In the misty mountains of Butuo – hailed as the birthplace of the legendary Torch Festival – a vibrant summer tradition unfolds. Yi women clad in intricately embroidered costumes parade through terraced fields, their hands gripping sun-yellow oil-paper umbrellas that glow like captured daylight. 🏞️✨
More than just rain shields, these umbrellas embody a 1,000-year-old sun worship tradition. The Yi people associate yellow with life-giving sunlight and ancestral blessings, creating a walking symbol of cultural pride. During festivals, the synchronized sea of golden canopies resembles sunflowers turning toward the sky – a TikTok-worthy spectacle blending tradition and natural beauty. 🌻
"Each umbrella tells our story," explains local artisan Li Mei (32). "The bamboo frames represent resilience, while the paper symbolizes wisdom passed through generations." Visitors to Butuo can now join umbrella-painting workshops, keeping this living heritage alive through brushstrokes and hashtags. 🎨#CultureGoals
