Sword Pole Festival of Lisu Minority

Lushui County, Yunnan Province

The Lisus mostly reside in Lushui County in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. The Lisus have their own language. The Sword Pole Festival is their grandest traditional holiday, and also reflects their worship of nature.

The Sword Pole Festival is held on the 15th day of the first lunar month in commemoration of an ancient Han general who helped the local Lisu people drive out the invading enemy,

taught them to make swords, practice martial arts, and defend their hometowns. To express their gratitude to their hero, the Lisu people perform two ceremonies known as "ascending the pole of swords" and "diving into the sea of flames."

In kicking off this festival, a number of brave Lisu men perform a symbolic act known as "diving into the sea of flames" by stepping barefoot on a pile of burning charcoal. Then they climb up a ladder with 36 rungs made of sharpened swords of which the blades are turned upward. The people performing this act may be injured but everyone seems to have fun. These men that climb these ladders are called "Nipas." At the top of the ladder, the "Nipa" performs some extremely difficult acrobatic feats and scatters "jiama" (paper talismans) all over everyone to expel evil.

During the festival, women are gorgeously dressed in folk costume; men carry bows and long swords, and gather from near and far to the Sword Ground to celebrate this annual festival.

Ⅰ. Diving into the Sea of Flames

When it is sunset, firecrackers are set off, and a person from the Lisu ethnic minority sets fire to a pile of chestnut firewood. The fire becomes higher and higher and the roaring blaze reaches several meters high. When the smoke clears away, only a pile of burning charcoal is left. Upon hearing the crack of the firecrackers, five vigorous young men strive to jump into the sea of fire, where they start their performance.

Later on, some of the men lie down and roll around in the fire; some pick up glowing iron chains more than one meter long and as thick as the little finger, and swing them around; and some others hold the glowing charcoal and 'wash' their faces. Each of them gives full play to his remarkable skill. When the piles of glowing charcoal turn to ashes, the five strong men are streaming with sweat, but there no burns on their bodies.

Ⅱ. Ascending the Pole of Swords

In the early morning, a crowd of people bundle swords and fresh flowers on to two straight poles. Every sword is sharpened. One bundle is usually made up of 36 swords, with the blades facing up. At noon, the cracks of firecrackers, and the beating of gongs and drums shake the mountains. Five men in black with red clothes wrapped around their heads and red bands tied around their waists show up and stand in the center of the festival grounds. They greet the audience with a special folk courtesy. Then they grasp the hilt, step on the blades and climb upwards. The audience tenses each time they climb up one step.

Not only the courage is required, but also skill. A small mistake means injury. The climbers quickly reach the top of the pole. The climber that arrives at the top first throws four red banners in four directions, and then sets off firecrackers to celebrate his triumph. When they come down, there are only traces of the pressure of the blades on the soles of their feet, but nobody is wounded.