The reason to come is the combination: Miao singing, embroidered festival dress, lusheng music and a meal that brings people together along a county street. The practical decision is where to sleep. A village-view room in Xijiang is tempting, but being close to the county venues makes the main festival day much easier.
What is Leishan Miao New Year?
Miao New Year celebrates the harvest and honours ancestors. In Leishan, the county organises a public programme around the tradition, including a parade, a stage performance and a long-table banquet. Individual villages keep their own celebration dates.
Leishan county town means Danjiang Town (丹江镇). This is where the main county events take place. Xijiang Miao Village sits within the same county but is a separate stop, with its own admission, accommodation and performances.
Public celebrations are open to visitors under the relevant admission arrangements. Family rituals are personal: ask before joining or photographing them, and treat an invitation as hospitality.
Leishan Miao New Year 2026 dates and schedule
The wider series runs from 1 November to 2 December. For the county programme, these are the dates to build around:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 11 November | Parade and stage-programme preview | County town |
| 11–12 November | Long-table banquet; confirm your serving time | Xinxing Avenue |
| 12 November, 13:00–15:00 | Main parade | Leishan No. 1 Middle School → County Ethnic Culture and Sports Activity Center |
| 12 November, 15:00–17:00 | Opening ceremony and heritage programme | County Ethnic Culture and Sports Activity Center |
The county’s detailed schedule also lists a rehearsal on 10 November and village celebrations from 13 November onward. The rehearsal is not a confirmed visitor session. Check the village calendar separately if your dates fall later in the month.
Arriving on the 11th gives you time to settle in and, with the appropriate reservation, attend the preview. Choose the 12th for the formal opening.
What to see at the festival
The parade and opening ceremony
Silver headdresses, embroidered clothing, singing and lusheng ensembles are central to the county programme. This year’s launch announcement describes parade formations built around Miao song traditions, followed by the heritage stage show.
Choose your parade viewing point with the ceremony entrance in mind. The published parade ends as the stage programme begins, so leave time to reach your entrance rather than trying to follow the entire route first.
.jpg){kind=link}
The long-table banquet
The county banquet takes place on Xinxing Avenue (新兴大道). It is the meal to look for if you want the festival street-banquet experience. A long-table meal in a Xijiang restaurant may be enjoyable too, but it is a different booking.
Expect regional food and rice-wine hospitality; tell the organiser about allergies or dietary requirements before booking. If you do not drink alcohol, say so before a toast or pour begins. You can enjoy the singing without taking part in the drinking.
Village celebrations and Xijiang
Allow a separate visit for Xijiang’s hillside houses, river walks and viewpoints. An overnight stay gives you the evening as well as the daytime views. For a village New Year celebration, choose a named village and date from the official calendar rather than assuming every village celebrates on the 12th.
How to book Leishan Miao New Year tickets
Foreign passport holders: start with an OTA
Foreign visitors can book festival tours through OTAs such as Trip.com. The Leishan festival day-tour form checked for 12 November offered Passport as a document type. Enter your traveller details as shown on your passport and follow the product’s confirmation instructions.
The important choice is the package. A tour title mentioning “Miao New Year” does not tell you whether it includes a seat at the opening, the county banquet, or a village visit.
- Choose the date and departure town. Check whether the tour starts in Guiyang, Kaili or Leishan, and which language the guide uses.
- Match the package to the event. Ask specifically about an opening-ceremony seat and the Xinxing Avenue banquet. Check the meeting point, return time and cancellation terms.
- Book with your passport details. Save the confirmation and any admission code offline. Carry the original passport used for the booking.
Booking directly through Zhiyou Leishan
The official channel is Zhiyou Leishan (智游雷山), announced for opening-ceremony reservations and other local travel products. If you prefer to book directly, confirm that the selected product supports your passport and phone number. A document-number field alone does not establish that.
Xijiang scenic-area admission
Book Xijiang separately unless your package explicitly includes it. The scenic area’s published visitor guidance provides a passport booking route through its official channels and OTAs including Trip.com. Follow the current voucher’s instructions for ticket collection and entry; the older notice describes collecting a paper ticket.
Festival tickets and trip costs
Official mini-program packages cost ¥136 or ¥399 per person, depending on the option selected. Chelsea confirmed these prices in the official mini-program on 3 November 2026; see the official booking announcement.
OTA tours are priced separately. Compare the inclusions before paying: a transfer-only tour, a ceremony ticket and a banquet package cover different parts of the visit.
| Expense | What to check before paying |
|---|---|
| Festival admission | Date, event, seating area and included meal or other extras |
| OTA tour | Transfers, guide language, meals and any excluded tickets |
| Accommodation | Total for your dates, passport check-in and cancellation deadline |
| Local transfers | Both directions, waiting time, tolls and parking |
Where to stay for Leishan Miao New Year
I would stay in Danjiang Town on 11 and 12 November, then move to Xijiang if the village is part of the trip. Search the address as well as “Leishan”: booking sites also return Xijiang hotels under the county name.
| Base | When I would choose it | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Leishan county town / Danjiang | Main parade, opening and county banquet | Check your hotel against the actual event entrance |
| Xijiang Miao Village | Village scenery and an overnight stay after the county events | A separate transfer and scenic-area ticket |
| Kaili | County-town accommodation does not suit your plans | Arrange the festival-day return before booking |
County-town hotels and passport check-in
Leishan Xiushan Homestay lists acceptance of guests from all countries and regions. Its Wuxiu Xiaozhai address is outside the centre, so ask about event-day transport as well as rooms. It is a candidate to check, not a property I have stayed at.
Leishan Hotel has a convenient Grand Plaza address, but the inspected platform policy did not list ordinary foreign passports. Get confirmation before reserving it. Neither property’s availability for the festival dates has been established here.
Staying overnight in Xijiang
Choose a room by access as well as the view. Ask which gate to use, whether luggage help is available, how many steps lead to the room and whether it has heating. Check admission and re-entry arrangements if you plan to leave the scenic area during your stay.
How to get to Leishan and Xijiang
Guiyang to Leishan via Kaili South
From Guiyang, take a high-speed train to Kaili South (凯里南站), then continue by road to Leishan county town. Kaili South and Kaili Railway Station (凯里站) are different stations; use the correct name when arranging pickup.
A bus or transfer advertised for Xijiang is heading to the scenic area. For the main festival, specify Danjiang Town / Leishan county town as your destination. A Guiyang-based day tour is another option if you prefer to organise the road journey and festival visit together.
Leishan to Xijiang by bus
The scenic area’s official transport guidance names Leishan Bus Station (雷山汽车站) as a departure point for Xijiang. That notice is from 2025; check the current fare, departure times and arrival stop locally.
If you need a return the same day, confirm the last departure and exact boarding point in Xijiang before setting out. The festival-period timetable has not been verified for this guide.
Booking a driver
Ask for a written quote covering both directions, pickup and drop-off points, waiting time, tolls, parking and a late finish. A hotel that advertises shuttle services can be a useful starting point, but check that it can provide this particular journey on your date.
A 3-day Leishan and Xijiang itinerary
This is the route I would use for 11–13 November, based on the published programme. It keeps the festival day in one place and makes the village visit a separate stop.
| Day | Plan | Sleep |
|---|---|---|
| 11 November | Arrive, check in and attend the preview if your arrival time and reservation allow | Leishan county town |
| 12 November | Parade and opening programme; banquet according to your booked session | Leishan county town |
| 13 November | Daytime transfer to Xijiang, then explore the village | Xijiang if extending to 14 November; otherwise continue onward |
On arrival, locate your event entrance and check the walk from your hotel. Leave the main afternoon free on the 12th: the ceremony starts as the parade is scheduled to finish. Pick a viewing location that lets you reach your seat in time.
For Xijiang, choose between a day visit and an overnight before booking your onward travel. If you want the evening views, add a fourth day for departure. A rushed village visit followed by an uncertain transfer is the part I would cut first.
What to pack for November in Leishan
Check the forecast close to departure and prepare for an outdoor afternoon: comfortable shoes with grip, layers, rain protection and a charged power bank. Keep your passport, ticket confirmation and meeting-point details together, with an offline copy of the booking.
Set up mobile payments in China before leaving Guiyang, and check internet access options if you need your usual apps. Keep some cash as a backup.
Planning sources: the 29 October county schedule, official launch reporting, Xijiang visitor notices and the booking pages linked above. Reviewed 3 November 2026. Confirm current event details with the organiser or your tour supplier before departure.
Cover photo: SONG1907 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized and converted to WebP. All photographs predate the 2026 festival.
