Experiences

Asia's Amazing Festivals

From China's Dragon Boat Festival, to Thailand’s famous water festival Songkran, to India’s explosively colorful Holi, Asia is home to numerous incredible festivals that provide visitors an opportunity to immerse themselves in the country’s culture and experience it like a native. Check out our top 7 festivals below that are absolutely worth the trip and learn a little bit about Asia's captivating culture and history along the way.

14 Jul 2022 5 min to read

Holi

Holi celebrates the end of winter and the beginning of spring, with lots of color! Over time this ancient Hindu religious festival has become an opportunity for communities to come together and enjoy. People of all ages go onto the streets and play with colored powder and water, and when indoors, Indians wish each other by smearing dry colored powder on each other's faces.

Primarily observed in northern and western India, Nepal and other regions of the world with significant Hindu populations or people of Indian origin, this festival is sure to enchant and delight. The great Indian festival lasts for a day and a night, starting in the evening of the Full Moon Day in the month of Falgun. Typically celebrated in March, the first evening of the festival is called Holika Dahan or Choti Holi and the following day is the main Holi festival. Celebrate Holi like a local in our many different Indian locations, from Radisson Blu Resort, Goa Cavelossim Beach to Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi.

Holi Celebration India - Asia's Amazing Festivals

Diwali (Deepavali)

Stretching across five days in November, Diwali is celebrated with great grandeur and spirit. Also known as the Festival of Lights, hundreds of small oil lamps are lit in homes for their symbolism of vivacity and integrity in Hindu mythology and to signify the victory of good over evil. Join in the festivities at hotels like Radisson Blu New Delhi Dwarka as the hotel adds to the festive fervor with Meetha, a premium offering of curated Indian sweets. The elaborate menu includes popular Indian 'mithais' (sweets) from across the country and it is the perfect giveaway for the festive season. Or choose to spend Diwali at Radisson Resort & Spa Lonavala, our sophisticated location surrounded by green hills.

Indian Sweets Diwali - Asia's Amazing Festivals

Chinese New Year

Falling in January, The Spring Festival also known as Chinese New Year is the most important celebration for the global Chinese community. Wear red as it is an auspicious color during the festival and head to the Yuyuan Lantern Festival to witness hundreds of intricately designed lanterns - an iconic piece of Shanghai’s rich history and culture.

Stay at one of our really central hotels in Shanghai including Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World, or Radisson Collection Hotel, Xing Guo Shanghai for easy access to the festivities, or avoid the city crowds and book a stay at Radisson Blu Forest Manor Shanghai to swim under the stars in their starry indoor pool.

Radisson Blu Plaza Chongqing is another ideal hotel nestled by Nan Bin Road. Discover the exciting celebratory nightlife beyond the hotel doors, unwind at the hotel’s indoor swimming pool and spa room or enjoy panoramic views while dining at their various restaurants.

Blu Forest Manor Shanghai Starry Indoor Pool - Asia's Amazing Festivals

Blu Plaza Hotel Chongqing Shiki Restaurant - Asia's Amazing Festivals

Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn festival is the second most important festival after the Spring Festival to be celebrated by people of Chinese descent in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore. Often described as the Chinese version of Thanksgiving, Chinese people reunite with their family members to celebrate harmony and family unity. The festival, which is said to date back over 3,000 years, also celebrates Chang’e, just one of many legends related to this festival. Today the festival is celebrated by the gifting and eating of mooncakes, a pastry filled with lotus paste and sometimes a salted egg yolk. Children also go on walks with colorful lanterns, either made from paper or battery-powered. Discover the celebration around the country at one of our many Radisson Hotels in China in September or stay at Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh or at Radisson Blu Resort Phan Thiet to see for yourself how the Chinese community observes this festivity in other countries.

Colourful Lanterns Mid-Autumn - Asia's Amazing Festivals

Dragon Boat Festival

Do you know the origin of the Dragon Boat festival? Dating back over 2000 years to the Warring States Period (B.C.E. 403 — B.C.E. 221), the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is one of the three most important lunar festivals – along with the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival – celebrated by Chinese communities worldwide. The most popular legend involves Qu Yuan, a notable state official and poet who drowned himself in a river to protest against the political corruption of the day. Many fishermen rode their boats on the river to find his body while others threw rice rolls, eggs and meat into the river hoping that the body of Qu Yuan wouldn’t be eaten by creatures in the river. Today, dragon boat racing and rice dumplings (zongzi) have become part of the celebration.

To commemorate his sacrifice, people began to organize Dragon Boat races. The first International Dragon Boat Festival race was staged in the 1970s by the Hong Kong Tourist Association (now Tourist Board) and is today one of the largest races of its kind with hundreds of thousands of revelers and spectators who converge at Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. Dragon Boat races also happen in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia as well as in Europe and North America. The festival falls in June.

Experience the festival on many of the waterways in China during this period with Radisson Hotels. In Chongqing for example, the festival is celebrated through 228 carnivals over a 3-day drama festival including various cultural performances (music, drama, acrobatics, art). The best part? Most performances are free. Make your base the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Chongqing to get the best of this key annual festival in China.

Dragon Boat Races - Asia's Amazing Festival

Songkran (Thailand)

Officially known as Songkran, this Buddhist festival marks the beginning of the traditional Thai New Year and celebrates purification and new beginnings. It is also arguably the largest water fight in the world! Songkran promises locals and tourists alike a day or two of wet, rowdy fun as friends and complete strangers splash each other with water.

If you’re in Thailand during the festival, be prepared for crowds of people roaming around throwing buckets of water, using water pistols, and even dousing people from moving vehicles. White talc is also thrown in copious amounts so be sure to dress appropriately. We also highly recommend waterproof bags for your electronics if you’re going to be walking the streets. The festival runs for three days in April. Book your stay in Bangkok to live the festival like a local or book a relaxing resort getaway at Radisson Blu Resort Hua Hin or Radisson Resort & Suites Phuket.

Songkran Water Fight - Asia's Amazing Festivals

Easter (The Philippines)

While Easter Sunday is celebrated by Christians worldwide to commemorate the rebirth of Christ, the predominantly Roman Catholic country of the Philippines does it a bit differently. Some of the rituals are Spanish-influenced Catholic ceremonies which have been combined with pre-Hispanic beliefs.

One of the most unusual traditions is the use of penitents. The most elaborate celebrations take place in San Fernando, located about 80 km north of Manila. In Cebu city, you can see the Buhing Kalbaryo, a play featuring a cast of over 100 people depicting the final hours in the life of Jesus in an elaborate street drama. At a certain point in the performance, the audience on the street joins the cast and walks several miles towards the site of the play's finale. While in Bantayan Cebu, the Holy Week Processions feature a parade of life-sized antique statues – crafted by Spanish artisans in the 1800s – mounted on huge, richly decorated chariots to depict the passion of Christ.

Make Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu your base for experiencing these unique traditions firsthand.