KUNMING -- What is the secret of the charm of Yunnan Province?
Beautiful scenery, rare plants and flowers, local specialities? These are all part of the answer, but they are definitely not everything.
Yunnan not only boasts fabulous natural landscapes, but also fascinating ethnic customs.
Yunnan has 25 ethnic groups. The Yi people are part of this big family. They have a long history and unique culture, which over thousands of years has developed into colourful customs with distinctive features.
The Yi people are a diligent and courageous minority. They adore tigers, fire and the colour black. Many festivals have developed from the ceremonies for worshipping these objects. The Torch Festival is the most elaborate and widely celebrated, with a very strong religious element.
The Yi people think fire possesses a superhuman power which can drive away evil and frighten off ghosts, so they have a special relationship with fire. They also call themselves the "fire nationality."
According to the Yi tradition, the Torch Festival is held around the 24th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar.
Well in advance of this date, nimble-fingered women will sew festival clothes for the whole family and prepare enough delicacies for guests. Meanwhile, the men prepare for wrestling contests, bullfighting and other recreational pursuits.
During the festival, torches are erected in front of houses. At the entrance to the villages, a grand "torch tower," made of pine branches and dry firewood and standing more than 20 metres high, is decorated with fresh flowers and fruits.
At last, the long-awaited moment comes. After dinner, as darkness casts its shadow, young and old, wearing their most ceremonial attire, rush excitedly to the "torch tower" square.
Cheers and screams of delight burst from the lips of the excited crowd, while the soaring flames brighten the darkness of the night and warm everyone's heart. It really is an amazing sight _ the torches are as numerous as there are stars in the sky.
On such a brilliant night, all the participants are intoxicated by the grand spectacle and the atmosphere of celebration. Dressed in splendid costumes bedecked with sparkling ornaments, young men and women sing and dance hand in hand around the bonfire to express their gratitude for a life of plenty and good wishes for the coming year.
According to tradition, rosin throwing is a must. The rosin powder is thrown at the torches, causing a multicoloured flame to soar heavenward accompanied by an attractive fragrance.
This action expresses a wish on the part of the thrower. If the young throw rosin towards the old, they are wishing them a long and healthy life; if the old throw towards the young, they are expressing their tender care; if a young man throws in the direction of a woman, it means he wants to start a romance.
Other events such as wrestling and bullfighting go on throughout the night. Everyone enjoys themselves to the full, so the Torch Festival is also known as the "Oriental Carnival."
There are many legends about the Torch Festival. One of the most famous comes from the Sani branch of the Yi minority.
The god Ayu was kind to humans. He sprinkled five types of grain seeds on the earth, so people lived a life of plenty, which aroused the anger of the King of the Heaven. So the tyrant sent the evil god Dali to destroy the harvest. After descending to the earth, Dali pulled the buffalo to the ground. Heroic Duoarezi challenged Dali to a wrestling match and defeated him.
Before fleeing, Dali threw incense ash which turned into all kinds of pests. To eliminate the pests, humans began to light torches. This is the origin of the Yis' lighting torches, wrestling and fighting bulls on the festival day.
There are many other legends about the Torch Festival. Whatever the tale, they all express the same theme _ the Yis are a fearless folk, able to conquer every adversity.(China Daily News)
(Photo: top: The Yis are fire worshippers;
next to top: People from the Sani branch of the Yi minority in Shilin County celebrate the Torch Festival. By Yang Shizhong)