What's on in Jinghong (Xishuangbanna), China through the year

Peak crowds — Northern winter escape, Winter break (around Chinese New Year) in China

• Holiday

  Spring Festival

  15–23 FebLunar New YearCrowdedClosuresBook early

  China's week-long national holiday for the Lunar New Year. In the weeks around it trains and flights sell out as people travel home, and many small shops and restaurants close for several days; book transport early. Source ↗

Still on: Northern winter escape (15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually))

Peak crowds — Spring Festival, Northern winter escape

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Spring Festival (15–23 Feb), Northern winter escape (15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Hazard

  Burning season haze

  1 Mar – 20 Apr · usuallySmoke season

  Field burning across the border in Myanmar and Laos drifts up the Mekong valley through the last dry weeks. The forest across the river turns into an outline and the light goes yellow. Source ↗

Busy — Dai Water-Splashing Festival, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Dai Water-Splashing Festival

  13–16 AprWater-festival New YearCrowdedBook early

  The Dai new year, and the biggest thing that happens here: dragon boats on the Mekong, a market that runs all night, and three days in which nobody stays dry. Rooms go months ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Burning season haze (1 Mar – 20 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in May.

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Season

  Wild mushroom season

  1 Jun – 15 Sep · usuallyForaging seasonRisk

  Yunnan's rains bring wild mushrooms to markets and hotpot tables. Poisoning cases peak in June; eat them only at established restaurants, never cook what you buy from a roadside forager. Source ↗

Busy — Summer break in China, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Closed Door Festival

  1 Jul – 5 Aug · usuallyReligious feast

  The Dai start of Buddhist Lent: families bring offerings to the temples, and by tradition weddings and courtship wait three months until the Open Door Festival in October. Source ↗

Still on: Wild mushroom season (1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Busy — Summer break in China, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Wild mushroom season (1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)), Closed Door Festival (1 Jul – 5 Aug (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Wild mushroom season (1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — National Day golden week, National Day Golden Week in China

• Holiday

  National Day golden week

  1–7 OctCrowdedBook early

  The first week of October is one of the two weeks the whole country travels, and the botanical garden and the Wild Elephant Valley are shoulder to shoulder for it. Source ↗

Busy — Northern winter escape

• Season

  Northern winter escape

  15 Nov – 28 Feb · usuallyWinter-sun seasonCrowdedBook early

  Xishuangbanna is where a good part of northern China spends the winter, and Jinghong's riverfront apartments are let by the month to people who arrive in November and leave in March. Source ↗

Busy — Northern winter escape, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Northern winter escape (15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually))