Third Month Fair (Bai)
1 May 2026 · movable holiday — Tea, songs and galloping horses beneath Cangshan – welcome to the fair!
The Third Month Fair is a traditional gathering of the Bai people in Dali, Yunnan, in southwestern China. It is held at the foot of the Cangshan mountains, starting on the 15th day of the third lunar month and lasting about a week. Tradition holds that it is very old, and over time it grew into a large trading fair offering local goods, medicinal herbs, tea and livestock. Horse races, folk songs, dances and meetings of people from many communities are also part of the event. The festival follows the lunar calendar, so its date in the Gregorian calendar changes every year; its start falls close to the full moon of the third lunar month. Since exact dates and details of its origin should be checked against local sources, please confirm the current programme before planning a visit.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver figure made of luminous dots and fine connecting lines, like a constellation: a Bai merchant with a basket of tea walking beside a galloping horse, drifting across the night sky
Sources
Positions in Astronativa are astronomically exact. The interpretation is for inspiration. · Glossary · Terms · Privacy · Thank you