2018 China Kunming Yi Torch Festival held in Yunnan

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A three-day carnival for the ethnic minority Yi people was held in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The "2018 China Kunming Yi International Carnival and First Ancient Dian Torch Festival" kicked off on Friday, drawing tens of thousands of Yi people.

"The Torch Festival is a kind of ritual activity for arable land, ancestors and the god of fire," said Ma Zhicai, deputy director of a local Yi society.

People dance around the bonfire. /Photo via fang.com

The enthusiastic carnival features a series of highlight events such as the Beer and Music Festival held in the first two days, on which renowned folk music groups including Hanggai Band, a Beijing-based Inner Mongolian folk music group, and HAYA Band, an award-winning world music collective, delighted audiences with their performances.

Massive citizens and tourists joined in with the last grand bonfire, which concluded the carnival Sunday on Aug. 5.

During the festival, people ignited the torch, sang and danced around the fire to express their wishes to pursue light and a good harvest. The Yi have worshiped fire for thousands of years.

Visitors participate in the Torch Festival held in the Yunnan Ethnic Villages in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, SW China, Aug. 2, 2018. /VCG Photo

The Torch Festival earned a reputation as the “the Oriental Carnival” and is an important part of Yi culture, where various activities such as singing, dancing, horse racing, wrestling and bonfire parties are held.

With an estimated population of 8.7 million people, the Yi minority is the largest ethnic minority in Yunnan, and the sixth largest in China.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover photo: Visitors participate in the Torch Festival held in the Yunnan Ethnic Villages in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, SW China, Aug. 2, 2018. /VCG Photo)