Shanghai has many unique traditional and modern festivals for visitors to enjoy. The following are some important festivals listed in order of dates with schedules and brief descriptions for your reference:

New Year Bell Striking
Date: 24:00, Dec. 31 / 0:00 Jan. 1, every year
Place: Inside Longhua Temple, No 2853, Longhua Road, Xuhui District
Feature: This is a traditional activity to celebrate the New Year. At midnight on December 31st each year, many locals, as well as Chinese and foreign tourists, gather in the ancient Longhua Temple, waiting for the bell to strike 108 times, welcoming in the New Year. The bell striking ceremony is considered sacred. People believe that this ceremony can dispel unhappiness and bring good luck to the attendants in the next year. Visitors can savor New Year Noodles in the temple, join in the entertainment and dancing at the square or watch the fireworks display.

 Yuyuan New Year Folk Customs and Lantern Festival
Date: Jan. 1 – Jan. 18 (lunar calendar), every year
     (Feb. 7 – 24, 2008; Jan. 26 – Feb. 12, 2009; Feb. 14 – Mar. 3, 2010)
Place: Inside Yuyuan Shopping City (close to Yuyuan Garden)
Feature: Lanterns are an indispensable part of Chinese New Year celebrations. During the festival, colorful lanterns can be seen on Mid-Lake Pavilion and Jiuqu Bridge in front of Yuyuan Garden. These exquisite handmade lanterns imitate natural sceneries, animals or cartoons, with expressions of good wishes painted on them. The locals believe that the lanterns can bring good fortune to them in the New Year. There are performances of dragon and lion dances and Yangge, which is a rural folk dance popular in north China. Visitors can also participate in the game of guessing lantern riddles, which is a good way to learn about traditional Chinese folk customs and culture.

 Shanghai Peach Blossom Festival
Date: late Mar. – early Apr., every year
     (Mar. 22 – Apr. 8, 2007; Mar. 25 – Apr. 13, 2008; Mar. 28 - Apr. 12, 2009)
Place: Nanhui District
Feature: This festival has been successfully held in Nanhui since 1991. Nanhui District has over 65 square kilometers (25 square miles) of peach trees. The trees usually start to blossom at the end of March, reaching full glory in the beginning of April. Luchao Port Peach Garden and Seaside Peach Garden are good places to admire these beautiful blossoms, whereas North City Folk Custom Village provides folk music and performances. Visitors can live a day as farmers or fishermen: fishing from boats or plowing fields. There are tasty country snacks to savor.

 Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival
Date: Apr. / May, every year
     (Apr. 18 – 22, 2007; May. 9 – 16, 2008; Apr. 15 - 23, 2009)
Place: mainly in Zhabei District
Feature: The festival is about a week long, focusing on Chinese tea. Tea is indispensable in the daily lives of the Chinese people. Tea has become known and favored by many foreigners since communications between China and other countries and regions have become more and more frequent. Tea's popularity is due to not only its taste, variety, ease of preparation and beneficial health effects, but also the cultural connotation it conveys. The festival is just in order to show the distinguished Chinese tea culture. The opening ceremony is always held in Shanghai, but the closing ceremonies are usually in southern cities that are famous for their tea productions. Tea specialists, delegations and tourist groups from all over the world come to Shanghai during the festival. Visitors can come to learn the proper way of brewing tea, taste various precious teas, watch the exhibitions or attend lectures.

 Shanghai International Flower Festival
Date: Apr., every two years (even years)
     (Apr. 7 – 16, 2006)
Place: inside Changfeng Park, No. 189, Daduhe Road, Putuo District
Feature: During the festival, a large number of flowers turn Changfeng Park into an ocean of beauty. Flowers from China, America, Holland, Japan and Singapore are displayed here. There are various activities to take part in, such as flower photography, guessing flower riddles, ikebana competition and exhibitions on root engraving, strange rocks and bonsai. There are famous horticulturists lecturing on how to grow flowers and use them to decorate your home. This is a good choice when visiting Shanghai in a bright and pleasant springtime.

 Longhua Temple Fair
Date: Mar. 3 (lunar calendar), every year
     (Apr. 8, 2008; Mar. 29, 2009; Apr. 16, 2010)
Place: inside Longhua Tourist City, No 2853, Longhua Road, Xuhui District
Feature: Longhua Temple Fair has been held on Mar. 3rd of the Chinese lunar calendar every year. The fair has a history of over 400 years. On this day, many pilgrims and local people come to worship Buddha in Longhua Temple and shop for souvenirs. Visitors can come here to experience the traditional way of life of the local residents. There are also local opera and folk art performances to enjoy.

 Shanghai Television Festival
Date: Jun., every year
     (Jun. 11 – 15, 2007; Jun. 9 – 13, 2008; Jun 8 - 12, 2009)
Feature: Established in 1986, Shanghai Television Festival has been successfully held for more than 20 years. It is now one of the most influential Chinese TV festivals, promoting the development of domestic TV industry and strengthening the communication and cooperation between Chinese and foreign television circles. Magnolia Award International TV Program Competition and Showcase is a highlight of the festival. A great number of quality TV programs gather here to compete, communicate and show its specialties. Magnolia TV Forum is another important activity, focusing on the hot topics and news of the television industry.

 Shanghai Tourism Festival
Date: one Saturday in the middle ten days of Sep. – Oct. 6, every year
     (Sep. 15 – Oct. 6, 2007; Sep. 13 – Oct. 6, 2008; Sep. 12 - Oct., 2009)
Feature: Shanghai Tourism Festival is the grandest among the modern festivals celebrated in the city. Established in 1990, it attracts both the locals and the visitors by showing the city's colorful tourist products and activities relating to sightseeing, entertainment, dining, shopping and exhibitions. There are also folk customs, food, art, fashion and culture from many other countries to enjoy. Some highlights of the festival are listed below:

---- Opening Ceremonial Grand Parade: It starts at Huaihai Road in central Shanghai at about 19:30 on the evening of the opening day. Accompanied by wonderful performance by artists and groups from countries worldwide, a great number of colorful floats start here and parade on the main streets of Shanghai, including Huangpi Road, South Chongqing Road and Maoming Road.
Ticket: CNY 100/150

---- Opening Ceremonial Carnival: It is held at Century Square on Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street at about 21:00 on the evening of the opening day. Many pop stars and traditional Chinese artists show up for this party.

---- Cruise Ship Parade on Huangpu River: On an evening some time in the last ten days of September, over 20 exquisitely decorated cruise ships parade on the Huangpu River. The ships, together with the colorful lights, floats and fireworks give the attendants a memorable night. Visitors can book a cruise ship and take part in the interesting parties held on board, or simply enjoy the charming night scene of Shanghai on the Bund.

---- Shanghai International Music Fireworks Festival: The festival, started in 2000, is held in Century Park in Pudong. Pyrotechnic specialists from China and foreign countries set off fireworks with beautiful colors and patterns against the night sky. The fireworks are accompanied by melodic music, offering the audience a grand 'fire symphony'.
Time: 19:30 – 20:30, Sep30 / Oct. 3 / Oct. 6
Ticket: CNY 70 - 600

---- Rose Wedding Ceremony: This is a group wedding ceremony held on October 5th. Nearly 100 couples start their journey of love at Huaihai Road. They sit on the floats and are given blessings by the passers-by. After exchanging rings in the romantic falling of rose petals, the weddings are completed with the public as witnesses.
Cost: CNY 3999 for one pair

 China Shanghai International Arts Festival
Date: Oct. / Nov., every year
     (Oct. 18 – Nov. 18, 2008)
Feature: Started from 1999, the festival is a high-level art and cultural activity in China. It showcases traditional Chinese art as well as brilliant cultural achievements from countries all over the world, aiming at enhancing the communication between Chinese and foreign culture and art. During the festival, visitors can watch a variety of music, dance and drama performances, or attend cultural and art exhibitions as well as artwork trade fairs. There are culture weeks held during the festival to introduce the distinctive culture of a domestic city, province, area or a foreign country or region. For example, Singapore Culture Week and Qinghai Culture Week were held in 2007 and Mexican Culture Week was held in 2006. The festival is a good choice for art lovers if they visit Shanghai in autumn.