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THE SWORD POLE FESTIVAL OF THE LISU NATIONALITY
The Lisu nationality, with a population of over 470,000, lives mainly in Nujiang Prefecture although some spill over into Lijiang, Deqen and Dali.
The Lisu people have a simple and unsophisticated way of life. The Sword Pole Festival is their grandest traditional holiday.
The Sword Pole Festival is observed on the eighth day of the second lunar month in commemoration of an ancient Han hero who taught the Lisu peple to make swords. To express their gratitude to the hero, they 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 are usually 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 evils.
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