The Knife-ladder-Climbing Festival of Lisu Ethnic Group, which is called "a-tang-de" in Lisu language with the meaning of "a festival of climbing knife-ladders", is a traditional festival of the Lisu people and Yi people in the Lushui County of Nujiang Lisu Nationality Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. It is held on the 15th day of the first month of every lunar year.
As a kind of traditional folk-custom activity, "climbing the knife-ladder and jumping into the sea of fire" is the main performance in the Knife-ladder-Climbing Festival, which represents the arduous struggling life and spirit of tramping over hill and dale of this hill nation. It is said that the Knife-ladder-Climbing Festival is held to commemorate Wang Ji, a national hero of the Han nationality and the Minister of Military in the Ming Dynasty who made great contributions to the Lisu people. In order to make the Lisu people rich and the Lisu force strong, Wang Ji led the young Lisu men to exercise martial skills and built their bodies, but unfortunately he was framed by other officials and the Emperor believed these slanderous talks and poisoned him. The Lisu people set the date when this hero died as a traditional festival of Lisu ethnic group, and they performed rituals such as climbing the Knife-ladder and jumping into the sea of fire to express their affection to Wang Ji and their willingness to go through fire and water to reciprocate him.
Every year, on this day the people will wear holiday clothes and arrive at the meeting ground of "the Knife-ladder-Climbing Festival" in groups and watch its activities. "Climbing the knife-ladder and jumping into the sea of fire" has a complete and strict ritual, and it consists of the following main steps: dianhua (color the paper flower with rooster blood), diandao(color the sword with rooster blood), shuadao (playing the sword), yinghua(welcome the flower), shetan(build the altar), jidaogan (offer sacrifice to the knife-pole), shugan(erect the knife-pole), shangdao(climb the knife-ladder), zhedao and xiahuohai (jump into the sea of fire). Among these steps, climbing the knife-ladder and jumping into the sea of fire are the most breathtaking programs.
