The ecological village of Nuohei in Yunnan province is gearing up to host a series of spectacular festivities at the week-long Mizhi Festival unveil from Dec 8 to 14.

Officials announced this year’s festival date and the scheduled events at a launching ceremony Nov 29.

The festival usually begins in the middle of November on the lunar calendar and involves sacrificing to the Mizhi Deity, a traditional rite of the Sani people.

Until recently, women were forbidden to join the rite in which a spiritual leader will lead men into Mizhi forest to pray for good weather for the crops in the coming years and offer up an animal sacrifice. Hence, the festival is also called “Men’s Day.”

Mizhi literally means “thick branches” in English and is the Yi ethnic group’s most mysterious and ancient festival. The festival was once outlawed on account of it promoting superstitious beliefs, but is experiencing somewhat of a revival today.

Yunnan government officials and tourism company representatives announce on Nov 29 the dates for this year’s Mizhi Festival for the Yi ethnic group. [Photo/yunnan.cn]

It is said that every Yi ethnic village has a Mizhi forest, where villagers are forbidden to log, hunt or bury the dead.

All male villagers will attend a sacrificial ceremony there in winter. Taboo language can be spoken out there without any restriction.

“More activities will be added to the festival including folk music and dance performance, bullfight, wrestling,” said Li Shaoyu, a civil servant of Shilin county, Yunnan province.

Yi ethnic dancers perform at a news conference held on Nov 29 to announce the coming of a traditional Yi ethnic festival. [Photo/yunnan.cn]

The local government has cooperated with a well-known Yunnan tourism cultural development company to make the small village an international tourism hub.

Wang Qixuan, head of the company, said that she hoped to help increase the income of the local people and create more jobs.

Edited by Jacob Hooson