Tiger God Festival of Luoluo Ethnic People in Shuangbai, Chuxiong

The Tiger God Festival (虎神节), also known as the “Jumping Tiger Sheng” (跳老虎笙), is a traditional celebration of the Yi people‘s (彝族) Luoluo subgroup (罗罗人), which honors the tiger totem. Held annually from the 8th to the 15th day of the first lunar month, the festival takes place in the Fanao area (法脿) of Shuangbai County (双柏县) in Chuxiong Prefecture (楚雄州), Yunnan Province (云南省). The festival is an immersive ritual chain that involves multiple ceremonies such as tiger sacrifices, prayer rituals to the tiger, tiger dances, and the symbolic sending-off of the tiger. The festival is crucial in showcasing the Yi people’s reverence for the tiger as a spiritual and cultural symbol.

Key Features of the Festival

Festival Dates and Ritual Structure

Festival Dates: The festival lasts for 8 days, from the 8th to the 15th day of the first lunar month. Key dates include the “Choosing the Tiger God” (选虎神) ceremony on the 8th day and the “Sending the Tiger Back to the Mountain” (送虎归山) ritual on the 15th day.

Ritual Chain:

• Tiger Worship: The Bimo (毕摩, Yi shaman) selects 8 young people through divination to represent the Tiger God. They are dressed in specially made tiger-patterned blankets and painted with tiger stripes.

• Tiger Dance: The participants perform a dance imitating tiger behaviors (such as kissing and mating) and agricultural actions (plowing, sowing, and harvesting), which symbolizes both fertility worship and prayers for a bountiful harvest.

• Sending Off the Tiger: On the 15th day, the “Luoma Nai Hong” (罗嘛乃轰, Sending Off Ghost Ceremony) ritual takes place, where the tiger procession drives away evil spirits from household to household before completing the annual cycle at the local Earth God Temple (土主庙).

Cultural Significance

Totem Belief: The Luoluo subgroup of the Yi people refers to themselves as the “Tiger Clan” (彝语“罗罗”为虎，“濮”为人), viewing the tiger as both an ancestor deity and a protector.

Symbolic Functions:

• Expelling Evil and Inviting Blessings: The tiger procession chants spells like “Golden and silver treasures should come in, and disasters and misfortunes should go out.”

• Community Cohesion: Collective dances, such as the nighttime fire circle dances (绕火堆狂欢), strengthen ethnic unity and identity.

Artistic and Intangible Cultural Heritage Value

Dance Characteristics: The Tiger Sheng (老虎笙) dance features robust movements, including 12 agricultural simulation actions. It is recognized as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

Modern Preservation: Since 2007, Shuangbai County (双柏县) has held the Tiger Culture Festival (虎文化节), combining the performance of the Tiger Sheng dance with ecological tourism activities such as green peacock watching (绿孔雀观赏). The tradition has been passed down through the generations in the Yang Jiadian (杨家点) family, which has been practicing the art for five generations.

Historical Origins

Historical Records: The Tiger God Festival is documented in the Qing Dynasty’s “Nan’an Prefecture Gazette” (《南安州志》), confirming it as a traditional Yi festival.

Legendary Origin: The festival’s origins lie in a legend where the ancestors wore tiger skins to drive away evil spirits and protect their villages. Over time, this practice evolved into a fixed festival tradition.

The festival is considered a living fossil of the Yi people’s tiger cosmology, often referred to as “The Living Fossil of Yi Tiger Culture” in China.

The Three Sheng Culture

The Three Sheng Culture (三笙文化) refers to three traditional Yi dance forms: Tiger Sheng (老虎笙), Little Leopard Sheng (小豹子笙), and Big Gong Sheng (大锣笙). These dances are performed alongside the playing of the bamboo Sheng (芦笙), a traditional musical instrument used by the ethnic minorities of Yunnan (云南).

Big Gong Sheng: Involves dancing while playing a large gong.

Tiger Sheng: Participants dress up as tigers, imitating the animal’s movements.

Leopard Sheng: Represents the small leopard, with participants dressing as leopards.

Among these, the Tiger Sheng dance is the most famous and directly connected to the worship of the tiger. This dance is performed during the Tiger God Festival, usually between the 8th and 15th day of the first lunar month.

The Tiger God Festival (虎神节) is not just a religious event but a reflection of the Yi people’s (彝族) deep spiritual connection to the tiger. Through ritual dances, music, and community activities, the festival preserves ancient traditions while fostering a sense of unity and shared identity among the participants. As a vibrant cultural celebration, it provides an opportunity for visitors to experience the Yi people’s rich heritage and their ongoing reverence for the tiger as a symbol of power, protection, and prosperity.