Slideshows Yunnan
Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture 大理白族自治州

Xihu 西湖, a 坝子 in the south of Eryuan county, with its seasonally fluctuating lake is one of the last remnants of mixed aquatic and dry agriculture which must have been quite common in Yunnan before Ming and Qing dynasty settlers drained most valleys.

History has left its marks on this hometown of many wealthy Bai merchants.

The Mute God or Yaba 哑巴 ceremonies in Xiangyun county have evolved into an elaborate Gesamtkunstwerk with dance, body ornamentation, sculpture and painting involving the entire Yi village. Compared to a few years ago, the imagery has taken on a much more sexualized character, maybe reflecting a need to create ever more outlandish 'traditional' festivals.

The old temple complex on 五印山 is the destination of the annual pilgrimage up the mountain for the 朝山节 of the Yi in Weishan county. This year they were collecting donations to build a new temple.

Once a decade snow falls on the Dali plain, dusting not only the Cangshan mountains, but also the old city and its beautiful pagodas in white.

Fire-throwing is part of the Bai Torch Festival in Shaxi.

Like the Yi, the Bai celebrate the Torch Festival at the end of summer.

Laoheipeng is a small Yi village in western Weishan, right on the border to Changning county. The annual temple fair is not only an opportunity to get the Lusheng out, but also for some strange Taoist rituals.

Shaxi's principle festival is in honour of the Taizi, one of the many deities in this small Bai town. On festival day, 'the Prince' is taken from his resting place inside the Benzhu Temple, strapped onto a horse and paraded around town in a grand procession.

Performances of Yunnan Opera 滇戏 are very rare today, but a small troupe of villagers from Shilong 石龙村 near Shibaoshan continue the tradition. They perform during Spring Festival and on occasion on the old stage in Shaxi.

Big, bold and boisterous: once a year the Huadeng Festival 花灯节 turns sleepy Mizhi密祉 into a giant carnival.

Huadeng is a form of Yunnan Opera: musical plays most often performed during the spring festival. Midu county, south of Dali, is one of the centers of this art form and its recognition as intangible heritage has led to increased interest and innovation in recent years. The photos here are from the Midu Huadeng Festival Week in October 2012.