The Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture has an area of 34,000 kilometers and is ridged along the west by Hengduan Mountains. Eighty per cent of the Bai live here while the rest live in Sichuan and Guizhou. The Bai use the written Chinese language since attempts to use Chinese characters for the Bai language proved unsuccessful.

Bai ancestors were collectively known as the Kunming people and were a group of many scattered tribal clans. They lived in the Dali area during the 2nd century B.C. These communities were based upon hunting, fishing, and primitive agriculture. In 109 B.C. the Western Han Dynasty established country administrations. Han Chinese then moved into the area.

The Six Zhaos, six aristocratic cliques, rose to power between the 3rd and 10th centuries. Between the 8th and 12th centuries A.D., the Bai had formed two powerful kingdoms: 1) the Nan Zhao ("the southern principality"), established by Mengshe Zhao, who was supported by the Tang court and who subjected the other five Zhaos, and 2) the Dali, established by a Bai man named Duan Siping. Between 581-907 A.D. farming in Erhai area reached a level on par with that of the central plains. By the mid-13th century, the Han had annexed Yunnan, and so successfully conquered the Bai. During the 1980s, the China Population Information Center collected and completed a comprehensive survey and report of the Bai.

Tea Ceremony. Traditionally, the Bai serve "thunder roast" tea. They place it in a pottery jar over a low flame while they boil water in a bronze kettle. Once the water has boiled, they pour it into the jar. The tea then makes the sound of the low rumble of an approaching storm--hence, its name. They serve each guest three times--"first bitter, second sweet, and third lingering." Each guest sips only one or two mouthfuls from each serving.

The Torch Festival. The torch festival is celebrated annually during mid-summer on the 25th day of the sixth lunar month. It commemorates Bai Jie's return to a burned-out pine building in search of her husband's ashes. The torch tree is the Torch Festival's symbol. Families who have had happy events the year before bear responsibility for its preparation. Those who have given birth to baby boys must supply firecrackers and decorate the tree with flags, fruits, red joss sticks, paintings, calligraphy pieces, and containers used for measuring grain; those who have given birth to baby girls must dig the hole for the tree and supply candles. In a leap year, pine twigs and branches are wrapped in 13 layers from bottom to top; in a normal year, they are wrapped in 12 layers. When night comes, the tree is lit on top and the villagers gather underneath. Young people wish the old health and longevity; young mothers parade around the tree three times with children in tow seeking the children's luck; old men and women burn joss sticks and pray for a good harvest and a happy life for the village. On the side, dancers participate in operas or folk dances. When the tree has burned to the middle, children light torches and run through the fields in expectation of a good harvest while young men and women pair off. The celebration ends the next day when people collect fruit, firecrackers, and whatever else remains of the tree. These are tokens of luck and happiness.

Circling the Three Spirits. Each year, on the 23rd day of the fourth lunar month, the people don festival clothes, carry willow branches, rattle sticks in their hands, blow whistles from tree leaves, pluck three-stringed instruments and beat octagonal drums as they procede to the three temples. The gods reside in the Shengyuan Temple; the deities in the Jingui; and the Buddha in the Chongsheng.

A House-Building. The construction of a new house begins during an auspicious occasion such as a festival. The owners assemble the materials needed and invite friends and relatives to erect the house's frame. To set the main roof beam, village elders are summoned. Firecrackers explode and brassy suona horns sound. The chief carpenter then climbs the frame and arranges gold-colored ropes. Peoples' movements then synchronize as they fit the beam into place. Once installed, the beam is hung with colored silk. The carpenter then sprinkles water in four directions and orders the host to prepare to receive a treasure. The carpenter tosses the host steamed buns and recites a verse blessing on the four corners of the house. Each time he speaks a verse, he pauses and tosses another bun. All the guests lunge for the bun, for it is good fortune to catch it. The day ends with a huge meal for neighbors and relatives.

The Spring Festival. The Spring Festival celebrates the lunar New Year and symbolizes renewal and the new planting season. People sweep away the old, and bring in the new.

Yunhe Pavilions. These recreation centers accommodate about 200 people who congregate in them to chat or play chess. They have yellow-tiled roofs with upturned eaves, carved windows and doors, and painted wooden beams. They have no nails; their mortise-tenon structure makes them solid and durable. They are usually in the county center and are surrounded by shops. Many Bai are Buddhist, but for the most part are polytheists who worship various spirits, believing these can protect them, their families, animals, and property. They also practice ancestor worship. In the past, "there was hardly a mountain in the Dali area without a temple or pagoda. May of these were dedicated to the benzhu, deities of the indigenous Bai religion. Practically every village had its own benzhu--a nature god or local hero who the people hoped would bring peace and prosperity." In 1873, a French priest visited Dali, while in 1881, a British China Inland Mission pastor preached in Dali. The CIM built schools, hospitals, orphanages and offered free medical treatment. Churches were also established. By 1994 there were a reported 50,000 Bai Christians.