Over 250,000 attendees transformed Xichang City into a sea of flickering flames this weekend as southwest China's Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture celebrated its annual Torch Festival. The three-day event, rooted in the Yi ethnic group's ancient fire worship traditions, opened on Friday with vibrant song-and-dance performances and displays of intangible cultural heritage.
The festival reached its zenith along a 4.8-kilometer stretch where 88 ceremonial bonfires blazed simultaneously. Thousands of tourists joined Yi residents – adorned in intricately embroidered traditional costumes – in circular folk dances accompanied by indigenous musical instruments. The spectacle symbolized unity between communities and reverence for nature.
As the largest gathering of Yi people worldwide, Liangshan's celebration holds particular significance. Fire serves as both cultural symbol and spiritual medium for this ethnic group, which comprises over 2 million people in the mountainous Sichuan region. The festival, occurring annually on the 24th-25th days of the sixth lunar month, was officially recognized as national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.
Beyond its visual grandeur, the event preserves centuries-old agricultural rituals. Participants engage in ceremonies praying for prosperous harvests, livestock health, and communal harmony – traditions maintained through oral histories and artisan craftsmanship passed through generations.
