Painted Face Festival

The Painted Face Festival in Qiubei County, Wenshan Miao and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, is a thousand-year old tradition of the local Sani people, a branch of the Yi minority. Also known as the Hualian Festival, it attracts thousands of eager face painters every year.

The festival is held near Puzhehei's scenic area. It's a month-long celebration in the second month of the lunar calendar. It's a celebration of the local Yi minority, in honor of its history and cultural heritage. The event provides a showcase for Yi culture expressed in many ways, through local ethnic people in costumes, singing and dancing, and the signature event: people smearing black paint made from ashes on each other's faces and bodies.

According to tradition the Yi ancestors painted their faces with ashes to drive out demons and evil spirits. There is an old legend that says that demons once invaded the village and tried to kidnap Yi girls. In search of a means of driving out the demons, villagers hit on the idea that if they painted themselves with ash it would make them look ugly to the invaders and cause them to give up their conquest and go away. According to legend, the plan worked and the monsters were driven away.

Ever since that time, to memorialize the great event, Yi people in Puzhehei hold the Hualian Festival and see it as a time to exorcise ominous matters and celebrate happiness every year.

Today people describe it in modern terms. Instead of saying they are driving out demons, they say that they paint each other to wish health, happiness and good luck and to express their affection. Painting faces is a way for young people to express love.

For visitors it is a wonderful way to become acquainted with the Yi people.