이 여정에 대해
Over the past two years, we have taken guests to Songsong Village in Eryuan for the Torch Festival, where we slaughtered a sheep together and, with the entire village, erected a huge torch in the center of the village square. Everyone made their own torch from hemp stalks, joined the village's older children and young ones in grabbing the blessed buns placed on the big torch, and passed on blessings to each other with fire. Even for me, a native Bai person, these are rare and precious traditional festival experiences.
Dali has endless festivals, and I want to experience more of them before they fade away and disappear.
I remember the Torch Festival from my childhood, when torches were no longer enough for me. Before the festival, I would urge my dad to prepare a bucket of waste oil and diesel. After mixing them, I would tightly bind cotton and rags into a ball with rope (some kids would secretly take cotton from the quilts at home to make theirs), then use hard iron wire to make a fireball, soak it in that bucket of oil, and secretly take it out every day to check it, looking forward to the day of the Torch Festival to play with it to my heart's content. We would go to the village and the edge of the rice fields, comparing whose fireball or torch was more impressive. When the torch and fireball were almost burnt out, we would rush home, circle the potted fruit trees while saying blessing words, hoping they would grow better the next year.
Torch Festival in Songsong Village, two years ago
A few days ago, I went up the mountain to pick mushrooms and accidentally touched the sticky pine resin on a pine tree. After coming down and going to the market, I saw torches already for sale. In the rainy season, which alternates between drizzle and sunshine, the strong scent of pinewood and the sticky touch of pine resin signal that the Torch Festival is approaching.
The annual Torch Festival marks the end of spring plowing and summer sowing. During the interval before the harvest, local villagers hold various celebrations, praying for a good harvest this year. Returning to the most primal state and the sacred worship of fire, they light fires to burn away crop pests and their own bad luck, sprinkle rosin powder on relatives and friends as blessings, and pray for safety and smoothness.
This year's Torch Festival, we will go to Weishan, to the last village of the Nanzhao royal family - Zhuomulang.
Origin
On the nineteenth day of the first lunar month this year, I came to Zhuomulang to attend the Dage Festival (a traditional song-and-dance festival). There I got to know Brother Bi, a local, and went to his home for a meal. We sang and danced with the village friends all night long. They were truly enthusiastic and genuinely happy. The women wore their self-embroidered Yi ethnic costumes in bright reds and greens, which made them even more dazzling in the night and among the dark crowd. After the dancing ended, I still felt unsatisfied and thought at the time, I must come for the Torch Festival this year - it would surely be even livelier.
Activity Arrangements
Activity time: August 7.
Departure at 14:00 - return around 22:00 (this is a special festival and an impromptu activity, so the return time is not exact but will not be too late)
Drive: 1 hour 40 minutes each way
Suitable for: This is an activity we ourselves want to join. It happens only once a year, and it's lucky to catch it on a single day. The Torch Festival in the mountain village is not specially prepared for us, but it will definitely be warm and hospitable. However, there may be some uncertainties - it could exceed expectations or it could be boring. We hope you are like-minded, easygoing, not anxious, and enjoy nature, culture, and rustic charm.
Suitable age: 10-60 years old.
Fee includes: activity insurance, round-trip transportation, dinner, torch, rosin powder. The fee is per person, same for adults and children.
About the activity content:
Upon arriving at the village, I will take everyone for a walk through the village, then visit Brother Bi, our host for the day, at his home. We will have a home-cooked dinner there. After dinner, once it gets dark, we gather at the village center to distribute torches and rosin powder. Then, together with the village children and adults, we go door to door to visit. The households that have set up a big torch in front of their entrance are those that have welcomed a new baby this year. We go to their homes, sprinkle rosin powder on the hosts to stir up flames, and offer blessings. The hosts will hand out drinks, snacks, or cigarettes to the guests who have come to launch the "fire attack." This is the local custom - don't feel shy, just accept it.
During the activity, some mischievous kids in the village will chase each other in playful battles. If you are afraid, stay farther away.
Special notes:
Wear dark-colored long pants and long sleeves, non-slip sports shoes, tie and pin up long hair, and you can wear a hat. If you are really afraid of fire and ash, you can prepare goggles and a mask.
Do not wear clothes made of synthetic fabrics, such as thin sun-protection jackets, nor clothes with tassels or fine fuzz that can easily be singed by fire.
We are going to a traditional mountain village, and no one will smear charcoal ash on your face. We are also among the few tourists there. The true blessing is sprinkling rosin powder.
If you want to sprinkle rosin powder on others, you should aim it at the person's feet and the ground. Just a tiny bit of rosin powder will puff up into a large flame, sending up a wave of heat instantly. Do not get it near the face.
Frequently asked questions:
Will we still depart if it rains?
- From my memory, every Torch Festival has some rain, big or small. No matter how heavy or light the rain, the activities continue. The Torch Festival has lasted for thousands of years, and it will not be canceled just because of a little rain. Even if it rains knives, we still go.
For more details, please add the team leader's WeChat:
Photos
