Achang people experience the passion of fire in Torch Festival.

June 25th of the lunar calendar is the torch festival of Achang nationality every year. Achang people offer sacrifices to pigs and cattle, and pray for abundant grain and prosperous livestock. The Torch Festival is very lively and grand every year. Then, let the old calendar show you the torch festival of Achang nationality and experience the enthusiasm of fire.

Speaking of Torch Festival, nature and fire are inextricably linked, which is people's worship memory of Emperor Yan and fire. In the ancient calendar, the fire calendar was also called the October calendar. Up to now, many ancient ancestors in western, northern and northwestern China still use this calendar, and its origin can be traced back to Emperor Yan in the Yanhuang period.

Yan Di, also known as Chi Di or Shanshi Lie, is different from the mythical Vulcan. Yan Di is a true national ancestor who lived in Shaanxi more than 4,000 years ago. The descendants of the Chinese people refer to the descendants of Yan Di and the Yellow Emperor.

In fact, all ethnic groups celebrating the Torch Festival have such a characteristic that they take cows, sheep and fire as totems. They are all descendants of the ancient Qiang people, whose ancestors were Emperor Yan. Every Torch Festival, people generally recall "slash and burn" and pray for a bumper harvest. People will sacrifice pigs and cows to Emperor Yan, and then light torches around the village after midnight to celebrate.

During the festival, every village will erect a big fire at a designated place, cut down a tree 50 or 60 feet high, tie it with some firewood or bamboo, insert beautiful pennants and red incense around it, and hang some fruits, including pears, apples and begonia. At the top of the torch, there is also a "rising bucket", which means "rising three levels in a row" with Chinese characters such as "peaceful country and people's safety" and "good weather" written on it.

After the torch was decorated, the most prestigious old man in the village went to the main temple, took out the fire from there and lit it. At this time, young men and women were singing and dancing, and everyone held high the torch and shuttled through the fields.