What are the traditional festivals of Naxi nationality?

The traditional festivals of Naxi nationality include Torch Festival, Farm Tools Festival, Mule and Horse Festival, Sacrifice to Heaven Festival, Ganggang Festival, Sanduo Festival, Bao Shao Festival, Dragon King Festival and Chaoshan Festival. Besides, many festivals of Naxi nationality are the same as those of Han nationality, such as Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. Naxi nationality is one of the unique nationalities in Yunnan, and most of them live in Lijiang city in northwest Yunnan.

Torch Festival: The torch festival of Naxi nationality is scheduled for June 25th, 26th and 27th in the old calendar, which is a grand festival of Naxi nationality after the Spring Festival. On the first day of Torch Festival, people choose long pine branches, chop them into thin strips, add flammable Song Ming in the middle and bundle them into torches. At night, all the torches in front of each house are lit, and the torches on the second day are generally higher than those on the first day. The third day is the climax of Torch Festival. The torch was tied high and beautifully decorated. In order to illuminate crops, eliminate pests and wish a bumper harvest, all corners are illuminated. People held torches high and danced all night.

Farm Tools Club: Lijiang Farm Tools Club on the 15th day of the first month and Baisha Farm Tools Club on the 20th day of the first month are traditional festivals of Naxi people. It marks the climax of Spring Festival activities, and it is also the end of this festival and the beginning of agricultural preparation in the new year.

Mule and Horse Festival: The seven-day mule and horse festival is another important festival of Naxi people. It was held on the back slope of West Lion Mountain in Lijiang County in mid-July. It will last for seven to ten days, mainly livestock trading. At that time, farmers in counties in northwest Yunnan and Dali will bring local products to Lijiang for sale and buy back the famous Lijiang mule and horse bronzes. About one or two thousand livestock are listed or traded in a trading day.