On that occasion, all of the adult men from the whole village gather behind the village to offer sacrifice to local god before the wizard choose eight of them to perform the main ceremony of the festival. The eight of them then dress up like tigers by putting on felt with tiger stripes and making-up on their faces, hands and feet also painted with tiger stripes. Under the lead of the black "Tiger King", they perform all kinds of dance reflecting the production, living, and procreation of the Yi people and go to each house in the village to help get rid of evils, which is called in Yi language “Luoma Naihong”.

It is said that the Yi people from Shuangbai County was once living in a dense forest and disturbed by snakes and wild animals. In order to prevent themselves from being hurt, they thought out a way of putting on the peeled tiger skin and dancing to guard the village and also show their tiger-like strength and valor. The Tiger Dance was created ever since. Today, it is even more vivid and animated with music and drums accompanying. There are eight "tigers" on the first day of the Tiger Festival. Then, there will be one more joining every day until it gets to 15 "tigers" on the last day of the Festival. It is no more a way of driving away snakes and wild animals but showing the production and daily life of the Yi people.