The Torch Festival is a traditional festival celebrated among some ethnic(种族的) groups in southwestern China, such as the Yi, Bai, Hani, Lisu, Naxi, Pumi and Lahu, etc. It usually falls on the 24th or 25th of June, with three days of celebrations. The origin of the festival may have something to do with the worship of fire by ancestors, who believed fire had the power to drive away insects and protect crop growth. For some ethnic groups, it’s a tradition at the festival for elders to share farming experience with young generations and educate them on taking care of crops.

       During the festival, big torches are made to stand in all villages, with small torches placed in front of the door of each house. When night falls, the torches are lit and the villages are bright. At the same time, people walk around the fields and houses, holding small torches and placing the torches in the field corners. Inside the villages, young people are singing and dancing around the big torches that keep burning throughout the night. Other activities like horse races, bullfights, etc. are also held during the festival.

       In a horse race of the Yi people in Yunnan, torches are used to form hurdles(障碍) for riders to get through. The Hani people in Yunnan traditionally attach fruits to torches with strings. When the strings are broken after the torches are lit, people struggle for the fruits for good luck.

      For the Lisu people in Sichuan, the festival is an occasion for holding grand torch parades. Big torches are carried by the procession(队伍), which is like a fire dragon. If several processions from different directions meet, it’s a tradition to exchange the big torches with one another.