Xiyi Town of Mile City in Honghe Prefecture

Chinese Name:弥勒市西一镇
English Name: Xiyi Town of Mile City in Honghe Prefecture

Xiyi Town is located in the western part of Mile City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It borders Miyang Town to the east, Wushan Township and Xinshao Town to the south, Xi’er Town to the west, and Xisan Town and Shilin Yi Autonomous County (Kunming) to the north. The town is 23 kilometers away from the Mile City center and covers a total area of 345 square kilometers. As of the end of 2019, the registered population of Xiyi Town was 27,291.

Administrative Evolution

After the liberation in 1949, Xiyi Town was designated as Mile’s Fifth District. In July 2001, Xiyi Township was reclassified as Xiyi Town. By June 2020, it administered 10 villages, including Youzha Village, where the town government is located.

Economy

As of the end of 2019, Xiyi Town had two industrial enterprises and 33 retail stores or supermarkets with a floor area exceeding 50 square meters.

Administrative Divisions

By the end of 2011, Xiyi Town managed 10 administrative villages and 45 village groups. As of 2020, the 10 administrative villages are Youzha, Dayun, Qifei, Shulong, Panzhiyi, Zhonghe, Changchong, Lese, Aji, and Yulong.

Geography

The town has a varied terrain characterized by high mountains and karst hills, with a landscape that slopes from west to east. The main mountain range includes Ayiubu Mountain, and the highest peak is Maopu Mountain, with an elevation of 2,222 meters. The lowest point is Zushe, located west of Mile City, with an elevation of 1,522 meters.

Climate

Xiyi Town experiences a humid monsoon climate, with four distinct seasons: warm springs, hot summers, cool autumns, and cold winters. The annual average temperature is 15°C, with an average rainfall of 950 mm and 2,055 hours of sunshine per year. The frost-free period averages 240 days annually.

Natural Disasters

The town is prone to natural disasters such as droughts, frost, and hailstorms. Frost typically occurs from November to January, while hailstorms are common from July to September.

Natural Resources

Xiyi Town has deposits of iron, titanium, and copper. In 2011, the town had 45,000 mu of arable land and 362,000 mu of forested land.

Xiyi Town Tourism

Xiyi Town is located in the western part of Mile City, bordering Miyang Town to the east, Wushan Township and Xinshao Town to the south, Xi’er Town to the west, and Shilin County and Xisan Town to the north. The total land area of Xiyi Town is 345 square kilometers, and the town consists of 10 village committees: Dayun, Youzha, Qifei, Shulong, Changchong, Lese, Panzhi, Zhonghe, Aji, and Yulong, covering 45 natural villages.

Xiyi Town: A Famous Revolutionary Old Area in Yunnan

Xiyi Town is renowned throughout Yunnan as a revolutionary stronghold, where countless stories of revolutionary martyrs are still sung. It is also a place where many ethnic minorities have lived for generations and the homeland of the famous Axi people’s “Jumping Moon” dance. The long-standing fire-worshipping ceremony of the Axi has been passed down here for centuries.

Cultural Journey in Ecological Xiyi

Xiyi Town is situated in a high-altitude, cold mountain area featuring typical karst geological formations. Its highest point reaches 2,212 meters, and the lowest is 1,522 meters. The average temperature is around 15°C, with annual rainfall ranging between 900 and 1,000 mm, and it receives approximately 2,055 hours of sunshine annually. These unique geographical and climatic conditions have fostered Xiyi Town’s rich ecological environment, with a forest coverage rate of 73%.

This town is surrounded by forests, and the vibrant green landscape is its defining feature. Decades ago, the locals realized the forest’s importance in protecting soil and water, so they built their communities amidst these forests. Over time, people from different ethnic groups have moved to this area.

Each tree functions like a mini reservoir, capturing rainwater and facilitating transpiration, turning Xiyi Town into the city’s “natural oxygen bar.” Even in dry years, the local vegetation thrives.

The town deeply embodies its ethnic culture, which can be seen everywhere: large traditional musical instruments like the sanxian-shaped street lamps and murals decorated with ethnic motifs. The ethnic minorities of this town are natural-born artists. “What is ethnic is global,” and Xiyi Town has become a cradle of artistic creation, attracting countless visitors in search of inspiration.

The Beautiful Homes of Xiyi Town

From a bird’s-eye view, you can see new buildings that the Xiyi Town government has designed and constructed for its people as part of the “Beautiful Homes” project. More and more residents are moving into these new homes, leaving behind poverty and embracing a happy new life.

Under such favorable natural conditions, the town’s specialty fruit, renshenguo (pepino melon), has become the villagers’ first choice for improving their livelihoods. The high-altitude climate provides perfect growing conditions for this fruit, which thrives on water. Newly sprouted fruits grow rapidly, becoming plump within a week. The juice bursts from the fruit with a sweet and refreshing flavor when bitten into. In Xiyi, the renshenguo matures twice a year: once between April and May and again between August and September. Thanks to its superior water content and taste, the fruit is loved by food enthusiasts across the country. Every summer and autumn, the renshenguo brings a sweet harvest to the people of Xiyi Town, becoming their “golden fruit” and a key to prosperity.

Natural Wonders and Ethnic Traditions

Continuing our journey, we fly over vast, pristine forests. These endless woods protect the land from winds and cold, safeguarding the local ecosystem.

In the early morning, thick fog blankets the area, and the dense canopy blocks out the sky. Anyone entering Lanmiqing feels as though they’ve stepped into another world, adding to the mystique of the region and drawing countless explorers each year.

The Axi people are naturally gifted musicians, but the craftsman we visited is not only a skilled singer but also one of the most famous ethnic craftsmen in all of Mile. The sanxian (three-stringed lute) is a common instrument among the Axi, and crafting one requires not only skill but years of experience. This craftsman learned the trade from his father at a young age and, after decades of practice, has become the most renowned sanxian maker in the region. Young men from nearby villages all come to him to purchase a sanxian to make their singing even more vibrant.

Roads and Prosperity

From the town center, following a long and wide road, you can witness Xiyi Town’s rapid revitalization and development. Along the way, you can taste the town’s sweetest fruits. Traveling south, you can explore an ancient village and participate in a grand ethnic festival.

The road, stretching for dozens of kilometers and nestled within the forest, is a key artery connecting the entire Xiyi Town. Since the road was opened, transportation between Xiyi’s villages has become much more convenient. What once took over an hour to reach the town center now takes just over 10 minutes, making life much easier for the villagers.

If you visit in early autumn, you can see a sea of red along the roadside. On the mountaintop at an elevation of 2,150 meters lies an apple orchard spanning over 1,200 acres. The red apples, gleaming like rubies, hang heavily from the branches. Buyers from all over the country come to purchase these sweet fruits, which the people of Xiyi Town cultivate with their own hands, earning nationwide acclaim.

Hidden Natural Caves

From the air, it’s hard to spot this small protruding mountain. As we approach, we discover a natural cave under the cliff, lush with vegetation and bearing signs of past human habitation. The cave was formed over time by the gradual dissolution of limestone due to tectonic uplift and the action of carbonic acid in the air, leading to the creation of this enormous natural cave.

Legend has it that the cave served as a refuge for the local Yi people during times of war and disaster. Every year on the third day of the second lunar month, the Axi people of Hongwan Village celebrate their traditional Fire Worship Festival, a mystical celebration akin to an Eastern carnival.

Axi Fire Worship Festival

The Axi people of Hongwan Village have held their Fire Worship Festival for nearly a thousand years. The story goes that the Yi people’s ancestor, “Mudeng Sailu,” after drilling with two pieces of hard chestnut wood for three days and nights, finally produced a spark on the third day of the second lunar month, giving them fire. From then on, fire illuminated the dark nights, and the Axi people emerged from the primitive era of eating raw meat. Every year, during the three-day Fire Worship Festival, Yi people from across Mile gather in Hongwan Village for the grand celebration, which includes singing, dancing, a long banquet, fire-making rituals, and cultural performances, attracting more and more visitors to join this lively ethnic event.

Exploring Xiyi’s Red Revolutionary History

In our next journey, with reverence, we look back on a great chapter of revolutionary history. We visit Sajia, the former base of Mile’s establishment, and recall a unique wrestling match that took place there. Surrounded by flowers and mountains, we remember a heroic battle and continue to honor an unforgettable revolutionary leader.

Significant Revolutionary Sites

Heiluya Temporary People’s Government Site
The Heiluya Temporary People’s Government site, located in Xiyi Town’s Zhonghe Village, was a key base during the anti-Kuomintang armed struggle. In June 1949, the Mile County People’s Democratic Government was renamed the Mile County Temporary People’s Government, with County Head Yin Bingkun and Deputy County Head Liu Yimin moving their operations to Heiluya. By the end of December 1949, the Kuomintang’s reign in Mile had been decisively ended.

Wanren Conference Site
This once green and picturesque basin was the site of the historic Wanren Conference in 1948, where thousands of villagers gathered for a wrestling match to secretly plan their resistance against the Kuomintang.

Zhonghepu Village – Militia Command Site
Zhonghepu Village, surrounded by mountains, served as the militia command during the Liberation War. After facing multiple attacks and fires, it became the proud home of 15 martyrs.

Zhu Jiabi Memorial
In 1937, faced with national peril, Zhu Jiabi left the Yunnan army and joined the Communist Party. After a lifetime of service and sacrifice, his remains were returned to Mile in 1992. The memorial, built in 1993, now stands as a lasting tribute to his contributions to Yunnan’s liberation.

Maan Mountain People’s Hero Memorial
In 2013, the People’s Hero Memorial was rebuilt on Maan Mountain, commemorating the 458 revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Mile. The monument stands tall, overlooking the prosperous city below.