All Festivals List of Yi Ethnic Minority

The Yi ethnic group is one of the major ethnic minorities in southwestern China, with a rich and ancient history. They primarily reside in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou provinces, and the northwestern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Yi people generally exhibit a dispersed settlement pattern with small clusters.

In Sichuan, the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and counties like Shilin Yi Autonomous County and Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County are significant areas of Yi concentration. Additionally, Yi populations are sporadically distributed from the Dadu River in the north to the Yunnan border in the south, the Wu River in the east, and the Lancang River in the west. In these regions, Yi communities often intermingle with Han Chinese and other ethnic minorities.

The List of Ethnic Festivals in Yunnan

Outside China, there are also over 30,000 Yi people residing in countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Vietnam alone has more than 10,000 Yi individuals.

The Yi ethnic group celebrates numerous traditional festivals, each serving different social functions. Some of the most prominent Yi festivals include:

1. Kai Xin Jie (开新街): This is a traditional festival of the Yi people in Eshan, Yunnan. It occurs on the first market day after the first day of the Lunar New Year. In the past, after a ritual to worship the gods on the night of New Year’s Eve, families refrained from visiting each other until the Lantern Festival (on the second or third day of the Lunar New Year). People wear new clothes on Kai Xin Jie and play various ancient and unique musical instruments. They perform dragon dances, shrimp dances, lion dances, and colorful boat lantern dances, accompanied by lively drum dances. The festival begins with the sounding of ground cannons followed by speeches from respected elders wishing for a prosperous year with abundant harvests. Various cultural performances and entertainment activities are held throughout the day and evening, including bonfires and continued dancing and singing.
2. Gu Niang Jie (姑娘节): Also known as the “Girls’ Street Festival,” this festival is celebrated by Yi girls in Jinping, Yunnan, on the first market day after Chinese New Year. Besides Yi girls, Yao, Miao, and Hani girls also participate. The main activities include hand-in-hand circle dances showcasing their youth and beauty. One of the distinctive features of Gu Niang Jie is the trading of goods. Yi girls sell mountain products and medicinal herbs they bring, then buy lace, silk thread, and silver jewelry. During these transactions, young men often compete to pay for the girls’ purchases, singing local tunes such as “Long time no visit to the bustling street, the bamboo hat and fan are lined up. What does sister want? Quickly buy, sister buys bamboo hat, brother pays.” It’s a time for young men and women to express their affections openly. As the sun sets, along the returning market paths, love songs fill the air as couples revel in joy and sweetness.
3. Bai Gu Ye Jie (拜姑爷节):
   • Location and Date: Celebrated in Eshan, Yunnan, on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
   • Customs: This festival is organized at the village level. It involves bringing back to the village all the young women who have married out of the village in the past three to five years, along with their husbands (referred to as “Gu Ye”). Each household sends large red invitations to the Gu Ye, and the village organizes lion dances, dragon lanterns, flower drum teams, and large-headed monks to visit each household and pay respects. The Gu Ye must welcome the procession with firecrackers and offer candies and pastries. Some villages also gather all the Gu Ye for a collective worship session, where they display their wisdom and talents. During this gathering, various high-yield crop seeds are often displayed. Bai Gu Ye Jie is said to have a history of over a hundred years.
4. Sai Zhuang Jie (赛装节):
   • Location and Date: Held in Yongren County, Yunnan, on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year.
   • Legend and Customs: Legend has it that in ancient times, two brave and industrious brothers lived happily with their fellow villagers as skilled hunters. When the village elders prepared to arrange marriages for them, they requested clever and skilled brides. Thus, on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, the village elders gathered all the young women to compete in costume-making. The brothers selected their preferred brides based on their craftsmanship. The festival is named “Sai Zhuang Jie” (Costume Competition Festival). During the festival, the young women wear self-made splendid costumes, showcasing their beauty and skill. The winner of the costume competition becomes the target of admiration and pursuit for young men.
5. Hei Jing Deng Hui (黑井灯会):
   • Location and Date: Celebrated in Mouping County, Yunnan, on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year.
   • Customs: Hei Jing area is known for salt production. The highlight of the festival is the “dragon dance” with nine sections symbolizing the nine wells of saltwater, hoping for a prosperous salt industry. Other activities include drumming, tribute offerings, matchmakers, water shows, lion dances, marriage customs, and profit celebrations. The finale is the “He Jing Tai Ping” with two colored cloud lanterns, salt lamps, white crane lamps, and carp lamps forming the shape of a well. This symbolizes peace and prosperity in the salt industry.
6. Ba Wu Jie (巴乌节):
   • Location and Date: Celebrated in Dongshan and Xishan areas of Heqing County, Yunnan, on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year.
   • Customs: “Ba Wu” means “to fetch” in the Yi language, symbolizing the celebration of successful hunting and the hope for future bountiful hunting seasons. In the past, every time the village caught game, they would perform the “Ba Wu” dance. During the festival, hunters present the head of the game to the organizers or commanders, and the skin to the hunter who killed the game. The meat is handed to the officiating “Abu” for roasting over a sacrificial fire. The festival has evolved into a traditional event held at regular intervals. Today, Ba Wu festivities include vibrant dances and songs. Women dress in animal skins or feathers of various beasts and birds, imitating their movements and sounds. Hunters, armed with bows and spears, surround the “prey” to demonstrate hunting actions. Activities during the festival also include dragon lantern dances, lion dances, and crane dances.
7. Er Yue Qi (二月七):
   • Location and Date: Celebrated in Juntun Town, Eshan Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan, on the seventh day of the second lunar month.
   • Origin and Customs: This festival originated around the end of the Ming Dynasty. Its purpose is to pray for the protection and well-being of all infants and children in the town. Before the festival, three finely crafted sedan chairs are prepared: two with roofs for carrying the statues of the Holy Mother and the Earth God, and one with a seat for the Wealth God. On the evening of the sixth day of the lunar month, a senior official retrieves three small statues from the Shrine of the Holy Mother to place them on the main altar of the temple, a ritual known as “Nuan Shou” (Warming Longevity).
   • On the morning of the seventh day, all children born in the past year in Juntun Town are dressed in festive attire by their parents. They carry a “jia,” a bamboo frame decorated with two small flags, on their shoulders. Each child is also handed a pair of male and female chickens. They proceed to the shrine of the Bodhisattva, where they receive blessings. The children take down the flags from the “jia” and the frame is then burned. The parents then take the children and chickens home, where the chickens are cooked and offered in gratitude at the Shrine of the Holy Mother. After fulfilling their vows, people start welcoming the deities. Juntun Town is divided into four sections, each taking turns to lead the procession. The procession includes the “Taixiang Old Man,” who carries lit incense sticks, followed by sedan chairs carrying the deities and various lanterns. Only men who married in the current year or the previous year can carry the sedan chairs, dressed neatly in traditional attire. The festival activities continue until the fifteenth day of the lunar month when the deities are returned to the Shrine of the Holy Mother.
8. Cha Hua Jie (插花节):
   • Location and Date: Celebrated among the Xiong Yi ethnic group in Chuxiong, Yunnan, on the eighth day of the second lunar month.
   • Legend and Customs: This festival commemorates a legendary figure named Mi Yilu. Long ago on Mount Tanhua, Mi Yilu, known for her singing and embroidery skills, encountered a fierce wolf while tending sheep. A brave and skilled young hunter named Chao Leluo saved her and the flock. In gratitude, Mi Yilu gave Chao Leluo a snow-white azalea flower. They fell in love and lived happily. However, a local chieftain abducted young girls from various villages to serve in his celestial garden. Mi Yilu, angered by this injustice, decided to save her sisters. On the eighth day of the second lunar month, she adorned her hair with poisonous flowers and infiltrated the chieftain’s garden, pretending to marry him. She poisoned him by putting the flowers in his wine, sacrificing herself in the process. Chao Leluo returned from hunting to find Mi Yilu dead, and his tears stained the azalea flowers red. To honor Mi Yilu’s courage and sacrifice, Yi people from villages within a radius of dozens of miles gather on Mount Tanhua every year on the eighth day of the second lunar month. They collect fresh flowers and decorate doorways, tree sides, village entrances, animal sheds, plows, and farming tools. This tradition has been passed down through generations to this day.
9. 二月八 (February 8th):
   • Location and Date: Celebrated annually on the eighth day of the second lunar month, lasting for three days.
   • Origin and Customs: This festival commemorates a legendary Yi ethnic hero named Mikou who displayed exceptional intelligence in defeating powerful enemies during a critical moment. During the festival, all men from the village gather at the oldest and tallest tree near the village, known as the Mikou Tree. Each household offers a bowl of rice, a piece of salt, tea, and wine as a tribute to Mikou. The festival includes various recreational activities such as singing, wrestling, and swinging on swings. These activities serve both as entertainment and as a way to honor the hero Mikou and reinforce communal bonds.
10. 赛歌会 (Sai Ge Hui):
    • Location and Date: Celebrated among the Lalu branch of the Yi ethnic group in Yuanjiang County, Yunnan, on the Ox Day of the second lunar month.
    • Origin and Customs: Sai Ge Hui is a traditional singing competition and gathering held annually. The event takes place on a flat area outside the village where several bonfires are lit. People sit around the fires and wait for the sound of the reed-pipe instrument called “lusheng” to signal the beginning of the competition. Skilled singers and dancers then enter the circle and perform dances accompanied by the lusheng. Spectators cheer and clap to encourage the performers. Following the group performances, there is a male-female duet singing competition where young men and women sing to each other. This is a traditional way for young people to express affection and courtship openly in front of the community. If a pair of singers mutually agree to continue their relationship, they leave the circle holding hands, signaling their romantic commitment. If not, they gracefully decline through their songs. The event can last for several days until no one remains to compete, marking its conclusion with celebrations and communal dances.
11. 护山节 (Hu Shan Jie)Location and Date: Hu Shan Jie is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in Xilonglin. It is celebrated annually on the third and fourth days of the third lunar month.Origin and Customs: During Hu Shan Jie, it is prohibited for anyone to go up the mountains to cut trees or gather firewood, or to drive livestock to graze on the mountains. Each village organizes a “hunting” activity, typically involving young people. Participants dress up as animals and appear before the “hunters” in the evening. The “hunters” use bamboo cannons as their weapons. After the “hunt,” celebratory activities take place with everyone gathering around fires to sing and dance until dawn.
12. 搭清节 (Da Qing Jie)Location and Date: Da Qing Jie is a festival of the Yi ethnic women in Baishui District, Qujing City, Yunnan. It is celebrated on the first Ma Day of the third lunar month.Origin and Customs: On this day, all household chores are handled by men. Women dress up and bring food to the dense mountains nearby. They dig fire pits, make fires, and cook meals. After the meals are prepared, everyone sits on the ground. They first offer wine to the elder women and then serve food to the young girls. Afterwards, they enjoy their meal while singing folk tunes until the moon is high in the sky. Finally, they leave, taking care of the elderly and children. Nearby Han women are also invited to participate in this festival.
13. Valentine’s Day (情人节)Yi Valentine’s Day is a traditional folk festival of the Bai Yi people, a branch of the Yi ethnic group in Napo County, Guangxi. It is held annually in the third lunar month and serves as a day for expressing love. Typically, young men give white sugar cakes to the young women, while the young women give pure glutinous rice to the young men. The Bai Yi people hold white in high regard, symbolizing purity of heart and sincerity in love by giving each other these white foods.
14. Mouding March Festival(牟定三月会)The Mouding March Festival is a traditional celebration of the Yi people in Chuxiong, Yunnan. It is held annually on the fourteenth day of the third lunar month and lasts for three to five days. During the festival, not only do Yi people from various places in Chuxiong gather, but people from neighboring Bai, Hui, Tibetan, Miao, and Han ethnic groups also travel from afar to join the festivities in Mouding. Every year during the March Festival, the county town of Mouding is filled with the sound of gongs and drums, and the air is thick with the smoke of firecrackers, creating a lively and jubilant atmosphere. People join hands and dance the Yi folk dance, the “Left Foot Dance,” in a circle.There are various stories about the origins of the March Festival. One story is that it commemorates Li Wenxue, a Yi uprising leader from Ailao Mountain. Another story tells of a dragon pond outside Mouding City, where a dragon caused storms, floods, and destruction of crops and livestock every year in the third and fourth lunar months. The county magistrate advised the villagers to burn several pounds of charcoal by the pond on the twenty-eighth day of the third month. At the magistrate’s signal, they threw the red-hot charcoal into the pond and then filled it with mud and stones. The villagers celebrated the victory over the dragon by dancing and singing on the filled pond, thus commemorating the triumph over the dragon.
15. Clothing Festival(服装节)The Clothing Festival is a traditional celebration of the Yi ethnic group in Sandaishan, Dayao County, Yunnan, held annually on the 28th day of the third lunar month. During the festival, women don a variety of splendid costumes. The festival showcases an array of exquisite embroidery, featuring motifs of birds, animals, flowing water, clouds, mountain flowers, and wild grasses, all skillfully crafted by Yi women.According to legend, a long time ago, there was a smart and beautiful girl named Amini in Sandaishan. She made a garment imitating the feathers of a golden pheasant, with intricate patterns and vibrant colors that surpassed the clothes made by the craftsmen hired by the chieftain. Forced by the chieftain, Amini transformed into a golden pheasant and flew away. The people commemorate her by holding the Clothing Festival. During the festival, girls wear several sets of beautiful clothes to win honor. At night, they dance and sing joyfully, and young men come to find the talented girls they admired during the day.
16. Chuan Hui Festival(串会节)The Chuan Hui Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in Yangbi County, Yunnan, held on the 29th day of the third lunar month. During the festival, people gather to hold singing and dancing activities in the courtyard. A dancing team is formed, dancing around three bonfires, accompanied by the sound of four reed pipes. The dance is paired with antiphonal singing, creating a lively atmosphere.
17. Jiao Gong FestivalKnown in the Yi language as “Konggao,” meaning a day of celebration, the Jiao Gong Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi people in Napo County, Guangxi. The festival dates vary by location, with some places celebrating on the third day of the fourth lunar month. This festival is a day to worship ancestors, the land, and mountain gods. People reenact scenes from ancient Yi wars and daily life. The festival is led by hereditary hosts who recite the history of their people, perform the Golden Bamboo Dance, sing antiphonal songs, drink, and feast. The Golden Bamboo Dance is particularly important and lasts for two days. Before the dance, a pig head is used to worship the ancestors, and then the “Magaong” leads the dance, with everyone following the rhythm of reed pipes and bronze drums.According to legend, a long time ago, Yi leader Jiugong lost a battle and was forced to hide in a golden bamboo forest. He cleverly set the bamboo leaves on fire to confuse the enemy, who then retreated in fear. Jiugong, grateful for the golden bamboo’s help, planted a cluster of golden bamboo in the village square and led his people in dancing and singing around it in the fourth lunar month. Over time, ancestor worship and storytelling were added to the celebrations, evolving into the established festival.
18. Sha Hu Bi Festival(跳公节)The Sha Hu Bi Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi people in Longjie, Weishan, Yunnan. “Sha Hu Bi” means “small spring tasting new” in the Yi language. The festival takes place in mid-April of the lunar calendar, after the wheat harvest. During the festival, each household makes offerings to the ancestors using wheat flour and sugar, glutinous rice, and walnuts, dipping them in honey. Married women return to their natal homes with walnuts, celebrating the small spring harvest with family and friends, and inviting elders and relatives to taste the new produce.
19. Duyang Festival (都阳节)The Duyang Festival is a traditional festival celebrated by the Yi ethnic group in the Leibo area of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, along the Jinsha River. It falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month each year. This festival symbolizes unity and friendship between the Yi and Han ethnic groups.Legend has it that in ancient times, during an extremely hot year, a severe epidemic broke out in a Yi village. People were terrified. Upon hearing about this, Han people living by the river brought wormwood, mugwort, and realgar collected during the Dragon Boat Festival up the mountain. They used these medicinal herbs to treat the wounds of the elderly and cleanse the bodies of the sick with realgar wine. Within a few days, everyone recovered from their illnesses. In gratitude, the Yi people prepared generous gifts and descended the mountain to thank their Han brothers. The Han people explained to them that the herbs used during the Dragon Boat Festival could cure many diseases and ward off evil spirits. From then on, the Yi people also began celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival. Since the Dragon Boat Festival is also known as Duanwu Festival, it is called “Duyang Festival” in Yi language.

    On this day, every household hangs wormwood and mugwort in front of their doors. Children wipe their faces with realgar wine, and young men and women pack zongzi, bring wine, and dried meat, and head to the picturesque mountain meadows for recreational activities such as wrestling, horse racing, bull fighting, sheep fighting, and dancing.

20. Horse Racing Festival(赛马节)The Horse Racing Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in Weining, Guizhou, celebrated annually on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. People bring their meticulously bred and trained horses to the racecourse. The main criterion for the race is speed, and the first horse to reach the designated finish line wins. The festival attracts large crowds and is filled with fervent excitement.
21. Herb Picking Festival(采药节)The Herb Picking Festival is a Yi ethnic festival in the Xiaoliangshan area of Yunnan, celebrated annually on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. The main activity of the festival is gathering and selling medicinal herbs. At dawn, people of all ages carry herb hoes and baskets, heading to high mountains, deep valleys, and low gullies to collect various herbs. Some families also take the herbs they collect to the market to sell. The local Yi people believe that herbs collected on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month have the best medicinal effects.
22. Ji Gong Festival(祭公节)The Ji Gong Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in Longlin, Guangxi. It is held annually from the 16th to the 19th day of the 5th lunar month. On the 16th, people gather at the three-way intersection of major roads to worship their ancestors and pray for abundant crops and the safety of people and livestock. Legend has it that long ago, the oppressive rule threatened the survival of the Yi ancestors. On the 16th day of the 5th lunar month, they bravely fought against enemies several times larger, and their leader sacrificed himself after being seriously injured. To commemorate him, people have gathered at the intersection every year on the 16th day of the 5th lunar month, passing down the tradition from generation to generation. The Ji Gong Festival is celebrated for four days. On the first day, people participate only in worship activities; on the following three days, they visit relatives and friends, celebrating together. During this time, young men and women dress in their finest attire, gather in public places, play reed pipes, dance, and enjoy the festive atmosphere with people of all ages from the village.
23. 斗牛节 (Dou Niu Jie)The Yi ethnic group excels in raising and engaging in bullfighting. Annually, on the first day of the sixth lunar month, the Yi people hold bullfighting competitions. During this festival, bulls are first grouped and then the strongest among them compete for the championship. The owner of the defeated bull honors the victorious bull by hanging a red silk cloth on it as a gesture of congratulations. The festival also features lively singing and dancing activities. Young men and women dress in festive attire and dance joyfully to the accompaniment of the sanxian, while singing with abandon.
24. 底拉 (Di La)Di La is a traditional religious festival among the Yi ethnic group in Yuanjiang County, Yunnan. It is celebrated annually on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month. During this festival, the villagers collectively slaughter cattle and each household sacrifices chickens. Fruits such as peaches, pears, and pomegranates are prepared as offerings. Following this, an ancestor worship ceremony takes place. People hang various fruits on their doors and arrange offerings of wine and meat. They burn incense, light candles, kneel, and perform the rituals of worship, praying for the ancestors to bless humans and livestock with safety and prosperity in agriculture. After the rituals, people celebrate with feasting, singing, and dancing until they disperse happily.
25. 剪羊毛节 (Jian Yang Mao Jie)In the households of Yi ethnic pastoralists in Liangshan, Sichuan, there is an annual festival known as Jian Yang Mao Jie, which falls in mid-June of the lunar calendar. During this festival, both Yi men and women ascend Huangmao Ridge in Liangshan to shear sheep, creating a spectacular scene.
26. Fire Torch Festival(火把节)The Fire Torch Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group, typically held around June 24th in Sichuan and Yunnan, and around early June 6th in Guizhou according to the lunar calendar. It is deeply rooted in the worship of fire and includes significant folk customs such as offering sacrifices to gods and fields, praying for a fruitful harvest, and warding off evil spirits.During the festival, in some regions, villages collectively slaughter livestock to offer sacrifices to the gods, while in others, each household brings chickens to the fields to worship the land gods. In Liangshan Yi areas during the Fire Torch Festival, everyone rushes home to have a reunion dinner. Before dinner, they sacrifice chickens to their ancestors and afterwards perform the torch lighting ceremony.

    During the ceremony, the head of each household lights a torch made from dry bitter bamboo poles, which illuminates every corner of the house from above. They recite prayers such as “burn away all inauspicious things, may the family be safe, crops plentiful, and livestock thriving.” They then proceed through the cattle and sheep pens, joining the procession of torches in the village. Afterward, people gather around blazing bonfires to enjoy singing and dancing.

    The festival features lively collective dances such as Dage and Mile from Weishan, Axisitao Yue from Yiliang, Datiao from Chuxiong, Dasanxian from Lounan, Luozuowu from Honghe, and Duoluohe from Liangshan. Today, the Fire Torch Festival has evolved to include a variety of entertainment activities such as bullfighting, wrestling, horse racing, beauty contests, singing competitions, dances, archery, and more. Some areas also engage in commercial trade activities.

    The night of the Fire Torch Festival in Yi ethnic villages is extraordinarily beautiful and enchanting, as described in ancient poetry: “Clouds scatter, the red sun inclines towards the mountain, torches shimmering and competing, like myriad lotus flowers blooming in a bustling market under the starry sky.”

27. Gan Hua Festival赶花节Gan Hua Festival is a traditional festival of the Leisu branch of the Yi ethnic group, celebrated at the junction of Eshan, Xinping, and Shuangbai counties in Yunnan. The festival occurs twice a year, on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month and the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. According to legend, a Han Chinese girl fell in love with a Leisu young man, but they faced persecution due to their different ethnic backgrounds. They chose to commit suicide together on the peak of Daxi Mountain by the Green Juice River. To commemorate this couple, people started holding singing and dancing activities on the grassy slopes of Daxi Mountain. Over time, more and more people joined, gradually making it a traditional festival of the Leisu people. Dancing and entertainment are the main activities of the Gan Hua Festival, where people dance freely, wishing for the happiness and eternal love of the young and prosperity of crops, free from pests, and a bountiful harvest.
28. La Ma Festival拉麻节La Ma Festival, “拉麻” in Yi language meaning to celebrate the bull deity, is a traditional festival of the local Yi people. It is held on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month at the Hoanuodong in the mountains between Heqing and Jianchuan counties in Yunnan.Above the cave entrance, there is a rock wall shaped like a bull’s head, believed to be the incarnation of a bull. Early in the morning of the festival day, people converge here from all directions, carrying white chestnut leaves and offering food on the altar beneath the stone. They then shout, “Awaken, Bull King!” and pile the white chestnut leaves inside the cave. An elderly and respected person ignites them, and people gather around the bonfire to sing and dance. Later, they perform the La Ma ritual on the grassy lawn outside the cave: a fire is lit in the center, someone wearing a bull-headed mask and palm-fiber clothing acts as the Bull King, mimicking various movements of a bull around the fire. Another person holds a bamboo tube symbolically milking the bull’s belly for good luck. Others dance and sprinkle grains towards the Bull King while onlookers applaud, hoping to catch the Bull King. The Bull King evades capture, and then a shepherd, dressed in a felt hat shaped like a winnowing basket and wearing a sheepskin jacket, enters with a group of girls dancing with flower wreaths. The girls dance around the Bull King, hanging flower garlands and bouquets on him. Then, they carry the Bull King in a sedan chair made of green pine to visit various villages, bringing blessings and happiness. In the evening, each village lights seven bonfires in the central flat area, where people gather around to blow ox horns and beat ox-hide drums, performing dances celebrating plowing and harvesting to thank the bull deity. Each household also conducts a separate ceremony to celebrate the bull: the head of the household first ignites the fire pit, and family members add four matches in a cross shape by seniority. The hostess places a basket containing various grains in front of the fire pit, ties four short bundles of rice straw at the four corners of the basket with red thread, lights a pair of candles on the basket beam, and places some offerings. The host slaughters a red rooster, dripping chicken blood into the basket, and sticks three strands of chicken feathers on the basket beam. Then, the entire family walks around the bull pen chanting, “Long live the bull, long live the people, and may there be a bountiful harvest,” while the hostess posts a “Lucky Picture” of a plowing bull with a pair of boys and girls on the bull pen door. Finally, the whole family sits on the ground outside the bull pen to dine together, feeding the bull some glutinous rice cakes to share in the joy with the bull.
29. Changxin Festival尝新节Changxin Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in the Lu Ming area of Xiangyun County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan. It takes place around the time of the rice harvest on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month each year. Before the festival, relatives and friends are invited to participate. The hosts prepare abundant food, and some even slaughter sheep. Before tasting the new rice, freshly harvested rice is paired with dishes such as chicken and lamb to offer sacrifices to ancestors and gods, expressing gratitude and praying for good weather and peace in the coming year. During the meal, guests and hosts toast each other. Guests praise the host’s diligence and wish for a prosperous harvest in the coming year, while the host expresses thanks for ancestral blessings and the help of relatives and friends. When eating the new rice, the elders are served first, followed by children, and then everyone eats together.
30. Yi New Year彝年Yi New Year is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in both Greater and Lesser Liangshan, celebrated annually on an auspicious day in the tenth lunar month. Before Yi New Year, people gather firewood and prepare food, and meticulously raise the New Year pig. During the three days of the festival: On the first day, “Lighting Fireworks,” in the early morning, gentle smoke signals invite ancestral spirits home to celebrate with descendants. “Slaughtering the New Year Pig” involves all villagers, young and old (except for the hostess staying at home), joyfully following the expert butcher, “Weng Seregu,” to slaughter the New Year pig house by house, following the village’s hierarchy. “Songmu,” or offering sacrifices, involves cooking and offering parts of the pig liver and meat, which the male host takes to the altar above the fire pit to pray for a bountiful harvest and safety in the coming year. On the second day, children play games like “Weng Xina Guge,” while young men and women gather in festive attire to sing and dance to instruments like the mouth string, moon lute, and huqin, engaging in entertainment activities such as horse racing, swinging, wrestling, and arm wrestling. Middle-aged men visit each other to exchange New Year greetings, while women remain at home to entertain guests. On the third day, “Sending Ancestors Off,” people rise early to offer hot meals to send ancestral spirits back to their realm, providing money (dry food) for the journey, symbolizing oats poured into the livestock trough to feed the spirit horses. During this ritual, the male host prays for ancestral blessings for family safety, a bountiful harvest, and thriving livestock in the coming year.
31. Xinmi Festival新米节Xinmi Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in Eshan and Weishan, Yunnan. It is typically held after the autumn harvest on an auspicious day in October each year. During Xinmi Festival, daughters who have married and sons who have established their own families bring new rice and other gifts back to their parents to express gratitude for their upbringing and to share in the harvest’s bounty with them. This festival is usually observed privately by each family. While enjoying the new rice, people also wish for favorable weather and better crops in the coming year. In some places, friends are also invited to join the feast, and some prepare colored rice cakes made from new rice to distribute to relatives and neighbors.

32. Singing Ox Festival颂牛节

    Singing Ox Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in the northwestern mountainous regions of Yunnan. It is held annually on the day of the winter solstice. According to legend, this day marks the occasion when celestial oxen descended to serve humanity, thus activities are held to praise the oxen’s contributions. On this day, all households gather their working oxen onto the grassy field in front of Ox God Cliff. Twelve pine poles are erected on the field, adorned with various grains hung from red silk threads. At the center lies a large winnowing basket containing models of oxen made from potatoes (representing yellow cattle) and radishes (representing water buffaloes). These “oxen” have legs made of sorghum stalks or corn husks, eyes made of sorghum or corn kernels, wheat spikes for horns, and maize cakes and chopped oat stalks serve as their fodder. The festivities commence with an elder singer leading the way, as participants lead their oxen adorned with red silk around the winnowing basket, singing praises of the oxen’s contributions, commending those who diligently care for them, and celebrating those who have had good harvests in the past year. Finally, based on their performances, the elder singer rewards the “oxen” and “fodder” to their respective owners. The fodder is immediately used to feed the oxen, while the “oxen” are carried in colorful “ox sedan chairs” as everyone parades through villages and hamlets. The ox models are then placed as treasures in their respective household shrines.

    33.Mizhi Festival密枝节

    Mizhi Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in Guishan of Runan and Maitreya West Mountain in Yunnan Province, typically held around the 11th day of the twelfth lunar month. Each village has a dense forest called “Mizhi Forest”. During this festival, men from each village slaughter sheep and proceed to the sacred forest to worship the Mizhi deity, recite sacred scriptures, drive away epidemics, and pray for prosperity in both human and animal life, abundant harvests, and fertile crops. The sheep meat is distributed to households for further sacrificial offerings, and upon their return to the village, they chant “Hagou, Hagou” to warn those who do not abide by village rules or violate moral standards. The festival in Haiyi Village of Guishan District has distinctive characteristics. The festival schedule includes: Driving away evil spirits from the male Mizhi forest on the day of the winter solstice, performing sacrifices to the male Mizhi deity on the day of the Rat, driving away evil spirits from the female Mizhi forest on the day of the Tiger, and performing sacrifices to the female Mizhi deity on the day of the Rabbit. On the day of the Dog, there is hunting, and on the day of the Dog, villagers entertain each other by inviting guests.

    34.Lao Nian Festival 老年节

    Lao Nian Festival is a traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group in Shanta and Longjie areas of Weishan County, Yunnan, celebrated annually on New Year’s Eve. Before the festival, every household slaughters pigs and chickens, grinds tofu, makes noodles, brews white wine, and prepares festive foods. On the festival day, every household decorates with lanterns, door gods, couplets, and plants a tall pine tree with three or four branches in the center of the courtyard, known as “Heaven and Earth Pavilion.” A bundle of pine needles is tied to the trunk, and incense sticks are inserted into the pine needles. Below the tree, a table is set up with lamps representing the altar of Heaven and Earth, and offerings of pig heads and chickens are placed. Another pine tree, named “Mishi,” representing the stable deity, is planted on the rear wall of the house. Sacrifices are offered to the stable deity to pray for the prosperity of livestock. After worshiping the deities of Heaven, Earth, and the stable, ancestors are worshipped. In the evening, each family seals their doors with red paper, which is only opened on the second day of the lunar year when the young boys from other families come to “step on the door.” During the festival in Longjie, Yi people also spread pine needles inside and outside the hall. Yi people in Shanta bring their married daughters back home before the festival. At midnight, families gather for a reunion feast. The parents tell family stories and tales to their children throughout the night, known as “guarding the year.” Children aged five or six stand on the threshold to measure their growth rate.

    35.Yang Nian羊年

    Yang Nian is a traditional festival among the Yi ethnic group in Mouding, Yunnan. It is celebrated every Lunar New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, where local Yi people raise sheep for the New Year. In this region, every household raises sheep, and people hold sheep in high regard.

    On Lunar New Year’s Eve, couplests are pasted on the sheep pen, and the sheep are fed with a special New Year’s meal made from a mixture of sorghum, millet, wheat flour, and other grains. During New Year’s Eve, the elders sing ancient songs about the origin of sheep to the younger generation.

    On New Year’s Day, families bring food, set off firecrackers, and gather at the sheep pen to dine together with the sheep, feeding them their favorite tree leaves. After the Yang Nian festival, the sheep are driven to the hillsides for grazing on an auspicious day.