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Bullfighting is another exciting part of the torch festival. The Yi people's bullfighting is different from Spanish bullfighting, which many people consider very brutal. Bullfighting in Shilin is between two bulls driven by their owners, and the one who get scared and runs away is considered defeated. No bulls are killed and they are hardly ever heavily wounded.

But that doesn't mean the bulls don't fight fiercely and provide an excitingly spectacle.

Ma Lihua from nearby dashangou village is a big fan. Although He doesn't raise fight bulls himself because he is always busy, he has followed the game for many years.

"Bulls are like humans, those who don't fight and defend themselves will surely lose. "

The origins of bullfighting here are easily traced. In the Yi area, people raise many bulls to cultivate the land. They noticed that when bulls from different families met, they would sometimes fight each other. People found it very interesting and began to train them to fight games.

Bull owners feed the bulls with good corns and eggs. Before competitions, they even give the bulls some alcohol to drink to encourage them to fight. As well as the spring festival and torch festival, bullfighting is also held on happy occasions such like celebrating the completion of a new road.

For most bull-owners, the prize is not that important. Some owners have raised bulls for dozens of years without ever winning a match. But they still take their bulls to compete, just to enjoy the game. You could say the game reflects the Yi peoples' strong spirit, and struggle for a happy life.

Half a day of bullfighting comes to an end and the real carnival starts in the evening. In the main stadium of the Shilin torch festival, dozens of ten-meter high torches are set up, surrounded by more than 200,000 people singing and dancing. Fireworks light up the dark sky creating a wonderful view.

In the past, singing and dancing at the Torch Festival was a good opportunity for Yi's youth to find love. The youngsters would meet there to get acquainted, and many love stories began here. But nowadays, it's just a fun carnival for people from all around China.

Mr. Li drives his car from Kunming to enjoy the Shilin festival. And Miss. Zhang is a local girl who has come here since childhood and never missed a single festival.

"This year's festival is very busy and joyful. We haven't invited any famous singers but there are still many people coming. People enjoy watching the performances and dancing around the fires."

How did the torch festival start? Well, legend has it that in ancient times, when the Shidali devil was defeated by the Yi people, he was annoyed and sent insects to destroy the Yi people's farmland.

Local people ignited torches to burn the insects and by the 24th of the June, all the bugs were burnt away. That's why people celebrate on this day to remember their victory.

No matter how it started, the torch festival is the most important festival for Yi people, and on this happy day, we can all forget our troubles and enjoy the fiery night! (Photos by Wang Yiqiong)

(CRIENGLISH.com)

More on Traveling in Yunnan Province:
Travel Express Vol.64: Fascinating Yunnan          
Photo Gallery: Finding Shangri-La
The Lost Horizon
The Yi People

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