The Torch Festival of the Yi nationality is a traditional festival in all Yi nationality areas, and is popular in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other Yi nationality areas. The Bai, Naxi, Jinuo, Lahu and other nationalities also celebrate this festival. The Torch Festival on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month is the most solemn, grand and ethnically distinctive festival in Chuxiong and Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. The Torch Festival was also called the Star Return Festival in ancient times. Some scholars believe that this festival was originally a New Year's Day in the Yi nationality's ten-month calendar. The Torch Festival is the New Year's Day in the first half of the year, so it is also called the Big New Year. Some scholars believe that the origin of the Torch Festival is related to people's worship of fire, and its purpose is to use fire to drive away insects and pests and protect the growth of crops. During the Torch Festival, each village uses dry pine wood and pine torches to make large torches and erect them in the village. Small torches are erected in front of each house and lit at night, making the village bright; at the same time, people hold small torches and walk around the fields and houses for a week, inserting torches and pine torches in the corners of the fields. Young men and women sang and danced around the big torches in the village all night long. During the festival, there were also entertainment activities such as horse racing, bullfighting, archery, wrestling, tug-of-war, swinging, and a trade fair was set up. The four major activities held during the Torch Festival, namely, sacrifice, art and sports, social interaction, and product exchange, are the concentrated embodiment of the strict and complete cultural system of the Yi nationality. The Yi Torch Festival has a long history, a broad mass base, a wide coverage, and far-reaching influence. The Torch Festival fully reflects the national character of the Yi nationality who respects fire and retains the ancient information of the origin and development of the Yi nationality, and has important historical and scientific value; the Torch Festival is one of the most iconic symbols in the traditional culture of the Yi nationality, and is also the carrier of cultural elements such as traditional music, dance, poetry, food, clothing, farming, astronomy, and worship of the Yi nationality; the Torch Festival is of great significance to strengthening the national self-identity of the Yi nationality and promoting social harmony; at the same time, the Torch Festival has a practical role as a way for the Yi people to communicate with other ethnic groups and promote national unity. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)