LIANGSHAN, China, Aug. 06, 2024 — The month-long 2024 Torch Festival in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and the “Colorful Liangshan-Summertime Coolness” cultural and tourism series are currently underway in 17 counties and cities in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. These events, which are being held at staggered times, feature folklore performances, beauty contests, torch processions, bonfire parties, and a wealth of traditional folk festivals, attracting numerous tourists.

The People’s Government of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture has announced that, leveraging the region’s distinctive resources, various parts of Liangshan have hosted a series of unique cultural and tourism activities between July 19 and August 19. In Zhaojue County, the “Liangshan State Horse Racing and Athletic Activity” showcased the “speed and passion” of Yi men on the plateau. Xichang, meanwhile, hosted a torch music carnival in Xingyue Lake Park, inviting local artists to perform while visitors enjoyed Liangshan cuisine. The opening ceremony of the traditional torch festival in Butou County featured Yi girls dressed in traditional attire performing the “Duo Luohe” group dance, holding yellow paper umbrellas, creating a spectacle resembling a field of blossoming yellow flowers.

Ms. Wang, a tourist from Chengdu, shared her experience, having attended torch festivals in Puge County, Butuan County, and other locations. “I initially assumed the torch festival involved only torches, but I was pleasantly surprised to witness so many original customary activities with their own distinctive characteristics,” she said.

The Yi Torch Festival is one of the most significant traditional festivals of the Yi people, an ethnic group in China. It is listed in the first batch of China’s national intangible cultural heritage and is widely celebrated in areas inhabited by the Yi people, including Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou. The festival has been practiced for millennia and represents a continuation of the tradition of using torches to ward off pests, pray for a bountiful harvest, and honor ancestors.

Liangshan Prefecture, located in southwestern Sichuan Province, is China’s largest settlement of Yi people and boasts the most diverse ethnic population in Sichuan Province, making it a unique destination for experiencing ethnic culture. Erhuo Yuebu, a resident of Tiexi Village, Erjue Township, Yuexi County, Liangshan Prefecture, explains that the torch festival in his hometown is always filled with excitement as he participates in singing, dancing, parades, and visits friends and relatives. “No matter where you are, you have to return home for the Torch Festival, it’s a day of reunion,” he adds.

Today, the torch festival transcends its status as the most important traditional festival for the Yi people, becoming a valuable resource for the protection, preservation, revitalization, and utilization of the cultural tourism industry in Liangshan. Activities like the torch carnival, Yi beauty pageant, wrestling, and horse racing have gained popularity as cultural tourism attractions.

According to reports, Xichang City, the capital of Sichuan Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, welcomed approximately 757,000 visitors on July 28 and 29, with over 300,000 visitors participating in the torch carnival.

Source: The People’s Government of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture

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