Time 15^th day of the 8^th lunar month, which falls on October 5 in 1998, September 24 in 1999, and September 12 in 2000.

Venue All over China.

Origin During the Zhou Dynasty (c 16^th-11^th centuries) the night of the full moon was an occasion for the Chinese to hold rituals to greet the cool weather and sacrifice to the Goddess of the Moon. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907) moon watching and merry-making had become part of the ritual. During the Northern Song (960-1127), the 15^th day of the 8^th lunar month was designated as Mid-Autumn Festival. When night falls on that day, the orb of the moon hangs full in the firmament, shedding a flood of silvery light over the land, while family members in China gather for the happiness of reunion, munching moon cakes and marveling at the chastened glory of the Goddess of the Moon. By Chinese custom the 15^th day of the 8^th lunar month is a day for family reunion as symbolized by the full moon and the moon cake.

Time October every year.

Venue Huangshan, Anhui Province.

Origin The first Huangshan International Tourist Festival took place on October 25-30, 1991, and was attended by 103 tour operators and representative of travel services of the United States, Japan, Thailand, France, Germany, Singapore and other countries. A total of 500,000 people took part in the activities organized during the festival. The success of the festival not only won the heart of travelers from at home and abroad, but also expanded the worldwide reputation of Mount Huangshan and promoted local tourism. The local authorities, therefore, have designated as a regular annual event.

Time November every year.

Venue Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.

Origin The annual Chang’an International Calligraphic conference is an important national tourist program. For Shaanxi Province, it is also a large-scale activity involving foreign visitors. So far sour such conferences have been held, achieving such a global renown that calligraphers, calligraphic fans and tourists have come from such countries as Japan, south Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the united States, and such regions as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. The conference is aimed at publicizing the image of Shaanxi Province in the world and promoting local tourism.

Time October 11-14 every year.

Venue Jingdezhen, Janxi Province.

Origin A millennium in the making of porcelain ware has earned Jingdezhen the name "Capital of Porcelain". Elegant ornamentation, jade-like textures, and translucent walls-these are reasons behind the superlative quality of porcelain products that bear the name "Jingdezhen". The Jingdezhen International Ceramics Festival and World Porcelain making Competition are organized to disseminate the Chinese ceramics technology and promote international exchange in ceramics.

Time October 31-November 8 every year.

Venue Gulin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Origin Gulin, a city which sits astride the Lijiang River. The serene mountains, sparkling waters, and exotic-looking rocks that are typical of the fungling karst landmass have earned the city the laudatory saying: "Unmatched under heaven is the landscape of Gulin." The essence of Gulin’s enchanting charms lies ion the landscape along the Lijiang River. The Gulin Landscape Festival was established to provide the best possible service to tourists who come from every part of the world to admire the city’s beautiful scenes and sights.

Time September-October every add-number year.

Venue Yichang, Hubei Province.

Origin the Three Gorges Art Festival, which first took place in autumn 1991, features a series of activities designed to recapture the mystery of the cultural legacy of the ancient state of Chu, with the Three Gorges Dam Project and the Three Gorges as the background.

Venue Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province.

Origin The Tar Monastery is dedicated to Tsongkhapa, father of the Delug (Yellow Hats) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also the Buddhist center of northwest China, and Mecca for followers of Lamaism all over the country. Butter sculptures murals and embossed embroideries are the three wonders of the monastery. The summons Ceremony is Buddhist institution for the preaching of the holy words and sacrificing to the Buddha. The four traditional summons ceremonies held in the Tar Monastery are known for their grand and awe-striking proportions. During these ceremonies the monastery put on its most alluring looks.

Time January 5-February 5 every year.

Venue Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.

Origin With a 190-day freezing season, the northeast Chinese city of Harbin is known as a "City of "Ice" and a cradle of the ice-and-snow culture in the world. The long and frigid winter, and the high plasticity and hardness of ice blocks quarried from the Songhua River, furnish favorable conditions for ice and snow sculpture. On January 5, 1985, the first Harbin Ice and Snow Festival was unveiled, and since then it has become an annual event, which is highly acclaimed around the world. Harbin was also the venue of the Third Asian Winter Sports Tournament.

Time 4^th-17 day of the 1^st lunar month, and from the 29^th day of the 6^th lunar month to the 15^th day of the 7^th lunar month. In 1998, the Grand Summons Ceremony of the First Moon falls on January 31-February 13, and the Grand Summons Ceremony of the Sixth Moon on August 20-September 5. In 1999, the Grand Summons Ceremony of the First Moon takes place on February 19-March 4, and the Grand Summons Ceremony of the Sixth Moon on August 10-25. In 2000 the Grand Summons Ceremony of the First Moon will be held on February 8-21, and the Grand Summons Ceremony of the Sixth Moon on July 30-August 14.

Venue Labrang Monastery in Xiahe county, Gansu Province.

Origin Established in 1709, or the 28^th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Labrang Monastery is one of the six major sanctuaries of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also the largest Lamaist seminary outside Lhasa, and is in the possession of the largest collection of Tibetan Buddhist scriptures in China. The Labrang Monastery is the venue of seven sizeable traditional grand summons ceremonies, and the most impressive of these is the one taking place in the 1^st lunar month, during which time the pilgrims pray for the Enlightened One’s blessings, and the one in the seventh lunar month, during which the doctrines of Buddhism are preached. On these occasions the Labrang Monastery is thronged with pilgrims coming all the way from Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia.

Time January 1.

Venue Hangzhou, Zhijiang

Origin situated south of the West Lake and north of the Yuhuang Mountain, the Jingci Monastery used to have a bronze bell which was tolled when dusk fell. During the Ming Dynasty the Jingci Monastery acquired a new bell, weighing more than 10,000 kilograms, whose tolls could be heard farther away. In recent years millions of travelers from overseas have flocked to the monastery to have their wishes for a blissful new year answered by the tolling of the bell at the Monastery on New Year's Day.

Time First day of Shawwal every year.

Venue Hui, Uygur and Kazakh communities.

Origin According to the Qur'n, in the early days of Islamism, Muhammad, the Messenger of Aliah, would mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan by taking a bath, putting on clean clothes, walking to the outskirts of the city together with his Muslim followers, and handing out fast-breaking donations by way of atonement. This practice gradually evolved into one of the three major Islamic festivals.

Time The tenth day of the month of Dul Hajah.

Venue Areas where the Huis, Uygurs and Kazakhs live in compact communities.

Origin According to Arabic legend, Ibrahim was a pious follower of Allah. Once, in a dream, Ibrahim got Allah’s divine message for him to slaughter his own son as a sacrifice. When he was about to carry out the order, a messenger sent by Allah descended with a goat, and asked Ibrahim to sacrifice the goat instead of his own son. Since then the Muslims have been marking the day by slaughtering goats for the sake of safety. This gradually evolved into the Corban, a festival for slaughter goats.

Time  April 27 in 2000.

Venue Hong Kong.

Origin Tian Hau, or Heavenly Queens, is none other than Lin Muniang, known as Mazu or the Goddess of the Sea, who is worshiped by people living in China's coastal areas. The ancestral temple dedicated to the goddess is situated on the Meizhou Island in Fujian. Today, Mazu is the idol of many Hong Kong residents, who pin their hopes for good luck and pleasant weather on her. Tin Hau temples are everywhere in Hong Kong and Kowloon. The birthday of the goddess on the 23^rd day of the 3^rd lunar month has become a major festival in Hong Kong, during which time Hong Kong residents turn out in tens of thousands to visit the Tin Hau temples to have their prayers answered.

Time October.

Venue Hong Kong.

Origin The Hong Kong Asian Art Festival is one of the major art festivals in Asia. In the 1970s it was a two-week event held by the Hong Kong Municipal Bureau in October. Since then the festival has grown in scale, expanding from Asia to Oceania, with more and more art troupes participating for the friendship between artists from Asia and Oceania and disseminate art through performances during the festival. By a rule of the festival, only outstanding art programs for both continents are allowed to attend the festival.