Bull Fighting Activities in Mile City, Honghe

Chinese Name: 弥勒市斗牛活动
English Name: Bull Fighting Activities in Mile City, Honghe
Location:弥勒市西三镇

In Mile(弥勒), where Yi people(彝族人) live together, there are always various grand events held by Yi people to celebrate their festivals every year. Wrestling and bullfighting are necessary activities for Yi people to celebrate the festival. Mile is the hometown of Axitiaoyue(阿细跳月) and bullfighting is a traditional activity of Axi people. The new bullfighting field is located in the mountains of three towns of Mile West, and the surrounding stands are built near the mountains. Now, part of these stands can hold 30000 audiences. Two mountain streams beside the site happen to be the entrance and exit of bullfighting. According to reports, the bullring has a primary scale now, and its goals is to be the first in the West no matter the scale, quantity and audience venue of the competition. Annual activities attract a large number of audience to watch.

In Mile, there are many places for wresting and bullfighting including some villages such as Xiyi(西一), Xier(西二), Xisan(西三), Wushan(五山) and Dongshan(东山).

In addition to the wrestling and bullfighting fields in Xishan town, the bullfighting fields in other towns are all located in the open depression in the mountains.

“Power in wrestling, courage in hunting, capacity in banquet”, it is popular among the Yi people. Yi people are warm, generous, forthright and upright, so these character has created their pursuit of power.

Wrestling has a long history in Mile. In the early years, Yi people lived in the mountains and forests, they had to rely on their own strength and skills to obtain food and defense for surviving.

As time goes by this kind of strength and skill gradually evolved into a kind of entertainment performance and then it convert into a kind of activity in peacetime through the practice among the clansmen, which was carried out during the festival.

Not only men can participate in wrestling activities, but also women’s group and youth group are set up. The towns administered by Mile government spontaneously organize wrestling and bullfighting activities to celebrate the festival.

And the referee of wrestling competition is the experienced wrestler.

Yi people will hold wrestling and bullfighting competitions on Mizhi Festival(密枝节), Torch Festival(火把节) and Yi Year besides Axitiaoyue Festival(阿细跳月节). Therefore, the following picture show the festival period.

What a wonderful event! It make our blood boil when we watch the competition.

Following the principle of competition is second, opponents will shake hands before the competition and hug each other after the competition.

All the bulls in the bullfight are raised by the Yi people who are interested in bullfighting. Whenever there is bullfight, they will pull their own bulls, let them have a number and play.

If you can’t see the fierce scene of the Spanish bullfighting, maybe the Mile bullfighting will have your interest, the scene is no worse than the Spanish bullfighting.

Of course there is dance of Axitiaoyue besides such a powerful competition before the beginning.

Moreover, there will be various snacks near the competition venue, which are all made by local residents.

The wrestling and bullfighting will hold during the Spring Festival, Axitiaoyue Festival(阿细跳月节), Mizhi Festival(密枝节)，Torch Festival(火把节), and Yi Year in Mile.

Translated by Nian Xinwei/念欣伟
Chinese Version:
http://news.flyxg.com/2014/mile_1218/13574.html
http://news.163.com/15/0811/03/B0N5JT6C00014AED.html