high can eliminate disasters. In addition to the theory of eliminating disasters, Chongyang cake also has the beautiful meaning of wishing children "everything is high". Suzhou Chongyang climbing culture has a long history, and Fu Cha, the king of Wu, climbed high and looked far, praying for peace and prosperity. Scholars in Suzhou like to climb mountains on the Double Ninth Festival. Famous masters of calligraphy and painting in Suzhou in the Ming Dynasty, such as Tang Bohu, Zhu Zhishan and Wen Zhiming, all went to Tiger Hill to climb mountains and drink. Modern Suzhou writers such as Zhou Shoujuan, Fan Yanqiao and Cheng Xiaoqing almost meet each other to climb Lingyan Mountain every year on the Double Ninth Festival to remember the past. The Double Ninth Festival is the golden autumn season of the year, and chrysanthemums are in full bloom. On Double Ninth Festival, Suzhou people will go to enjoy chrysanthemums.

7. The mysterious temple welcomes the god of wealth.

Time: the fifth day of the first lunar month

Location: the mysterious temple in Pingjiang District, Suzhou

Introduction: According to folklore, the fifth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the god of wealth, so after the first day, the next most important activity is to meet the god of wealth. On the night before the arrival of the God of Wealth's birthday, each family held a banquet to celebrate the God of Wealth.

8. Rolling immortals

Time: April 14th, lunar calendar

Location: Shenxian Temple, Suzhou

Introduction: Rolling (gá) immortals is a word in Suzhou dialect, which means that many people are crowded, and Suzhou people say that it originated on April 14th as the birthday of Lv Chunyang, one of the Eight Immortals. It is said that Lv Chunyang will become a beggar and a peddler on his birthday, and mix with the crowd.

9. Exposing books and turning pages

Time: the sixth day of the sixth lunar month

Location: temples and temples in Suzhou

Introduction: Every year on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, there is a custom of drying books in Suzhou. On this day, the pictures and books were exposed to the sun in the court, which was especially effective in preventing moth-eaten corrosion. All the temples and monasteries moved out the collected scriptures to dry, and the monks took the opportunity to call the old rural women to hold a "sutra turning meeting", where they turned the scriptures and exposed them in the scorching sun, claiming that "turning the scriptures ten times can turn a man's body". There is also a folk saying: "June 6, dog rot bath." (Suzhou dialect calls bathing a rotten bath) It is to take dogs and cats to the river to bathe in order to avoid lice and fleas. 1. Eat Lei Zhai Su

Time: June 24th of the lunar calendar

Location: Suzhou

Introduction: According to legend, June 24th of the lunar calendar is Lei Zun's birthday. Eating "Lei Zhai Su" is to be a vegetarian in order to worship Lei Zun. It is said that it can eliminate disasters and avoid epidemics and ensure peace. In the past, people in Suzhou ate "Lei Zhai Su", which generally lasted nearly a month from the first day of June to the end of Lei Zun's birthday. On the day of the end of the meat season, Songhelou Restaurant on Guanqian Street specially launched seasonal noodles and braised duck noodles. Therefore, there is a two-part allegorical saying in Suzhou: "Lei Zhai Su ends the meat-braised duck noodles".

1. Taihu Plum Blossom Festival

Time: February to March every year

Location: Linwudong Scenic Spot in Xishan Mountain

Introduction: Wuzhong, Suzhou, has been a famous plum-exploring resort in China since ancient times, with profound plum culture. Famous for Deng Wei's Xiang Xue Hai and Xishan's Chicken Cage Mei Xue, Linwu Meihai has become the largest base for plum viewing and plum cultural activities in China. The Plum Blossom Festival takes "Plum" as its theme, and holds various folk cultural activities with a wide range of contents, a peaceful atmosphere and a warm scene, so that you can enjoy the true mountains, waters and fragrant flowers of Taihu Lake.

11. Rhododendron Festival in Humble Administrator's Garden

Time: March to May every year

Location: Humble Administrator's Garden in Pingjiang District, Suzhou

Introduction: The annual spring Rhododendron Festival makes visitors to Humble Administrator's Garden step into spring from winter depression. In the Humble Administrator's Garden, all kinds of azaleas are stacked and placed by the skillful hands of gardeners, and seven scenic spots have been formed in the garden, such as dew red and bright, clouds locked and fragrant, flowers are tender, romantic and charming, spring returns to the earth, glow is brocade, and forests and valleys are singing. Among them, at the gate, the original lake rock rockery is combined with the selected large and small rhododendrons to form a large rhododendron bonsai; With the rockery as the background, the cuckoos in front of the mountain are strewn at random, which constitutes a beautiful freehand painting; More than 4 pots of azaleas have been moved to the lawn, forming a vivid scene of spring returning to the earth and everything reviving. At the same time, in the middle garden and the west garden, azaleas of all colors are near the water or leaning against trees, all of which add a lot of color to the scenic spots. In Furong Pavilion, Yuanxiangtang, Xiaocanglang, Xiangzhou, Jianshanlou, Liutingge and other halls, you can also enjoy more than 2 varieties of rhododendrons such as pink butterfly, crown, jade hanging brocade and pennant.

12. Huqiu Flower Festival

Time: March to May every year

Location: Huqiu Mountain Scenic Area, gusu district, Suzhou

Introduction: The flowers of Huqiu Flower Festival are mainly tulips, daffodils, rhododendrons, peony, peony, poinsettia, Anthurium, cyclamen, Guinea Impatiens, begonia and hydrangeas, forming several flowers.

13. International Tourism Festival

Time: April every year

Location: Suzhou

Introduction: Suzhou is a famous historical and cultural city and an important scenic tourist city in China, and is known as the "paradise on earth". Since the reform and opening up, especially in recent years, Suzhou has adhered to the pioneering, scientific and harmonious development. Its economic strength has greatly jumped, its development momentum has been continuously enhanced, its civilization level has been significantly improved, and people's lives have been stable and harmonious, and it has gradually developed into a city where traditional culture and modern civilization complement each other. Suzhou International Tourism Festival digs deep into the cultural connotation of Wudi, and strives to make this tourism festival a warm, peaceful, passionate, dynamic, image-displaying, safe and orderly fashion event, further expand exchanges and cooperation, promote the organic integration of tourism and industry, strive to enhance the international influence of "Paradise Suzhou and Oriental Water City", promote the sound and rapid development of Suzhou tourism, and accelerate the pace of building a cultural tourism city.

14. International Silk Tourism Festival

Time: every two years (September to October)

Location: Suzhou

Introduction: Suzhou International Silk Tourism Festival in China is a large-scale tourism festival jointly sponsored by China National Tourism Administration, Textile General Association, Silk Corporation and Suzhou Municipal People's Government, and specifically undertaken by Suzhou Foreign Economic Commission and Suzhou Tourism Administration. China Suzhou International Silk Tourism Festival holds a series of festivals full of local folk culture charm, such as large-scale economic and trade fair, Huqiu Temple Fair, Tianping Hongfeng Art Festival, etc. through tourism, and expands investment attraction and tourism promotion activities

15. Huqiu Temple Fair

Time: September to October every year

Location: Huqiu

Introduction: During the temple fair, there are two temple fairs on thousands of people's stones every day. Among them, there are many folk arts such as muppets, folk tricks, flying axes, suona on the top, aerial swings, two ghosts wrestling and other programs, and there are folk local products with the characteristics of Jiangnan water town to buy.

16. Wuzhong Tianping Hongfeng Art Festival

Time: October to December every year

Location: Tianping Mountain Scenic Area, Wuzhong District, Suzhou

Introduction: Tianping Mountain in Wuzhong District is famous for its red maple, strange stones and clear springs, and there is an ancient maple forest on the mountain. Whenever the late autumn season, maple leaves are red, and the layers of forest are dyed and brilliant. Jiangsu Wuzhong Tianping Hongfeng Art Festival was held in Wuzhong District. The festival activities included the opening ceremony, maple leaf viewing, opera, art and craft performances, and art, composition, poetry, prose, photography and calligraphy competitions related to Hongfeng.

17. Hanshan Temple listens to bells on New Year's Eve

Time: December 31st every year

Location: Hanshan Temple in Suzhou

Introduction: "Hanshan Temple outside Gusu City, midnight bells arrive at passenger ships". The traditional New Year's Eve dinner in China kicked off the bell-listening activities, with cultural performances, lucky draws and other activities to entertain tourists. Bell-listening activities reached a climax as tourists arrived at Fengqiao Scenic Area. Hanshan Temple Lane and Fengqiao Street displayed traditional folk activities such as dragon lanterns, lion dances, stilts, lake boat rides and sedan chairs. Monks in the temple do their last homework in a year surrounded by cigarettes; On the eve of : , tourists listen to the 18-ring bell sounded by Hanshan Temple. The bells are swaying to get rid of the troubles of the old year, and they are pious and auspicious. The firecrackers celebrate the arrival of the new year and are lively and lively.