"Knife pole festival", is the Yunnan border round horse mountain around the Lisu people's annual traditional festival. The time is the eighth day of the second month of the lunar calendar. The origin of the knife pole festival has such a legend: the Ming Dynasty, the court sent the Ministry of War Secretary Wang Ji to the border to set up cards. Wang Shangshu to the post, the hardship of the border people, and actively help the Lisu people to develop production, so that their days are getting better and better, by the Lisu people's love. Later, Wang Shangshu was falsely accused by a traitor, was transferred back to the court. At the dust washing banquet on the eighth day of February, Wang Shangshu was killed by the traitorous minister with poisoned wine. When this unfortunate news reached the Lisu cottage, the people were so angry that they rubbed their fists together in order to avenge the death of Wang Shangshu. Lisu people decided to Wang Shangshu was killed on the eighth of February as the day to practice martial arts. Every year on this day, martial arts practitioners to practice their skills, teaching advanced techniques. The festival was then passed down from generation to generation, forming the Knife Pole Festival. Festival day, dozens of miles inside and outside the Lisu people, dressed in festive attire, from all sides of the Knife Pole field on the banks of the Yangguan River. In the twilight of the night when the land, the knife pole field inside and outside the many fires lit. Suddenly, the four big fires burning in the center of the square rose up in the air, irradiating the crowd in the spring. Then the gong rang, the people on the knife pole field pull each other's hands, around the bright fire, dancing a brisk three-stringed dance. When the four piles of fire on the field burned down to the red coals, the host of the event announced the start of "jumping into the sea of fire". At that moment, five barefooted brave men immediately broke into the sea of fire on the field, bouncing constantly in the inside, rapid footsteps stamped countless sparks flying around, like a passing meteor.
Next, the fire breakers with lightning speed, each hand stick red hot coals, respectively, in the face and body scrubbing, and then let the fireball in their hands in the flying alkyne tumbling, rubbing. The crowd of onlookers sometimes cheerful, sometimes nervous, sometimes marveling, sometimes surprised ... burst into a burst of applause. After a tense and intense performance female pile of coals were stepped into pieces, the flame has been dying when, "jumping sea of fire" activities come to an end. The next day, the knife pole field erected two more than twenty meters high safflower tree pole, between the trees crossed thirty-six blade up the long knife. At noon, the happy crowd once again filled the square. With the presiding officer, drums and gongs, firecrackers, last night "" jumping sea of fire "" five fog big head wearing a blue cloth cap, dressed in big, red robe, barefoot to the knife pole tree, each filled with a cup of courage wine a drink. Then jumped on the knife pole, hands grasping the upper layer of the knife surface, barefoot diagonally stepped on the lower layer of sharp knife edge, the use of usually practiced qigong skills to support the palms of the feet, alternating hands and feet, step by step, upward climb. When the warriors ascended to the top of the high pole, the field clusters of the audience, each jaw-dropping, and broke out a warm cheer.
The Lisu language is known as "A Tongde". Held on the eighth day of the second month of the lunar calendar every year. Prevalent in Yunnan, Fugong and other areas. At that time, men, women and children dressed in national costume, gathered in the knife pole square. Square erected two more than 20 meters long thick wooden pole, 36 or 72 sharp long knife, knife mouth up tied to the wooden pole, forming a zigzag ladder, where there are three or six places, the two knives cross into the X-shaped, knife pole top hung with small red flags and firecrackers. Climbing knife pole people mostly young and strong, they wear red cloth clothes, head wrapped in red cloth, barefoot.
Climbing pole in the burning fire and echo the sound of the four sides of the point of light gong began, the boys in the cheers of the people barefoot jump into the fire, jumping around in the fire, known as under the "sea of fire", playing "fire roll". They will also burn the red iron chain in the hand to pass around, known as "pulling the fire chain"; hands will hold the flame to the face pressure, known as "wash the fire face". After the song and dance, the pre-trained young man barefoot jumped on the knife pole, stepped on the sharp knife, hands climbed to support the mouth of the knife, a level up to climb to the top of the firecrackers, will be thrown to the cheering crowd of small flags and then a level down to the ground. People have come forward to offer wine. Young people sing and talk about love, social activities. Legend has it that this festival began in the Ming Dynasty, the Ministry of War Secretary Wang Ji with troops to the Yunnan Lisu people living in the area to recover the land occupied by foreigners, the organization of the Lisu compatriots to practice martial arts self-defense. Wang Ji was framed and killed on the eighth day of the second month. In order to carry forward the spirit of bravery and tenacity of the Lisu compatriots against the enemy, to symbolize the climbing knife pole activities to inspire the spirit of bravery, and then formed a fixed festival. This activity has become a traditional sporting activity of the Lisu people.