6 Days Kunming and Chuxiong Torch Festival Celebration Tour

Deemed to be “the oriental carnival”, the Torch Festival is celebrated by several ethnic minorities including the Yi, Bai, Naxi, Jinuo and Lahu etc. Enjoying a long history as an important festival of these minorities, the festival exhibits quite profound cultural connotations. Although the origin of the festival is slightly different among these minorities, it takes place on lunar 24/25 June. In Yunnan Province, Kunming, Chuxiong, Dali, Yuxi, Wenshan, Puer, Honghe, Lijiang and Zhaotong are the major areas for the Torch Festival as they are inhabited by the Yi or Bai people. In this tour, you will fully experience this traditional festival.

Highlights:

  • Lost yourself in the joyful atmosphere of Torch Festival.
  • Experience and understand the ethnic culture of Yi minority.
  • Have a leisure stay in Kunming, stroll in Green Lake Park.

Brief Itinerary

  • Day 1: Kunming Arrival
  • Day 2: Kunming-Shilin
  • Day 3: Shilin-Chuxiong
  • Day 4: Chuxiong
  • Day 5: Chuxiong-Kunming
  • Day 6: Departure from Kunming

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Kunming Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities: Arrive in Kunming
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: None

Our tour guide and driver will pick you up from Kunming Changshui International Airport. Then transfer to your hotel. This day, you can hang out by your own. Stay overnight in Kunming downtown. 

Day 2 Kunming-Shilin

Sightseeing and Activities: Activities of Torch Festival in Shilin County
Accommodation: Shilin
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

After breakfast, we will drive 1.5 hours to Shilin County to join different kinds of activities held there. The Torch Festival or Fire Festival (火把节) is one of the main festivals of the Yi people in southwest China, and is also celebrated by other ethnic groups of the region.

You could choose the preferable activity and time to enjoy the day.

Activities as follow:
9:00-10:00 Torch-light Ceremony by Bimo at Gui Mountain National Park
13:00-22:18:30 Bull Fighting Match at the bull-flighting village of Yi people.
13:00-18:30  Asia Traditional Bull Fighting at Gui Mounrain Hai Yi Asia bullring
14:00-18:30 Carnival Activity of Chang Hu A Shi Ma’s Culture at Changhu Scenic Spot
14:00-17:00 Folk Customs Show at Danuohei Viilage of Gui Mountain Town.
14:00-17:00 Miao’s Flower Festival at Dake Town

Stay overnight in Shilin downtown.

Day 3 Shilin-Chuxiong

Sightseeing and Activities: Yi Ren Ancient Town
Accommodation: Chuxiong
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

After breakfast, you will head for Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture. Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture is the largest Yi settlements in Yunnan. The annual Torch Festival is as grand as the Chinese New Year. People will celebrate this Torch Festival Carnival together from all over the world.

Yi Ren Ancient Town(The Ancient Town of Yi people) began to be constructed in 2005, covering a total area of 245 Mu (Chinese acre). This ancient town takes the style and the sentiment of Yi Minority as principal factors, adopting features of other minorities of Yunnan and the gardens of Jiangnan (China’s south part of Yangtze River). Visitors can enjoy the Yi’s primitive customs, delicious food, songs and dances, as well as the torch festival, etc. 

Day 4 Chuxiong

Sightseeing and Activities: Activities of Chuxiong Torch Festival 
Accommodation: Chuxiong
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Yi embroidery in Chuxiong, Yunnan

After breakfast, drive to join in the Torch Festival with local residents and visitors from home and abroad.

Activities in Chuxiong Torch Festival:  horse racing, bullfighting, sheep fighting; dongjing concert; Yi ethnic sheep soup pot; Yi ethnic long street banquet; ethnic instrumental music, song and dance performances, Yi original ecology dance, bonfire party, sacrificial fire ceremony, Yi dance costumes performances, folk songs, ect.

Celebrating places: Solar Calendar Culture Park, Tiaoyuanhu Square, Yi Ren Ancient Town and so on.

Day 5 Chuxiong-Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities: The Green Lake
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

The Green Lake Park(Cuihu Park) in Kunming

Relax yourselves in Chuxiong until 10 AM, then we will drive back to Kunming. After arriving in Kunming, stroll in the most picturesque park in Kunming urban area.

 Green Lake Park, a charming area of tea houses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. Here you can share the happiness of local people doing tai chi, performing local opera, and other vibrant activities. If you visit the park in November or December, you will see a huge flock of red-beaked seagulls that migrate from Siberia.

Day 6 Departure from Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities: Departure from Kunming
Accommodation: None
Meals: Breakfast

Transfer to Kunming Changshui International Airport according to your departure flight. Service ends.

Recommended Hotels

Destination 5 Star 4 Star 4 Star Hostels
Kunming Sofitel Hotel Jinjiang Hotel Longteng Hotel /
Shilin Days Hotel & Suites Tongce Shilin Select Hotel & Resorts / /
Chuxiong        

Service Included:

  • Accommodation with daily breakfast as indicated in the hotel list as below;
  • Meals as listed in the itinerary;
  • All land transfers & transportation with private air-conditioned coach;
  • All transfers and sightseeing with skilled English-speaking tour guide;
  • All entrance fees as mentioned in the itinerary;
  • Domestic air tickets fares with airport tax and fuel extra fee based on economy class mentioned in the program;
  • Service charge and all government taxes;
  • Luggage transfers between airport and hotels;
  • Travel Agency’s Responsibility Insurance coverage.

Service Excluded:

  • Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
  • Any meals which are not specified in the tour itinerary;
  • Chinese visa fees;
  • Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
  • Single room supplement;
  • Tips to guides and drivers;
  • Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
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  • Personal travel accident insurance;
  • All optional programs.