The Fire Dance Festival is a cultural morale activity in the end of the year and early spring of the red Dao ethnic minority
The fire dance is held in the end of the year and early spring. For the red Dao people, fire is not only the image of cozy and the success harvest but also the prayer ceremony for avoiding demons and diseases.
The red Dao people prepare many items for the ritual such as: rice, alcohol, boiled chicken and silver ring …
The ceremony lasts for several hours with many shamans worshipping the Fire God for luck, happy, health and peace.
The red Dao ethnic minority invite their families and friends to the ritual of festival at the nave of the houses. The brilliant fire dance is held on the wide yard.
The shamans pray the lunisolar hexagrams for the young men, if the fire god agrees, these young men who want to take part in the fire dance will hopscotch around the altar then rush into the red coal pile.
The red Dao young men dance in the fire coal pile without any fear and burns. They kick up the charcoal pile makes the viewers be frightened.
The fire dance is only for the men who are strong, skillful and agile. Each person usually dances in about 3-4 minutes before coming back to hopscotch around the altar and be ordinary.
The fire dance festival is not only an unique cultural activity but also a wild and mystery identity, which is needed to researched and conserved
The fire dancers said that they can feel the strong and direction of supernatural being and they affirmed that they are still conscious when dancing, which are still an exciting mystery.