Xiaolan Chrysanthemum Festival

Xiaolan Chrysanthemum Festival

The Xiaolan Chrysanthemum Festival is a national intangible cultural heritage.

　　Xiaolan Town is located in the central part of the Pearl River Delta and is an important town in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province. The people of Xiaolan are skilled in cultivating potted chrysanthemums with exquisite craftsmanship. Historically, when chrysanthemums were in full bloom, families would gather and display various chrysanthemum arrangements to compete for the best, known as “chrysanthemum trials,” which later evolved into the chrysanthemum festival. The duration of the festival varies from several days to over ten days, and the main activities include admiring chrysanthemums, competing with chrysanthemum arrangements, composing poetry about them, painting them, tasting chrysanthemum-themed food, enjoying waterborne float parades, and watching chrysanthemum-themed performances. The Xiaolan Chrysanthemum Festival uses flowers as a medium and chrysanthemums as a way to connect with friends. With its exquisite craftsmanship and grand scale, it forms a unique traditional folk flower festival.

　　Chrysanthemum cultivation began in Xiaolan during the Southern Song Dynasty. By the Ming Dynasty, the art of growing chrysanthemums had flourished, transitioning to potted and shaped cultivation. In 1782 and 1791, major clans jointly organized two large-scale chrysanthemum festivals. In the 19th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1814), another grand chrysanthemum festival was held. Local gentry agreed that, in honor of their ancestors’ settlement in the 19th year of the Xianchun reign during the Southern Song Dynasty, a grand event should be held every 60 years (in the Year of Jiaxu). By 1934, three grand chrysanthemum conventions had been held. Between these conventions, smaller chrysanthemum festivals were held annually or every few years. In 1994, to uphold tradition, villages jointly organized a Jiaxu Chrysanthemum Convention.

　　The Xiaolan Chrysanthemum Festival is the most concentrated representation of China’s chrysanthemum culture, featuring strong public participation, deep cultural significance, and high historical and cultural value. At the same time, the noble character of the chrysanthemum has long been cherished by people. The Xiaolan Chrysanthemum Festival, as a carrier of chrysanthemum culture, plays an important role in cultivating sentiment, enhancing cultural literacy, promoting international cultural exchange, and building a harmonious society.