The Torch Festival falls on the period between the 24th day and the 26th day of the sixth lunar month. It is a traditional festival shared by the Yi, Naxi and Bai peoples in southwestern China.

The Torch Festival is an important event to the Yi people like the Spring Festival in the Han people’s tradition. During the festival, torches are put up in front of every household, and a pile of faggots(柴捆) of several meters high is put up in the center of a square. When night falls, and gongs and horns are sounded, people of all ages come forward to set fire to the faggot pile. Cheerful flames fly up to the sky. Shouts of joy together with the sound of the gongs and drums make a sea of joy. When everybody holds the torches at night, the streets look like a fire dragon and the view is great.

The festival is also a good chance for young men and women to find their girlfriends named “Ashima” or boyfriends “Brother Ahei” paying particular attention to their costumes. Young women wear a triangular(三角形的) piece of fabric on either side of their headdress to attract the attention of young men, but no young man should ever touch this ornament, or he’ll be forced to labor for three years at the girl’s home. On their wedding day, young women remove the two triangles and lay them flat on top of their heads to stand for peace and happiness.

When a young man chooses a certain young woman, he’ll snatch away her embroidered(刺绣的) belt when she doesn’t pay attention to it. If the young woman returns his love, she’ll allow him to marry her. If not, she’ll put on another belt allowing the man to keep the one he has “stolen”.

In short, the Torch Festival brings lots of fun to the Yi people. And every year many visitors come to enjoy it as well.