Mountain Pilgrimage Festival of Pumi Ethnic Minority

Chinese Name:普米族转山节
English Name: Mountain Pilgrimage Festival of Pumi Ethnic Minority

Mountain Pilgrimage Festival(转山节) is an activity of offering sacrifices to the mountain god on July 15th of the lunar calendar. Each and everyone of Pumi in groups to the village as a unit, to participate in various activities on the designated mountain.Mountain Pilgrimage Festival is a festival of Pumi and Mosuo people in Yongning Town(永宁乡) of Ninglang County(宁蒗县). Mountain Pilgrimage Festival comes from a legend.It is said that the Pumi Ethnic Minority was in charge of different mountain gods long ago.On July 15th of the lunar calendar,the mountain gods would go to a place to compete.One of the sports is to determine the territory by betting on winning or losing.If the bet is lost,the people there will suffer a disaster.

Once,the mountain god of the Pumi region lost the bet,all of the people ,animals and crops were seriously affected.Since then ,on this day,Punmi ancestors will bring sacrificial articles to the top of the mountain to pray,wish mountain god victory and return,bring good luck and health for the people.During the festival,people bring abundant food,wear gorgeous costumes,ride horses or walk to the nearby mountains to race horses,have a picnic,and burn incense to worship the mountain gods.

Translated by Fan Xin/范欣