Culture and tradition | Cantonese culture, festivals, tradition and customs

Tea culture

Drinking tea in Guangzhou

Tea drinking in Guangzhou is different from other parts of China. Cantonese tea is not served in the tea house but in the restaurant. And people would eat quite a bit of dim-sum while drinking tea...More»

flower show

Flower Fair in Guangzhou

People in Guangzhou area say "No flower fair, no Spring Festival." The Flower City-Guangzhou is well known for its annual flower fair held during the Spring Festival. It was a special flower market held annually for citizens to appreciate and buy some flowers and daily uses... More »

lion dance

Lion dance

is a folk recreational and sporting activity, which imitates the movement of lions. On festival days, there usually is a parade of lion dances with the dancers holding the lion head up and down either to show the lion's roar or its native charm to the strong rhythm of gongs and drums...More»

guangzhou Festivals

Dragon boat festival

It is held around the 5th day of the 5th lunar month every year. Dragon Boat tournaments in Shunde and Dongguan are most remarkable. The celebratory tournaments on Dongjiang River near Liuhua Pagoda in Dongguan gathers thousands of spectators...More »

Lantern Festival

As everywhere in China, Lantern Festival in Guangzhou takes place on 5th of the first lunar month. As early as in the southern Han period, lanterns were lit all night in the Changshou Temple to usher in a coming harvest year and compete against the moonlight. More »

Double-ninth Day

Climbing High on the Double Ninth Day is a traditional custom observed every year on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month. It was meant to be an auspicious activity. People are used to climbing high, cleaning tombs, and flying kites...More »

Qingming Festival

The Qingming Festival (also the Tomb-sweeping Day) meaning Clear and Bright Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice (or the 15th day from the Spring Equinox)...More »

Chinese Valentine's Day

Chinese Valentine's Day is a story of two lovers. Their names were Niu Lang and Zhi Nu. He was a cowherd and she was a weaver. She was the seventh daughter of the Emperor of Heaven...More »

lingnan architecture

Lingnan architecture is concentrated at Xiguan. Built at the end of the Qing Dynasty, Baomo Garden is located at Zini Village near Shawan town of Panyu and is a fine example of classical Lingnan architecture... More »

cantonese cultures

Red envelope

In Chinese and Cantonese, a red envelope or red packet (known as hóngbāo or Lì Xì) is a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions...More »

Numbers in Cantonese culture

In Chinese culture, certain numbers are believed by some to be auspicious or inauspicious based on the Chinese word that the number name sounds similar to. However some Chinese people regard these beliefs to be superstitions. Since the pronunciation and the vocabulary may be different in different Chinese dialects, the rules are generally not applicable for all cases...More »

Cantonese language

Cantonese (or Yue) is one of the five major Chinese languages. These are often called "dialects", but in actuality their differences are great enough to consider them separate languages...More»

Guangzhou Information

Where To Go Tonight

Have you ever heard of the famous Bar Street? It is a place in the Fangcun District of Guangzhou which is across the Pearl River from the main part of Guangzhou... More»

Learning Cantonese

Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is language originated in the vicinity of Canton (i.e. Guangzhou) in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese. More»

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