Yunnan Ethnic Minority Image Library - Bai Ethnic Group

Author: Editorial Committee of "Illustrated Album of Yunnan's Ethnic Minorities"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-05-01
Features: The Bai people are a singing and dancing nation with a long history and developed culture, numbering 1.482 million. They primarily reside in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and are known as the "Land of Literature and Learning." Over 4,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Bai people thrived in this land, creating the splendid Erhai Culture. The Southern Nanzhou Kingdom during the Tang Dynasty and the Dali Kingdom during the Song Dynasty both established their capitals here, lasting for over 500 years and once becoming the political, economic, and cultural center of Yunnan, leaving behind numerous cultural relics and historic sites. Additionally, small populations of Bai people are also found in areas such as Lijiang, Baoshan, and Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture. The Bai people refer to themselves as Baizi, Baini, or Baihuo, meaning "the white people." With a long history, the Bai people have a developed economy and culture. As early as the 2nd century BC, they had close economic and cultural ties with the Han people in the Central Plains, under whose influence they were deeply affected, and some of their customs now resemble those of the Han people. The Bai people use Chinese characters for writing but have their own language, with rich and diverse literary arts. Examples include the beautiful folk tales such as "Wangfu Yun" (Cloud of Waiting for Her Husband), "Sheguo Ta" (Snake Bone Pagoda), "Niadoushan" (Bird-Dangling Mountain), and "Chanlian Furen" (Benevolent Lady). Their music and dance include "Dabenqu," "Bai Diao," and "Baowangbian." There are also "Bai Shua," which evolved from the classical opera "Chuiqiuqiang," all showcasing distinct ethnic characteristics. The Bai people have a high cultural level and have produced many talented individuals. Bai residential architecture features unique styles. Most houses adopt the formats of "Three Courtyards with a Central Courtyard" or "Four-Compound Five-Courtyard." They place great importance on the decoration of gate towers, screens, door and window carvings, and painted mountain walls. The gate tower decorations typically use mud sculpture, wood carving, painting, stone carving, Dali marble screen tiles, and blue bricks to create intricate eaves with flying corners, delicate flower beams, and overlapping brackets. These designs are majestic, stable, and aesthetically pleasing, reflecting the architectural talent and artistic creativity of the Bai laboring people. The Bai people favor the color white, and the overall color scheme of their houses is white. Similarly, their traditional clothing is also predominantly white, as white is considered noble. Men in the Dali region typically wear white front-opening shirts with black lapels, while men in the Haidong region wear leather or silk lapels, sometimes multiple layers of them, known as "San Di Xiao." They wear belts or embroidered pouches at the waist and blue or black long pants. Women wear white tops with blue, red, or black lapels, and a small embroidered sash around their waist. Married women often wear blue head ornaments. Girls tie their hair and a red rope together, then wrap a colorful hairpiece around their heads, with white tassels fluttering to the right, highlighting their charm. The Bai people in Dali love flowers and almost every household grows medicinal plants. There is a saying in the region: "Three households share one well, and every household has several flower pots." Many girls' names include flower-related words, such as Jinhua (Golden Flower), Yinhua (Silver Flower), Dehua (Virtuous Flower), Meihua (Beautiful Flower), and Chunhua (Spring Flower). The Bai people have unique festivals, including "Raosanling," "Shibao Mountain Singing Festival," "Benzhu Festival," "Shahai Festival," and the grand and richly varied "March Street." They also have their own "Bonfire Festival" and many other festivals.