AsiaNet 200315

LIANGSHAN, China, Aug. 6, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--Recently, the month-long 2024 Torch Festival in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and the "Colorful Liangshan-Summertime Coolness" cultural and tourism series are being held in 17 counties and cities in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China, with staggered organization at different times. Folklore performances, beauty contests, torch processions, bonfire parties, and a wealth of traditional folk festivals attract many tourists to experience.

The People's Government of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture introduced that focused on the region's distinctive resource strengths, various parts of Liangshan have held a series of distinctive cultural and tourism activities between July 19 and August 19. Zhaojue County held the "Liangshan State Horse Racing and Athletic Activity", the men of the Yi people showed "speed and passion" on the plateau; Xichang carried out the torch music carnival in Xingyue Lake Park, invited local famous artists to participate in the performance and taste the Liangshan cuisine with the sound of music. At the opening ceremony of the traditional torch festival held in Butou County, girls in Yi dress showed the traditional Yi group dance "Duo Luohe" in a circle with yellow paper umbrellas. From a distance, the dance was like yellow flower blossoming one after another. Ms. Wang, a tourist from Chengdu, expressed that she had already experienced the torch festival in Puge County, Butuan County and other places. " I originally thought that the torch festival had nothing but a bit of torch, but I didn't expect to watch so much original customary activities that had their own characteristics."

The Torch Festival of the Yi is one of the most important traditional festivals of the Yi people, a China's ethnic group. It is included in the first batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage list, and is popular in the areas of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and other areas inhabited by the Yi people. The festival is a continuation of the folk customs of using torches to drive away the pests, praying for a good harvest and worshiping their ancestors, which have been inherited for thousands of years now.

Liangshan Prefecture, located in the southwest of Sichuan Province, is China's largest settlement of Yi people as well as the area with the largest population of ethnic categories and groups in Sichuan Province, which has a unique charm of ethnic culture. Erhuo Yuebu, a villager from Tiexi Village, Erjue Township, Yuexi County, Liangshan Prefecture, says the torch festival in his hometown is always bustling with activity, as he sings, dances, parades around and visits friends and relatives. "No matter where you are, you have to come home for the Torch Festival, which is the day of reunion."

Nowadays, the torch festival is not only the most important traditional festival of the Yi people, but also an inexhaustible treasure trove of resources in the protection and inheritance, revitalization and utilization of cultural tourism industry in Liangshan. Torch carnival, Yi beauty pageant, wrestling, horse racing and other folk activities, have all become popular cultural tourism activities.

It is understood that on July 28 and 29, the capital of Sichuan Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Xichang City, received a total of about 757,000 visitors, more than 300,000 visitors participated in the torch carnival.

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