Fall Festivals in Asia: Holiday and Event Guide

Also known as the Chinese Moon Festival but more often called the "Mooncake Festival"  by travelers, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration of the harvest. The day is observed throughout Asia and is a public holiday in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is about enjoying a brief respite from work to have reunions with family, friends, and loved ones. Mooncakes are exchanged with someone special.

Call them Asia's answer to Christmas fruitcake. They make easy gifts, but whether or not the dense, high-calorie little cakes get eaten or not, well that's another story.

Commercialization hit this fall festival hard: some of the mooncakes for sale are made from exotic ingredients (gold leaf, anyone?) and can cost hundreds of dollars. Some districts, Beijing included, want to tax people who receive mooncakes—they are considered luxury gifts!

• Where: Epicenter is China, but the festival is observed throughout Asia—especially places with large ethnic Chinese populations
• When: Dates change; usually in September

The date for the 2018 Mid-Autumn Festival is September 24.

Not to be confused with Hari Merdeka, Malaysia's celebration of gaining independence from the British Empire on August 31, Malaysia Day is a patriotic celebration to commemorate the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.

The day is celebrated with patriotic festivities along with a military parade, flag waiving, and speeches. Malaysia Day is an exciting time to travel in Malaysia.

• Where: Throughout Malaysia and Borneo, with the epicenter in Kuala Lumpur
• When: Annually on September 16

This festival isn’t just about diet choices—some devotees pierce their faces with swords and skewers!

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival (officially the Nine Emperor Gods Festival) is a nine-day Taoist celebration that is vividly observed on the island of Phuket, Thailand.

The scene is one of absolute chaos in some places. Firecrackers are thrown, many at head level, during processions that carry shrines and images of gods. Devotees in varying states of trance pierce their bodies, most often the face, with sharp objects. Voluntary self mutilation includes slashing the tongue with a sword!

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is also observed by Chinese communities in Malaysia and Indonesia.

• Where: Phuket, Thailand
• When: Dates change; usually the end of September or beginning of October

The dates for the 2018 Phuket Vegetarian Festival are October 8 – 17.

China’s most patriotic holiday is National Day on October 1. Concerts, pro-government gatherings, and fireworks mark the occasion.

The day also kicks off one of China’s Golden Week holiday periods, meaning that things get way busier in Beijing, a place already renowned for being busy!

Hundreds of thousands of people living in the far reaches of China head into the capital for a rare glimpse of Tienanmen Square during their time off work.

Attractions such as the Great Wall and the terracotta soldiers in Xi'an become inundated with traveling locals. Hotels and public transportation fill up. The first week of October is the busiest time to visit China—be prepared!

• Where: In big cities throughout China, with the epicenter in Beijing
• When: Annually on October 1; lasts approximately one week

Mahatma Gandhi is known as the "Father of the Nation" in India and his birthday is celebrated worldwide on October 2.

The Gandhi Jayanti celebration, as it is called in India, is particularly special. Gandhi's Birthday is one of only three national holidays on the subcontinent (the other two are Republic Day and Independence Day).

An International Day of Peace was already observed on September 21, so in 2007 the United Nations declared Gandhi's Birthday as International Day of Non-Violence.

If you aren't in Delhi for the event, don't worry: there are many other fall festivals in India.

• Where: Throughout India, with the epicenter in New Delhi
• When: Annually on October 2

Whether you're into camels or not, there's something fun for everyone at the Pushkar Camel Fair (or simply just the "Pushkar Fair"). The event attracts well over 100,000 locals and tourists who come to see, sell, or race over 50,000 camels! It's arguably the largest festival in Rajasthan.

Needless to say, the small town of Pushkar gets pushed to its limits; attendees set up camps in the desert. If you don't book accommodation in time, a tent may be the only option, too!

Games, sales, competitions, and spectacles fill the days. After the festival, continue on to Jaisalmer to try riding a camel across the desert.

• Where: Pushkar in Rajasthan, India
• When: Dates change; usually in late fall

The dates for the 2018 Pushkar Camel Fair are November 15 – 23.

India's Festival of Lights is an important Hindu holiday celebrated with plenty of colorful lights and noisy fireworks used to frighten away evil spirits. Homes are decorated with lights, and ghee lanterns are burned. Fairs and gatherings are scattered throughout.

Diwali is a beautiful spectacle in some parts of India, while you may not even know it's going on in others. The holiday is about peace, reunions, religious rites, and special meals with family. A lot of interesting traditions take place during the Diwali holiday.

Each year during Diwali, Indian and Pakistani soldiers meet at the border to exchange sweets in a rare gesture of goodwill.

• Where: India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and other places with large Hindu populations
• When: Dates change; usually end of October or early November

The date for the 2018 Divawli festival in India is November 7. Some regions in the south may begin a day earlier.

Loi Krathong and Yi Peng, both usually celebrated together, are quite possibly the most visually stunning festivals in all of Asia. Thousands of candle-fired lanterns fill the sky while candlelit boats float on the river beneath.

Although the festival is often collectively referred to as "Loi Krathong," krathongs are the little boats that are floated on water. The lantern celebration that mesmerizes tourists is Yi Peng.

For fire safety, lanterns may not be launched in Bangkok. Although you'll still find many cultural celebrations in the capital city, get to Northern Thailand for the biggest gatherings.

• Where: Throughout Thailand, with Chiang Mai as the epicenter. Smaller celebrations are seen in Laos and Burma/Myanmar.
• When: Dates change; usually in November

The date for the 2018 Loi Krathong festival in Thailand is November 23.