Chinese Yi ethnic group celebrates the Torch Festival with tourists Friday in Bijie, Southwest China’s Guizhou province. The annual event usually takes places on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month. The festival is also celebrated by ethnic groups including the Bai and Naxi minorities. Photo: VCG

Yi ethnic people walk through a mountainous area in Bijie to collect flames for the festival. The Torch Festival usually lasts for three days. Photo: VCG

A child of the Yi ethnic group rides a horse to collect the flame for the festival using a lantern. Photo: VCG

A man lights a torch during the flame pick-up ceremony. People believe the fire can bring good fortune and drive away evils. Photo: VCG

People in the traditional clothing of the Yi ethnic group dance during the ceremony. Photo: VCG

Priests from the Yi ethnic group drill wood Friday to make a fire during in a Torch Festival ceremony in the Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture in Southwest China’s Yunnan province. Photo: Kang Ping/China News Service, VCG

Priests hold torches while parading around a field during the ceremony. Photo: Kang Ping/China News Service, VCG

Residents with torches stroll around the fire pit Friday in Baisha county of the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, Southwest China’s Sichuan province. Photo: VCG

People of the Yi ethnic group share food on a long table to celebrate the Torch Festival on Friday in Litangxia village in Xinyu, East China’s Jiangxi province. In 2003, people from the Yi ethnic group moved to the village and started local celebrations of the festival. Photo: VCG