88 bonfires are lit along Hangtian Avenue in Xichang city in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo/Xinhua)

On July 18, 2025, as darkness fell, 88 bonfires scattered over 4.8 kilometres lit up the sky of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Over 240,000 people danced to Yi folk songs around the glowing fires hand in hand, singing at the top of their lungs and cheering "Happy Torch Festival!"

At the same time, in Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, a spectacular performance set the atmosphere ablaze with festive excitement. The county also hosted a series of activities, including traditional ethnic sports competitions, the folk and wine song contest, martial arts tournaments, a food culture festival, and a local music gala, showcasing its ethnic charm and cultural vitality.

The Torch Festival is celebrated by several ethnic groups in southwest China, primarily in the provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou. The Yi people are the most prominent group associated with the festival. Recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage item in 2006, the Torch Festival is believed to drive away evil spirits and disease, offer prayers for a good harvest, and honor gods and ancestors. With a history spanning thousands of years, the festival is both a spiritual observance and a lively cultural gathering.

Beyond its joyous celebrations, the Torch Festival has become a powerful driver of local development.

In Liangshan, an entire tourism industry has emerged around Yi cultural heritage. The Torch Festival has been transformed into a comprehensive brand, featuring a range of events such as bullfighting in Puge county, horseracing and goat-fighting in Butuo county, and traditional Yi clothing showcases in Zhaojue county. Visitors can even participate in mock traditional Yi weddings, gaining immersive insight into the customs and rituals of the Yi people.

Similarly, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture has centered its tourism development around the Torch Festival, integrating it with the "Live in Chuxiong" brand to create a travel route combining summer escapes, festive celebrations, and sports events. This year's festival features Yi embroidery and flowers, allowing guests to handcraft their Yi-style flame-pattern letter paper.

The economic benefits of the festival are shared widely among local residents.

For instance, villages around Zhaojue country's Gukede Wetland have experienced a tourism revival, as their handmade Yi goods such as lacquerware, wool felts, and embroidery have gained popularity among tourists, generating substantial income for villagers.

In Chuxiong, the annual output value of the Yi embroidery industry has exceeded 1.13 billion yuan (about $156.2 million), providing nearby employment for over 2,000 embroiderers with disabilities. High-end custom Yi embroidery is gaining nationwide popularity through e-commerce and is even exported overseas, turning cultural value into tangible benefits for people's livelihoods.

A performance is held in Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County of Kunming City, southwest China's Yunnan Province on the evening of July 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Zhengpeng)

Locals and tourists perform a traditional Yi dance named "Dati." (Xinhua /Xu Bingjie)

Photo shows embroiders at work. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of the CPC Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture committee)

A woman of Yi ethnic group holds a torch at a torch festival in Butuo County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 22, 2025. A traditional torch festival of Yi ethnic group was held here from July 21 to 23, featuring various activities including costume displays, campfire party, traditional ethnic sports events, dancing and traditional beauty contest. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

People dressed in traditional costumes of Yi ethnic group parade on the opening ceremony of a torch festival in Butuo County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 22, 2025. A traditional torch festival of Yi ethnic group was staged from July 21 to 23 here, which featured various activities including costume displays, campfire party, traditional ethnic sports events, dancing and traditional beauty contest to attract visitors from across the country. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

Intern Geng Yujie contributed to this story.