March Third FestivalMarch Third Festival Guide

Sanyuesan traces its origins to the ancient Shangsi Festival and is celebrated by the Zhuang, Miao, Yao, Bouyei, She, Li and other ethnic minority communities.

Among the Zhuang, the festival is known as Gewei Festival, from *gewei* — a traditional singing ground or gathering where young men and women meet, exchange songs, express affection and seek a partner.

In 2014, Zhuang Sanyuesan was inscribed on China’s National List of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage Projects.

The festival brings together a rich range of customs:

* Antiphonal Mountain Singing: The defining tradition of Sanyuesan, in which people make friends and convey affection through improvised or exchanged songs

* Throwing Embroidered Balls: A traditional form of courtship and social interaction among young Zhuang men and women

* Five-Coloured Glutinous Rice: Rice dyed in five colours with plant juices, symbolising abundant harvests

* Bamboo Pole Dance: Dancers step and leap between bamboo poles as they open and close rhythmically, making it one of the festival’s most participatory dances

* Paying Homage to the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan: Tradition holds that the third day of the third lunar month was the birthday of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan

As Guangxi communities have taken root overseas, “广西三月三·乡音播全球” — “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” has become an important cultural initiative abroad. Since its launch in 2019, it has reached more than twenty countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

In 2026, events in the series were held in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and elsewhere.

### United Kingdom

Manchester — “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” Celebration (May 10)

On the evening of May 10, the Guangxi Culture and Tourism Friendship Association UK, with the Consulate General of China in Manchester as co-organiser, held a “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” celebration in Manchester.

Guests included Chinese Consul General in Manchester Tang Rui, Manchester’s ceremonial Lord Mayor Carmine Grimshaw, President of the Federation of Chinese Associations in Manchester Ren Jieyi, and other representatives, who attended and delivered remarks.

Highlights included:

* A concentrated presentation of the distinctive cultures of Guangxi’s Zhuang, Miao, Yao and Dong communities

* Lively interactive traditions including embroidered-ball throwing, antiphonal mountain singing and “高山流水”

* Ethnic dance performances in which traditional folk customs were woven together with contemporary elements

* Wide circulation across social media, where short videos and photographs from the event received an enthusiastic response

London — “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” Photo Exhibition and Family Day (April)

Under the coordination of Xiao Yingying, the UK Guangxi Association organised two distinctive activities:

* April 8: The “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” Photo Exhibition presented the landscapes and cultural life of Guangxi through vivid visual imagery

* April 11: Sanyuesan traditions were incorporated into the West London District 105A Lions Club Family Day

London — Ceremony Honouring the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan (April 12)

“三月三，拜轩辕。”

On April 12, the Bingwu Year Ceremony of Overseas Chinese in the United Kingdom Honouring the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan was held in London Chinatown.

Nearly 200 guests gathered from across the United Kingdom and several European countries, including representatives of overseas Chinese communities, scholars based in Britain and young people of Chinese heritage. The ceremony opened amid drums, gongs and lion dancing.

Highlights included:

* An interactive oracle-bone-script intangible heritage area, with surname scratch cards in oracle-bone script and water-calligraphy copying activities

* A traditional Chinese medicine cultural display and public medical consultation area, where professional practitioners provided health consultations

* The simultaneous launch of the international communication platform “黄帝世界”

* Nine traditional ceremonial sequences: 鼓韵华章、敬献花篮、净手敬爵、共拜始祖、恭读拜文、高唱颂歌、乐舞敬拜、祈福中华、天地人和

The event has now been held successfully for seven consecutive years, becoming a signature Chinese cultural gathering in Europe. Its stated features were “科技赋能、多元融合、全民沉浸” — technology-enabled participation, plural cultural integration and immersive public engagement.

Transport: London Chinatown is in the city centre and can be reached from Leicester Square Station on the Piccadilly and Northern lines, or Piccadilly Circus Station. For the Manchester venue, consult the organisers’ announcements in advance.

### Paris, France

In Paris, Chen Guanrong led the France Guangxi Exchange Association in organising a series of cultural activities on April 19, beside the Louvre and along the Seine.

Activities included:

* Group dances, antiphonal mountain songs and embroidered-ball exchanges, presenting the distinctive ethnic traditions of Guangxi

* A vivid encounter with Guangxi culture staged beside one of the world’s great centres of art

Transport: The Louvre is in central Paris and can be reached via Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre Station, on Métro lines 1 and 7.

### United States

Washington Area — “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” 2026 Gala (April 18)

From 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on April 18, the Washington-area 2026 gala for “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” was held at Han Spot in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The event was jointly organised by the Greater Washington Guangxi Association, the Guangxi Alumni Association, and the Washington-area branch of the World Guangxi Women’s Fellowship.

The Guangxi Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese participated as a supporting organisation and specially purchased a selection of items reflecting Guangxi’s ethnic traditions, which were shipped across the Pacific to the United States.

The programme echoed that year’s Guangxi Sanyuesan theme, “三月三·趣广西”, with the idea of *qu* — fun, delight and discovery — running throughout the event.

Four themed experiences:

A prize draw was also held, with authentic Guangxi speciality products as gifts.

Admission: US$50 per person.

Transport: 9811 Washingtonian Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. The venue is approximately 30–40 minutes by car from Washington, D.C.

New York — Guangxi Intangible Cultural Heritage at the United Nations (July 10)

On July 10, the event

“八桂传情·桥连中美”——2026“广西三月三·乡音播全球”暨广西民族非遗文化走进联合国交流活动

was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Organised by the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and jointly undertaken by several overseas Chinese associations, the event brought together Guangxi’s ethnic intangible heritage and distinctive regional culture.

It also featured the “中美友好·飞虎队图片展” — “China–U.S. Friendship · Flying Tigers Photo Exhibition”, combining intercultural exchange with a presentation of the historical legacy of China–U.S. friendship.

Transport: United Nations Headquarters is on Manhattan’s East Side and can be reached on foot from Grand Central Station, served by subway lines 4, 5, 6, 7 and S.

### Canada

Montreal — Large-Scale Performance at Place des Arts (May)

Under the guidance of the autonomous region’s Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the Canadian Phoenix Multicultural Association and Montreal Huaxing Phoenix Art Troupe staged a major Chinese cultural and arts performance at the Wilfrid-Pelletier Theatre, Place des Arts, in Montreal.

Highlights included:

* Nearly 3,000 people attended, with approximately 80% of the audience drawn from mainstream local Canadian society

* Place des Arts is one of Canada’s major arts and cultural landmarks, while the Wilfrid-Pelletier Theatre is one of the country’s largest professional theatres

* The special programme 《三月三·壮》 took Guangxi’s traditional Sanyuesan as its cultural setting, bringing together Zhuang dress, Zhuang brocade motifs, ethnic dance and contemporary stage art

* An international team of supermodels took part, with several performers joining shortly after completing international fashion weeks in Italy, France and elsewhere

* Several of the international models later shared material from the programme on their personal social-media accounts

Toronto — First “兰亭·雅集” / Lanting Elegant Gathering (April 19)

On April 19, the third day of the third lunar month, Toronto hosted its first “兰亭·雅集” — Lanting Elegant Gathering.

Chinese Consul General in Toronto Luo Weidong attended and delivered remarks.

The “Lanting · Elegant Gathering” is a global cultural programme initiated by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and this marked its first edition in Toronto.

With Chinese calligraphy at its centre, guests and calligraphers jointly wrote the Lantingji Xu (《兰亭集序》) and took part in calligraphy appreciation and exchange, recitation, and traditional Chinese instrumental performances.

Vancouver — Sanyuesan at Pearl City Restaurant (July 13)

On July 13, the Vancouver stop of “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” was held at Pearl City Restaurant, with representatives from local government and overseas Chinese communities in attendance.

Transport: Place des Arts in Montreal is in the city centre and is directly served by Place-des-Arts Station on the Green Line.

### Singapore

Sanyuesan in Singapore takes on a distinctive character through its interweaving of multiple ethnic cultures.

April 13:

The Singapore Raffles Music College, Singapore Guangxi and Gaozhou Association, and Singapore International Humanities Exchange Association jointly organised a special event.

It brought together 30 participants from Singapore’s four major ethnic communities — Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian — performing in four languages. Together they interpreted the classic Guangxi folk song 《山歌好比春江水》 alongside Singaporean folk songs.

April 25:

The first Singapore “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” cultural promotion event was held at the auditorium of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, organised by the Singapore Guangxi and Gaozhou Association.

Highlights included:

* Strong participation from local residents and visitors

* More than 400 performers and members of the public from Singapore, China, Malaysia and elsewhere gathering together

* Guests including Cai Shandi, Cultural Affairs Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, and former Singapore Member of Parliament Cheng Han Tong

* 15 programmes encompassing dance, folk-song performance, selections from 《刘三姐》, ethnic costume shows and improvised bilingual Zhuang–Chinese mountain-song exchanges

* Improvised folk-song creation, embroidered-ball throwing, quizzes and prize activities that drew the audience into the celebration

* A concluding communal performance in which artists and audience members sang 《山歌好比春江水》 and 《多谢了》 together

Transport: The Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations is in the city centre and can be reached on foot from Bras Basah Station, on the Downtown and Circle lines.

### Auckland, New Zealand

On the opening day of Guangxi’s “三月三·八桂嘉年华” — Sanyuesan · Bagui Carnival, the New Zealand Guangxi Association and the New Zealand Guangxi Chamber of Commerce, under the organisation of Lin Yong, held a “Celebrating Sanyuesan” event in Auckland.

Figures representing the Zhuang cultural characters “刘三姐” — Liu Sanjie and “阿牛哥” — A Niu Ge appeared in vivid traditional dress, singing and dancing beneath blue skies and white clouds.

The aromas of familiar Guangxi foods — including five-coloured glutinous rice and Yulin “福” character puffed rice — filled the gathering, stirring a deep sense of homesickness among Guangxi people living abroad.

### Hanoi, Vietnam

On April 26, the Guangxi Enterprises Federation of the Vietnam China Chamber of Commerce, led by Yin Lun, organised the themed event

“广西三月三·乡音播全球”暨“中越厚谊连山海·桂越同心启华章”

in Hanoi.

The gathering was held alongside celebrations for the association’s tenth anniversary and attracted more than 600 guests from China and overseas.

### Global Ceremonies Honouring the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan

According to tradition, the third day of the third lunar month is the birthday of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan.

Since 2014, overseas Chinese communities in San Francisco, Sydney, London, Paris and other cities have independently organised ceremonies honouring the Yellow Emperor around Sanyuesan.

In 2008, the Ceremony of Worship at the Yellow Emperor’s Native Place was included in China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Sydney, Australia — April 11:

The Bingwu Year Ceremony of Overseas Chinese in Australia Honouring the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan was held at Parramatta Town Hall in Sydney.

Jointly organised by more than 100 Chinese associations in Australia, it brought together several hundred guests.

The programme followed nine ceremonial sequences:

鼓韵华章、敬献花篮、净手敬爵、共拜始祖、恭读拜文、高唱颂歌、乐舞敬拜、祈福中华、天地人和

Chinese Consul Hu Yang from the Consulate General of China in Sydney attended and delivered remarks.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — April:

Malaysia’s ceremony honouring the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan was held at 仙境古城 in Kuala Lumpur, organised by the Federation of Chinese Surname Associations of Malaysia.

### General Sanyuesan Etiquette

* Festival Greetings: You may say “Happy Sanyuesan” or “Happy Gewei Festival”

* Listening to Mountain Songs: Remain quiet during antiphonal singing and do not interrupt either side

* Embroidered-Ball Activities: If invited to take part, feel free to join

* Bamboo Pole Dance: Follow the rhythm carefully and pay attention to your footing

* Five-Coloured Glutinous Rice: You are welcome to taste it; avoid wasting food

### Etiquette at Ceremonies Honouring Ancestors

* Remain Solemn: These are formal and dignified ceremonies; maintain a quiet and respectful manner

* Dress Appropriately: Modest, respectful clothing is recommended

* Follow the Ritual Sequence: Participate according to on-site guidance

### Photography Etiquette

* Ask Permission: Before photographing performers or participants in ethnic dress, smile and seek their consent

* Respect Portrait Rights: Do not use another person’s photograph for commercial purposes without permission

* Sanyuesan Has Become a Global Cultural Brand: It is no longer necessary to travel to Guangxi to encounter its traditions. Manchester, London, Paris, Washington, Montreal, Toronto, Singapore, Auckland, Sydney, Hanoi and many other cities now host related events. “Guangxi Sanyuesan · Hometown Voices Across the Globe” has already reached more than twenty countries.

* Montreal Hosts One of the Largest Overseas Events: The Place des Arts performance attracted nearly 3,000 spectators, approximately 80% of them from mainstream local Canadian society, making it one of the most influential Sanyuesan events outside China.

* A Special Milestone at United Nations Headquarters in New York: In 2026, Guangxi intangible cultural heritage was presented at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the first time, marking an important moment in Sanyuesan’s international cultural reach.

* “三月三，拜轩辕”: Sanyuesan is also associated with overseas Chinese ceremonies honouring the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, with observances in London, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere.

* Singapore’s Multicultural Expression: Singapore brought together members of four major ethnic communities to sing mountain songs in four languages, creating a distinctive example of cultural exchange.

* Official Support in Manchester: The Manchester celebration was co-organised by the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester and attended by the city’s Lord Mayor.

* Dates Differ by Location: Sanyuesan-related activities can extend from around the third day of the third lunar month through July. Check local official schedules in advance.

* Washington Gala Requires Admission: The Washington-area gala costs US$50 per person and requires advance registration with the organisers.

*May you encounter the distinctive spirit of Sanyuesan in different corners of the world and, amid the lingering cadence of mountain songs and the flight of embroidered balls, receive the beautiful blessing of “以歌传情、幸福安康” — affection carried in song, happiness and well-being.*