Yimen county has a colorful culture system, especially culture of ethnic minorities. There are 22 ethnic groups inhabit in Yimen county, and they have their own customs, festivals and culture. Different types of dance are important appearances of the colorful culture of Yimen county.
Han people: dragon dance, lion dance, donkey dance, festival lantern dance.
Yi Minority: flower-drum dance, flower-stick dance, cigarette case dance, bottle gourd dance.
Miao Minority: a reed-pipe wind instrument dance, bamboo pole dance, Qing Miao dance.
Hani Minority: flower-drum dance
Festivals:
Torch Festival
The Torch Festival or Fire Festival (Chinese: 火把节; pinyin: Huǒbǎ Jié) is one of the main holidays of the Yi people of southwest China, and is also celebrated by other ethnic groups of the region. It is celebrated on the 24th or 25th day of the sixth month of the Yi calendar, corresponding to August in the Gregorian calendar. It commemorates the legendary wrestler Atilaba, who drove away a plague of locusts using torches made from pine trees.
The original Torch Festival, according to some scholars, was based on a calendar used by Bai and Yi people in ancient times. The calendar included 10 months, 36 days in a month, and two Star Returning Festivals in winter and summer respectively. The two Star Returning Festivals were both considered the New Year, and the one in summer was called the Torch Festival as people often lighted a torch on that day. There are also many other legends about the origin of the Torch Festival, yet all of them have the purpose of offering sacrifice to duties and dispelling ghosts, as a wish for a harvest.
Flowery Mountain Festival
Flowery Mountain Festival, also known as Huashan Festival(花山节), occurs in the 6th day of the 6th lunar month in Miao settlements scattered in southwest China’s southeast Guizhou as well as northeastern and southern Yunnan. This festival is a window into the culture of Miao people. This romantic occasion is marked by sincere courtesy activities. It is a carnival you do not want to miss.
Flowery Mountain Festival involves Lusheng Singing &Dancing around a flower pole, bullfighting,Lion Dance and the Climbing the Flowery Pole Competition.
The visual spectacle of thousands of Miao people clad in embroidered ethnic attires and silver ornaments dancing along the “Flowery Pole” along a gentle hill slope, is simply overwhelming. Compared to the attires, their beautiful songs and dances are no less mesmerizing.
The champion of the Climb the Flowery Pole and Lion Dance will be awarded with a pig head and fine wine.
You will only receive emails that you permitted upon submission and your email address will never be shared with any third parties without your express permission.