To Celebrate Torch Festival in Yunnan by the end of July

Yi people is the largest ethnic group in Yunnan.  In every Jun. 24 of the lunar calender is the most important festival for Yi people. On the day, everyone will wear their traditional folk costume and gather together in the square to hold bullfight match. It has enjoyed thousands of years’ history is a significant activity in the torch festival. Beside bullfights, the local people still will hold other activities to celebrate the Festival such as horse racing, song and dance parties,arrow shooting, wrestling, tugs-of-wars and swinging and so on.

In the evening, you will find that there is a small torch places in front of the door of each household. Meanwhile people will hold the small torch in hand and holding it to walk through their village , fields and mountain nearby. Since the Torch Festival was original by Yi people’s worship of fire. That is, to pray for a good new year in front of the sacred fire, and to divine farm work with fire color and farming results of a year with the brightness of the fire. They believe the fire has the power to drive away evils and repel insects and bless good harvest of them.

The highlight of the Festival is the evening dancing party. The huge torches tied up pine wood will be hold in the square. People will dancing in circle around the burning torch throughout the whole night.

Actually, the torch Festival is not only celebrate by Yi people and also for Bai, Nanxi, Lahu and so on. For the difference branch of ethnic group will hold the different day. Mostly are Jun.24 or Jun. 25 of Lunar calender. The Torch festival of 2016 is Jul. 27 and Jul. 28.

It is a really nice experience for the trip to Yunnan.