Sani people of Yi ethnic group in Shilin have a bullfighting history of over a hundred years. This is an indispensable folk entertainment for festival.

According to legends, there was a place with a concave in the middle as well as grass and woods on surrounding hillsides at the junction of Nuoyi Village and Weiduzha Village in Shilin in ancient times. People from two villages often went there to herd cattle. In rainy days, the concave will hold pond water so that villagers sent cattle there and feed them with the water. Cattle from the two villages fought as soon as drinking; and people went to separate them quickly.

This usually happened and it was difficult to tell who won. Later, they agreed that they both would feed the cattle strong and come back to fight next year to see whose cattle were stronger. They cut young grass and gave crops to feed cattle, make them big and strong. On June 24th of lunar calendar next year, people from the two villages sent cattle here for bullfighting, thinking this fun and interesting. This is how the custom of bullfighting on Torch Festival of June 24th originated.