Yunnan Province - Shizi (Lion) Mountain 狮子山

Chuxiong is a place of historic interest and a natural museum as will. The small prefecture deserves to be called hometown of the palaeontology, the dinosaur and the bronze drum (a traditional percussion instrument used by some ethnic groups.)

Like other ethnic groups, the Yi people in Chuxiong also have many distinctive festivals. The traditional Torch Festival is such an example that expresses their worship to fire. It is said that long, long ago, when the Yis in the life-an-death struggle, saviour hero Abasha’s three weapons, that could drive away the devils, were fire, water and stones. And burning the devil was most effective. Gradually, the Yis’ forefathers began to advocate the cremation because they thought the soul would rise onto the heaven with the fire and smoke after a person dies. Now the Torch Festival is still one of the most important festivals here. In the past, on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, the Yis lit the torches to get rid of the devils at home first, then they gathered on the Torch Mountain to usher devils together. Nowadays the festival has become a carnival of the Yi people. The forms of the festival also vary from county to county. In Lufeng County, for example, the festival is called Big Knife Party in order to commemorate the friendship between military strategist Zhuge Liang of the Shu Kingdom and Meng Huo孟获, the chief of Yi people in the Three Kingdoms perild (220-280). On the 24th day of the sixth lunar month every year, people gather at the foot of the Torch mountain, singing, dancing. Drums and gongs beat boisterously. Under the lead of a big torch and many red and green flags, some people with the mask of Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu (a well known general in the Three Kingdoms period) and Meng Huo dash onto the mountain top. Then young people make many circles hand in hand, beating the bronze drums, singing, dancing throughout the night. The Torch Festival becomes a weekly ceremony.

Acclaimed as the No 1 mountain of the southwest China in Wuding County of Chuxiong, the mountain resembles a lion, hence Shizi (Lion) Mountain. In China, almost every famous mountain has temples on it. Shizi Mountain is no exception.

Construction of Zhengxu Temple began in 1311 by Chaozong, a Buddhist monk of Sichuan Province. In 1315, a Buddhist monk from India begged alms to continue the project. It took years to extend the temple into its present scale. A prince of an Indian Kingdom, he became a monk at the age of eight. In 1326, he sermonized in Korea and was praised highly for his rigorous sermonic approach, extensive knowledge and practicing what he advocated. The Korean monks called him “Master of the Masters.” Legend relates that more than 600 years ago after the emperor Jianwen, the second emperor (1399-1402) of the Ming Dynasty was usurped the throne by his uncle—Emperor Yongle, he lived in seclusion here to avoid persecution. It is said that the dethroned Jianwen enjoyed planting peony very much. At present, more than 40,000 peonies of nine colours and over 120 kinds vie with each other for glamour here.

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