The legend of the Bai Torch Festival, the origin of the Bai Torch Festival

The legend of the Bai people is that Guo Shizhong, the deputy general of the Han Dynasty, killed the chief of Dali's Mankailiang Ana, and found that the chief's wife, Henan, was very beautiful, so he wanted to marry her. Henan pretended to agree, but put forward three conditions for worshipping the deceased husband, however, when Henan was sacrificing the husband, he lit a fire to the mourning hall and jumped into the raging fire to commit suicide. Henan's loyalty and courage have won people's admiration and admiration.

Since then, on the day of suicide in Henan every year, the Bai compatriots will light torches and visit the countryside to commemorate it.

The Torch Festival is the only common festival within the White Nation. It is seen in the Bai people's family, the three major ethnic groups of Rama and Lemo. It is the most formal and grand local festival in the Bai nationality throughout the year, except for the Hanyuan festival, and occupies an important position in the cultural life of the Bai nationality.

The Torch Festival is the only common festival within the White Nation. It is seen in the Bai people's family, and the three major ethnic groups of Rama and Lemo are searched and banded. It is the most formal and grand local royal festival in the annual festival of the Bai nationality, except for the Hanyuan festival, and occupies an important position in the cultural life of the Bai nationality.

In contrast, the "March Street", an official Bai ethnic festival recognized by the town, is only popular in the area of Nandali in the Pan-Erhai region (see: Nanbei Dali), and its influence and importance are far less than that of the Torch Festival. The Torch Festival was simply identified as the Yi Ethnic Festival, which also led to a lot of complaints and incomprehension among the Bai people.

June 25 of the lunar calendar).

In the minds of the Bai people, the Bai Torch Festival is the most solemn festival after the Spring Festival, and the Bai people believe that the Torch Festival is mainly to commemorate Mrs. Bai Jie. In addition to the collective activities of erecting torches in the village, every family has to prepare delicacies and various festival supplies, and the girls who marry have to go back to their parents' homes for reunions. Before the Torch Festival, the symbols of the Torch Festival are sold all over the street - small shengdou tied with bamboo strips of colored paper, small torches, paper fire incense bags, and impatiens roots used by women to dye their nails red, etc., and the festive atmosphere is very strong.

The Torch Festival has a wide influence among the ethnic groups in the southwest. Its origin is an important part of the study of the history of ethnic groups in Southwest China, but it has not been studied. Mainstream Chinese academics have paid little attention to this.

The lack of local scholars to devote sufficient research strength to it, coupled with the cultural extermination policy of Mu Ying in Dali in the Ming Dynasty, makes it very difficult to study. The origin of the widespread folk circulation is the story of "burning Songming Tower". Legend has it that in the Tang Dynasty, Pi Luoge, the leader of the Mengshe Zhao, one of the six edicts in the Dali region, attempted to annex the other five marshes.

On the 24th of June, Pi Luo Ge lured the leaders of the edicts to Songming Tower to drink, set fire to them and burned them to death. Mrs. Bai Jie, the lord of Deng Zhenzhao, had long seen through Pi Luoge's ambition and persuaded her husband not to go, but due to the power of ancestor worship and Nanzhao, she had to go. Mrs. Bai Jie knew that this was a bad luck, so she put an iron chuan on the hand of Zhang Yan's ruined husband, and later recognized her husband's body accordingly.

King Nanzhao saw that Mrs. Baijie was beautiful and intelligent, so he forced her to be a concubine. Mrs. Bai Jie pretended to agree, but after going back to bury her husband, she led her people to fight a bloody battle with the besieging Nanzhao soldiers, and after running out of ammunition and food, she threw herself into the sea and died on June 25.

The Bai Torch Festival is an important traditional festival of the Bai ethnic group in Yunnan Province, China, which implies multiple cultural and social significance

1.*Celebrating Harvest and Reunion**: The Bai Torch Festival is usually held at the end of June to the beginning of July in the lunar calendar, which is the harvest season.

During the festival, people celebrate the harvest of crops, express joy for the harvest, and come together to strengthen family and community unity.

2.*Commemoration of Historical Legends**: The Torch Festival is also related to the traditional history and cultural legends of the Bai people.

According to legend, the ancestors of the Bai tribe were attacked by enemies in the distant past and later achieved victory by lighting torches to transmit messages. As a result, the torch is seen as a symbol of victory and carrying a message.

3.*Inheritance of culture and customs**: The Torch Festival is one of the traditional religious and cultural celebrations, which helps to inherit and promote the traditional culture, dance, and handicrafts of the Bai people.

During the festival, people put on traditional costumes, perform Bai dances and songs, and display traditional skills.

4.*Promote tourism and cultural exchanges**: The Bai Torch Festival attracts many tourists to participate and watch. This will also help to promote cultural exchanges, increase the understanding of Bai Wenwan and shouting, and bring a certain amount of tourism income to the local economy.

Overall, the Bai Torch Festival is a colorful celebration that celebrates the harvest, commemorates traditions, strengthens community ties, and promotes cultural heritage and exchange. This festival embodies the cultural pride and traditional values of the Bai people.

The implication is to commemorate the Lady of the Bai Festival, the disadvantages of the finch to eliminate pests and diseases to ensure a good harvest, to burn away the bad luck, the torch festival is the traditional festival of the Bai nationality, on the day of the festival, men and women of all ages gather together to sacrifice the ancestors.