Chinese Ethnic Culture Park/Chinese Nationalities Museum

Chinese Ethnic Culture Park, which is also known as the Nationalities Park, contributes to a large ethnic base of China's vibrant culture, combing an introduction to culture, singing and dancing performances, and traditional architecture.

Most Chinese are 'Han Chinese' – about 95%, but there are 56 ethnic groups in the Chinese family together in the park. It has already completed displays for over 40 ethnic groups, and a large number of ethnic culture relics and articles from daily use are exhibited in order to reflect authentic living conditions of each ethnic group.

Situated just inside the north third ring road, the park is easy to get to. It is worth your visit. This striking attraction covers approximately 50 hectares and so far comprises 44 ethnic villages and 200 ethnic buildings. Performances are held nearly every day and there are regular festivals, like the Dai people's Water-Splashing Festival in July and August.

Highlights of Chinese Ethnic Culture Park

The Munao Singing Festival of the Jingpo

The Munao Song and Dance Festival has become a tradtional Jingpo festival featuring singing and dancing as a way of celebrating a bumper harvest. All people dance to together in a lively atmosphere.

The Water-splashing Festival of the Dai  

The Water Splashing ceremony, during the New Year celebrations of the Dai Caendar, is more than just good-natured fun; it also contains a religious element: water is regarded by the Dai as a symbol, firstly, of religious purity, but also of goodwill among people. Therefore, splashing a fellow human being with water during the Water Splashing Festival, whether a close neighbor or a fellow villager, or even a stranger, is an expression of the desire for good luck and prosperity to that person.

The Third of March Festival of the Bai 

March Festival. It is said that in the ancient time, evils were defeated by Miao heros in March, so Miao people have this March Festival to memorize those heros.

The Chahua Festival of the Yi 

Chahua festival is another characteristic festival which is held to commemorate the hero, Mi Yinu, who helped the Yi people overcome the tyrannical ruler. When the Maying flowers blossom, people will wear them on their hairs or present them to each other and sing to their heart's content to celebrate their happy life.

The Dragon-boat Festival of the Miao 

The Dragon boat festival is one of the most important celebrations to the Miao people who live along the QingShui Jiang (River) in the southeast of GuiZhou Province. Every year between 30,000 to 40,000 Miao people will take parts in this festival. For the Miao people, the dragon is the symbol for good and luck. Miao girls like to adorn their hair with silver ornaments shaped like dragons and wear clothes embroidered or woven with dragon patterns.

The Horse Milk Festival 

August is the golden season of the grassland with abundant grass and strong livestock. At the end of August in lunar calendar, the Mongolians will hold a Mare Milk Festival for a whole day. This Mongolian traditional festival is commonly seen on Xilin Gol Grassland in Inner Mongolia. In season of the harvest, the herdsmen name this festival with white mare milk, wishing for health, happiness, good luck and prosperous for both man and livestock.

Tibetan Shoton Festival 

Tibet Shoton Festival, as one of great traditional festivals in Lhasa, is also known as Sour Milk Drinking Festival. It is held yearly between the 15th day of the sixth month of Tibetan calendar and the 30th day of the seventh Tibetan month. The celebration of Shoton Festival was originally a religious activity in which secular people sacrificed sour milk to monks who had just finished spiritual cultivation in the closet.

Tibetan New Year 

The Tibetan New year, also known as Losar, is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar. It is celebrated over a period of 2 weeks, generally during the months of December and January. Losar festival is celebrated by Tibetan people. and is marked with ancient ceremonies that represents the struggle between good and evil, by chanting, and by passing fire torches through the crowds.

The New-rice Festival of the Va 

The New Rice Festival for the Va people is celebrated in the middle of the eighth lunar month. The Va people call themselves A Va, which means 'people of the mountains'. Autumn is the busiest season for the Va and the New Rice Festival is their favourite.

Opening Hours: 8:30 – 17:30
Location: No. 1 Minzu Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, just west of the Olympic Green.

How to get there

Subway

• Take Subway Line 8 and get off at Olympic Sports Center Station and get out of the station from Exit D; or get off at Bei Tu Cheng Station and get out of the station from Exit B.
• Take Subway Line 10 and get off at Bei Tu Cheng Station and get out of the station from Exit B (northeast exit).
• Take circle lane to the Gu Lou Da Jie Station and transfer to bus No.819 or to the An Ding men Station transfer to bus No 407.

Bus

• Take bus no.407 or 839 and get off at Chinese Ethnic Culture Park.
• Take bus No.113 or 645 to the Minzuyuan Park.

Weather/Best Time to Go

Beijing enjoys four distinctive seasons owning to its humid continental climate, ranging from very warm during the summer: 28ºC to 38ºC (82ºF to 93ºF), to chilly and dry during the winter: -10ºC to 10ºC (14ºF to 50ºF).

The best time to visit the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park can be the summer and autumn, when the weather is fine and the templerature is high, because there are some festivals can have much more fun only in summer or autumn, such as the water-splashing festival of the Dai, the Dragon-boat festival of the Yi, etc. However, if you have to arrange your tour in winter or spring, there is also fun, such as the Tibetan New Year, the Sowing Festival of the Va, etc. Check out the Beijing weather forecast.

Travel Tips

• * If you join the Water-splash Festival, Please respect Dai People's Custom by waiting for Dai People to splash the first bowl of water before you splash or touch the water. Please buy the water basin in the shops and splash water in the specified place.
• * Minority guide will provide the service for you. The charge for the service is ranging from CNY60 to 120.
• * Ethnic dress is available for rent.
• * Buses and boats are available to take a bus trip or boat trip around the park, tickets are at about CNY10/person.