“Everyone wants to dance when hearing flute and Sanxian”. Dasanxian of Yi ethnic group has a strong appeal. People ignite a bonfire, light torches, and play Dasanxian for singing and dancing around the bonfire every Torch Festival. Accompanied by the high, medium and low bamboo flutes, dancers with large, medium and small Sanxian always keeps jumping: when swinging arms and clapping with the beats, dancers change their way of jumping from three steps to two steps in the air, and such pattern composed of five beats is the self-entertainment dance that Sani and Axi people uniquely have during Torch Festival.

Dasanxian Dance has no written records about its historical source. From the perspective of circulated area and dance form, Dasanxian Dance is the product of the exchange between Sani and Axi people. Shilin Yi Autonomous County is connected with Mile County, and the Sani people in Shilin and the Axi people in Mile have been close like brothers. They learned each other's culture, song, and dance art in the long-term work and life together, having formed a unique dance system that develops to present.

Sani Dasanxian Dance of Yi people in Shilin is a self-entertaining group dance that expresses production, life and joy. The rhythm is 5/4 beats. A man holding a Dasanxian on his back follows the flute to play and dance, and a woman dances with bare hands or clapping with the accompaniment of Dasanxian. Men and women dance face to face in rows or a circle, varying from a few to hundreds. Fast, unconstrained, and strong, Dasanxian Dance has become a stage show now.

Dasanxian Dance  is very popular in Sani people's villages like Guishan Township, Weize Township, Muzhuqing Township, and Beidacun Village Township, etc. in Shilin County, having wide mass base, certain artistic and ornamental style, prominent ethnic and local features, and great impact. At present, Dasanxian Dance of Yi ethnic group has been included in the list of China Intangible Cultural Heritage.