There are three main ethnic minority groups in Zhangjiajie: Tujia, Bai and Miao. These groups make up 77 percent of Zhangjiajie's total population and many visitors count their festivals among the highlights of their visit.

Tujia
Tujia are one of the main minority groups in Zhangjiajie and they live in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Their diet consists mainly of rice and corn. The local flavored products are Ciba, Tuansa and preserved ham. They have their own dress style and their own folk music. It is worthy to mention that Tujia Brocade is one of the five excellent brocades in Zhangjiajie. Main cultural festivals include the Sheba Festival and Gannian Festival. The Sheba Festival is usually held during the 3rd -15th day of the first month, the 3rd day of the third month, and the 6th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar. It is an age-old celebrated festival of Tujia minority group. Gannian Festival is the most ceremonious festival and it is usually held in 28th or 29th of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar. It is to celebrate the coming Chinese New Year.

Bai
The Bai are well-known as a hospitable minority group by the drinking customs of 'Three-Course Tea'. The first cup called 'the tea of light bitter' is infused by using only the material of bitter tea leaf. The second cup is called 'the sweet tea' because it adds the material of brown sugar, sesame, Walnut Seed. And the third cup called 'aftertaste tea' because it tastes bitter as well as sweet and spicy by adding the honey and a little Chinese prickly ash. If you come to the village of Bai minority group in Zhangjiajie, you can enjoy the treat. Their most special festival is the Torch Festival which is held on 25th June of the lunar calendar. On that evening every family in the village lights a torch and then all the torches are collected in the center of the village. People pray for the crops' safety in the manner of striding across the fire. In this way the festival aims to aid the destruction of vermin and therefore protect the crops.

Miao
The Miao minority group is a populated and widely distributed group throughout Chinese nation. In the area of Zhangjiajie where the Miao minority group mostly lives you can see many traditional ceremonious activities. Their special festivals include Miao Folk Song Festival and Antiphonal Singing Festival (also called Miao's Valentine's Day). The former festival is celebrated on the 6th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar in the memory of their folk heroes. And the latter festival is celebrated on the 3rd day of the third month of the lunar calendar.