Chinese Festivals Resources
Chinese New Year
We've collated resources from around the web and from our CETs for teachers to help pupils learn about this important festival.
Lantern Festival - 元宵节 （Yuánxiāojié）
Lantern Festival marks the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations and normally falls at the end of February or beginning of March. In 2023, Lantern Festival is on 5 February.
Resources
BBC Bitesize - Exploring the Chinese Lantern Festival. A round up of the festival including Mandarin phrases, traditional food and a quiz. This resource is KS2 which is aimed at pupils ages 7-11.
Ricefield Arts & Cultural Centre - Make your own paper lantern. This video provides step by step instructions for pupils to make their own lantern for Lantern Festival. This is best suited to secondary pupils.
Chinesenewyear.net - Lantern Festival. This site provides lots of information on the festival itself for pupils to learn about all aspects of the celebration. The information can be adapted for both primary and secondary.
Twinkl - Lantern Festival. This site requires you to sign up but there are a few free resources available.
Qing Ming Festival - 清明节 （ Qīngmíngjié）
Qing Ming Festival, or literally Pure and Bright Festival, usually falls on 4 or 5 April. It is one of the most important in the traditional festival calendar: presenting a time for paying respects to ancestors; visiting and cleaning their resting places; and burning incense or other symbolic paper offerings. Such customs have made it common to refer to the festival as Tomb Sweeping Day. In 2023, Qing Ming falls on 5 April.
Resources
Youtube - This video explains more about the festival and how it is celebrated.
China Highlights - You can read more about how this day is celebrated and the traditions here.
Dragon Boat Festival - 端午节 (Duānwǔjié)
The Dragon boat or Double-fifth festival takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month within the lunar calendar - so late May, early June. In 2023, it will be celebrated on 22 June.
Traditionally, this is seen as an unlucky day within an equally unlucky month, some even consider it a time of year which attracts dangerous or poisonous creatures or even disease, against which the hanging of herbs or specific leaves might provide safety.
The origins stories are contested, and one popular story claims the festival marks the remembrance of a famous poet and statesman, Qu Yuan, who lived during the Warring States period. Qu jumped into a river, and despite the efforts of onlookers dashing to their boats and racing to save him, he sadly drowned.
We've collated resources below from around the web for teachers to help pupils learn about this important festival. In 2023, Dragon Boat Festival falls on 22 June.
BBC Bitesize
Exploring the Dragon Boat Festival
Learn a brief history of the festival and discover how people celebrate and what they eat. This page also has some Mandarin phrases to learn and a quiz. This resource is KS2 which is aimed at pupils aged 7-11.
BBC
A short video on the festival and how migrant workers celebrate when they can’t return to their families. This resource would be suitable for secondary.
Other resources
This page provides the story of the Dragon Boat Festival. The story is available in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. This would be suitable for secondary aged pupils.
You will need to sign up to the website but these free resources include unlined and lined pages with a Chinese themed border plus A4 posters on Dragon Boat festival for classroom displays. This would be suitable for primary aged pupils.
This youtube video by National Geographic shows Dragon Boat racing during the festival. This could be modified for both primary and secondary lessons.
Mid Autumn Festival - 中秋节 (Zhōngqiūjié)
Mid-Autumn Festival is probably the second most important event in the traditional festival calendar. It's a popular time to reunite with family, step outside to admire the moon, light paper lanterns, and eat a whole range of delicious moon cakes. The latter gives the festival a slightly more foodie title - 月饼节 (yuèbǐngjié), or Mooncake Festival.
In 2023, Mid-Autumn Festival will be celebrated on 29 September, and with the Oct 1 National day, forms part of a week-long national holiday.
Below are some resources that could be used to teach pupils about this festival.
BBC Bitesize
Learn a brief history of the festival and discover how people celebrate and what they eat. This page also has some Mandarin phrases to learn and a quiz. This resource is KS2 which is aimed at pupils aged 7-11.
A video with classroom ideas aimed at upper primary but could be adapted for secondary pupils.
BBC
A video all about mooncakes, a traditional gift given and eaten during Mid Autumn Festival. This video would be suitable for secondary pupils.
TES
British Council Classroom Pack
This website does require you to sign up to access the resource. The pack is aimed at upper primary.
Other resources
You will need to sign up to the website but these free resources include unlined and lined pages with a Chinese themed border plus a Mid Autumn theme acrostic poem sheet. This would be suitable for primary aged pupils.
This youtube video from South China Morning Post shows how the festival originated and what it is all about. This is suitable for secondary pupils.