Bai People at Dali

The Bai ethnic minority group has a population of 1,858,063. Eighty percent are living in communities in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou Province. The word Bai means white, and in the Bai minority group white is considered a sacred color meaning purity. The Bai people speak their own unique language which uses many Mandarin words because of their long contact with the Han people.

During the Tang Dynasty, the Bai ethnic minority became so powerful that they established their own kingdom known as the Nanzhao kingdom. The Bai people are known for their superb building skills and excellent artistry.

The ancient city of Dali is a prime example of how well designed and beautifully their buildings were constructed. Visitors to Dali Ancient City can see ancient buildings that are still standing today and have been lived in by generation after generation of the same family.

The traditional clothing of the Bai ethnic group is very colorful, and unique to their minority group. The favorite color of both men and women is white. The colors of their clothing are light, which forms a beautiful contrast to the dark colors used as ornamentation. The women's dresses are edged with lace and are adorned with elaborate cross stitch embroidery.

Women's clothing consists of pants covered by an apron and an upper garment which is normally a sleeveless short jacket. The women of the Bai minority group wear beautiful hair ornaments and elaborate headgear. Another important part of every woman's outfit, is the baby carrier. They are elaborately embroidered and used to tie the baby onto their backs.

Unique to the Bai group is that the babies when tied into their carriers can look over their mother’s shoulders letting them see what is going on around them.

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