白族 | |
|---|---|
 An elderly woman and a girl adorned in traditional Bai garments | |
| Total population | |
| 2,091,543 (as of 2020)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| China, mostly in theYunnan Province (Dali area),Guizhou Province (Bijie area) andHunan Province (Sangzhi area) | |
| Languages | |
| Bai,Chinese | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism,Benzhuism,Taoism,Christianity,Irreligion,Islam and other religions | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Han,Hui, and otherSino-Tibetan peoples |
| Bai people | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 白族 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheBai orPai (Bai:Baipho[pɛ̰˦˨xo̰˦],白和;Chinese:白族;pinyin:Báizú), are anEast Asian ethnic group native to theDali Bai Autonomous Prefecture ofYunnan Province,Bijie area ofGuizhou Province, andSangzhi area ofHunan Province. The Bai constitute one of the 56ethnic groups officially recognized byChina,[2] with a population of 2,091,543 (as of 2020).[1]
The Bai people hold the colour white in high esteem and call themselves "Baipzix" (pɛ˦˨tsi˧, Baizi, 白子), "Bai'ho" (pɛ˦˨xo˦, Baihuo, 白伙), "Bai yinl" (pɛ˦˨ji˨˩, Baini, 白尼), or "Miep jiax".Bai means "white" in Chinese. Because of their strong preference for white, in 1956 the Chinese authorities named this ethnic group the Bai nationality.[3]
The Bai were previously named the Minjia (民家) by the Chinese from the 14th century to 1949.[4]
The Bai people are one of the mostsinicized minorities in China. The Bai ruling family of theDali Kingdom claimed to have Chinese ancestry and was recorded by theYuan dynasty to have hailed fromWuwei, Gansu.[5] Although the Bai are technically one of China's 56 official ethnic groups, it is difficult to qualify them as a distinct ethnic minority. As early as the 1940s, some rejected their non-Chinese origin and preferred to identify themselves solely as Chinese. The Bai ethnic label was not widely used or known until 1958. Today, the Bai people accept minority status for pragmatic reasons; however, they are culturally nearly indistinguishable from Han Chinese.[6]
One prerequisite for creating a hybrid form of Chinese would be a unique cultural identity, distinct from the Han, but the Bai people have been said by the sinologist Charles Patrick Fitzgerald to have held no ‘strong national feeling’ even before 1949. Hence, Fitzgerald, author of an authoritative study on Bai (whom he called by their former Chinese name, the Min-kia [minjia 民家]), said that many travelers regarded them as an absorbed people hardly to be distinguished from Han Chinese.[7]
— Duncan Poupard
The Bai predominantly reside inDali Bai Autonomous Prefecture,Yunnan Province,[8] as well as inGucheng District andYulong County ofLijiang City,Nanhua County ofChuxiong Prefecture,Xishan District,Wuhua District, andAnning City (Taiping Town) ofKunming City,Lushui County ofNujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture,Longyang District ofBaoshan City,Fengqing County ofLincang City, and portions ofZhenxiong County ofZhaotong City.[9][10]
The Bai also constitute a hereditary ethnic group inGuizhou,Hunan, andHubei Provinces, specifically inBijie City,Liuzhi Special District, andShucheng County withinLiupanshui City in Guizhou;Sangzhi County inZhangjiajie City in Hunan; andHefeng County inEnshi Prefecture in Hubei.[11][12]
The origin of the Bai people has been heavily debated over the past century, though those debates mainly focus on the groups of people who were assimilated. According to archaeological excavations around Lake Erhai, the Bai people may have originated in the area around the lake. The earliest human site, discovered in the early 20th century, was called thePaleolithic Malong relics of Mt. Cangshan (苍山马龙遗址), dated circa 4000BP. The late sites include Haimenkou of Jianchuan (剑川海门口, 3000 BP), Baiyangcun of Binchuan (宾川白羊村, 3500 BP), and Dabona of Xiangyun (祥云大波那, 2350 BP).
The Bai are mentioned inTang dynasty texts as the 'Bo (or Bai) People'. Assuming the Bo transcription is correct, the earliest mention of the Bai was in the third centuryBCE in a text calledLüshi Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn Annals of Master Lü Buwei). They were mentioned again in Sima Qian'sRecords of the Grand Historian in the first century BCE.[13]
The Bai were one of the tribes that helped establishNanzhao (649–902). In 937, theDali Kingdom was founded byDuan Siping, a Bai man whose family had played a major role in the Nanzhao Kingdom, advocated for the "relief of corvée" (Chinese:宽徭役) and joined 37 tribes in easternYunnan to instigate a rebellion. The Dali Kingdom persisted for about 300 years (937-1253), facilitating the Bai's establishment of internal cohesion centered around theErhai Lake.[14]
In 1253, the Mongols led byKublai Khan conquered the Dali Kingdom.[15] TheYuan dynasty establishedYunnan Province, created administrative districts in the Erhai region, and retained the Duan Family, the former rulers of Dali, to oversee the region.[16]
In 1381, theMing dynasty army defeated the Yuan forces, deposed the former ruler of Dali, instituted Dali Prefecture, and subsequently Han Chinese soldiers and migrants entered the Dali region to cultivate the land.[17]
As of 2004, only Bai people who lived in the mountains spoke Bai as their only language, but someHan Chinese inDali also spoke Bai due to local influence. Among modern Bai people, Chinese is usually used for popular media such as radio, television, and news, while Bai is relegated to folk-arts related activities.[18] No book in the Bai language has been published as of 2005.[13]
The origins of the language have been obscured by many years of intensive Chinese influence. Several theories have been proposed, including categorizing it as a sister language ofChinese, a separate group within theSino-Tibetan family, or in a category more related to theAustrasiatic language orHmong language.[19] Superficially, the Bai lexicon and grammar are closer to Chinese languages, but they also share common vocabulary items with theLolo-Burmese languages.[13]
According to theManshu (Book of Barbarians) byFan Chuo (9th century), theBaiman's pronunciation of Chinese was the most accurate out of all the tribes in the area.[20] Scriptures from Nanzhao unearthed in 1950s show that they were written in the Bai language (similar toChữ Nôm and theOld Zhuang script) but it does not seem Nanzhao ever attempted to standardize or popularize the script. The same was true for its successor, theDali Kingdom. During theMing dynasty, the government began offering state examinations inYunnan, which solidifiedClassical Chinese as the official language.[21]
The habits of the Bai people in the Dali region closely resemble those of conventionalHan Chinese culture. They are profoundly impacted by Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
Most Bai people adhere to a form of Buddhism known asAzhaliism.[13][22][23]
Historically, theDali Kingdom was the first Buddhist nation in Yunnan, excluding theTibetan people in northwestern Yunnan.[24] Buddhism was brought to the Bai people as early as the 8th century. The Bai people once practicedMahayanaTantric Buddhism.[25] AfterWu Sangui'sThree Clans Rebellion, it was decisively quelled by theQing Dynasty. Subsequently, the Buddhist beliefs of the Bai people were coercively supplanted by ChineseHinayana Buddhism.[26] Furthermore, the Bai people exhibit a strong interest in transcribing Buddhist scriptures. Notable locations such as the Thousand Search Pagoda atChongsheng Temple, Fengyi North TangtianFazang Temple, theThree Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, and theFotu Temple have yielded various Buddhist texts, including theDiamond Sutra,Lotus Sutra, andLarge Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, among others.[27]
Although most Bai people adhere toAzhaliism, a form ofBuddhism that traces its history back to theNanzhao Kingdom,[13][22][23] they also practice a native religion calledBenzhuism: the worship ofngel zex (本主;běnzhǔ), local gods and ancestors.[28] Ngel zex could be any hero in history—the prince of theNanzhao regime, a hero of folklore or even a tiger (for instance, Laojun JingdiChinese:老君景帝 is a tiger).[29]
George Clarke, who arrived in 1881, was the first Protestant missionary to the Bai population.[30] Few Bai individuals adhere to the Christian faith; yet, Christian churches exist in Dali.[31]
There are a few villages in Yunnan where residents areMuslims, but speak Bai as their first language. These people are officially classified by Chinese authorities as belonging to theHui nationality and call themselvesBai Hui ("Bai-speaking Muslims").[32] They usually say that their ancestors wereHui people, who came to Yunnan as followers of the Mongolian army in the 14th century.[33]
Gender roles were relatively equal in Bai society and women were not considered inferior to men. Having only daughters and no sons was not considered a tragedy.[34]
Most Bai are agriculturalists. They cultivate many crops like rice, wheat, rapeseed, sugar, millet, cotton, cane, corn, and tobacco. However, some Bai also engage in fishing and selling local handicrafts to tourists.[35] Most Bai were subsistence rice farmers, but they also cultivated wheat, vegetables, and fruits. Unlike the Han and most other Chinese minority groups, the Bai ate cheese and made it from either cow or goat milk. The leftover whey from the process of cheese-making was fed to pigs. Those who lived aroundErhai Lake fished.[36]
Bai fishermen have trainedcormorants to fish since the 9th century. Lower water quality and high costs of cormorant training have resulted in recent disuse of the practice, though cormorant fishing is still done by local fishers today for tourists.[37]
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The Bai people enjoy sour, cold and spicy flavours and excel in preparing delicacies such as curedgammon, bowfish (Zacco taliensis),river snails sauce, fried termite mushrooms (Termitomyces) and pork liver.[38] The Bai people of Dali and surrounding regions enjoy a distinctive dish known as "raw meat" or "raw skin," which consists of pork that is roasted to a medium doneness, then sliced or shredded, and served withginger,green onions,vinegar, andchilli peppers to entertain guests.[39]
Additionally, there are white wines produced from glutinous rice, "snow plums" crafted from stewed plums and sugar fromCang Mountain,[40] as well as Dengchuan's distinctive "milk fan" and "milk cake", all of which are exceptionally flavourful.[41][42]
Bai tie-dye (Chinese:白族扎染) is extensively utilised in Bai apparel, everyday items, traditional folklore, religious ceremonies, and national celebrations. The primary stages of tie-dyeing consist of flower tying and dyeing, with the essential techniques being the twisting and tying approach along with the dyeing process. The essence of the technique is in the dying method and the proficiency in dyeing. The primary instruments for tie-dyeing include the dyeing jar, dyeing stick, sun rack, and stone mill.[43][44]
Zhoucheng, Dali (Chinese:大理周城) offers a diverse array of tie-dye items, featuring over 1,000 distinct patterns characterised by a broad spectrum of themes and profound meanings.[45][46]
The Bai people, as their name would suggest, favor white clothes and decorations. Women generally wear white dresses, sleeveless jackets of red, blue, or black, embroidered belts, loose trousers, embroidered shoes of white cloth, and jewelry made of gold or silver. Women inDali traditionally wear a white coat trimmed with a black or purple collar, loose blue trousers, embroidered shoes, silver bracelets, and earrings. Unmarried women wear a single pigtail on the top of their head, while married women roll their hair. The men wear white jackets, black-collared coats, and dark loose shorts. Their headwear and costume reflect the Bai symbols:[47] the snow, the moon, the flower, and the wind.
Many Bai women style their hair in a long braid wrapped in a headcloth. This style is called "the phoenix bows its head".[35]
The Bai have a traditional form of theater calledChuichuiqiang. However, this local tradition is endangered, as is traditional Bai culture in general.[13]
The three major Bai festivals are called the Raosanlin (Walking Around Three Souls). The most important one is theThird Month Fair, held annually at the foot ofMount Cang in Dali between the fifteenth and twentieth days of the third lunar month. Originally, it was a religious activity to rally and pay homage, but it gradually evolved into a fair that included performances of traditional sports and dance as well as the trade of merchandise from different regions. The second festival is the Shibaoshan Song Festival, and the third is theTorch Festival, held on the 25th day of the sixth lunar month to wish health and a good harvest. On that evening, the countryside is decorated with banners with auspicious words written upon them. Villagers then light torches in front of their gates and walk around the fields while holding yet more torches in order to catch pests.[34]
Horse racing is a customary practice of the Bai people, conducted not only during the Third Month Fair but also at the Mule-and-Horse Meeting inJianchuan in July, the Fish Pone Meeting inEryuan and Dengchuan in August, and in several villages. The origins of Bai horse racing date back over a millennium to theTang Dynasty, coinciding with the introduction of Buddhism toNanzhao.[48] The Guanyin Temple Fair, conducted at the base ofCang Mountain in March of the lunar calendar, has progressively transformed into the Third Month Fair and associated commercial activities. Initially, the market primarily focused on the exchange of medical herbs and cattle. To further their business, horse sellers arranged horse-riding competitions at the market to showcase the strength and speed of the horses. Horse racing has consequently become a significant aspect of Third Month Fair.[49] Annually, during the festival, the Bai and other ethnic groups, like theTibetans andNakhi, convene from across the globe in ceremonial clothing with their horses to engage in horse-racing.[50][51]
The Baitea ceremony, San Dao Cha 三道茶 (Three Course Tea), is most popular among the Bai in theDali area and is a common sight at festivals and marriages. It is both a cultural ceremony and a method of honouring a guest.[52] The ceremony is often described inMandarin as 'Yiku, Ertian, sanhuiwei' 一苦二甜三回味 (First is bitter, Second is sweet, Third brings reflection (aftertaste)).[53]
The first tea course starts with baking thetea leaves in a clay pot over a small flame, shaking the leaves often while they bake. When they turn slightly brown and give off a distinct fragrance, heated water is added to the pot. The water should immediately begin bubbling. When the bubbling ceases, a small amount of bitterly fragrant, concentrated tea remains. Due to the sound the hot water makes when it enters the clay pot, the first course tea was, in previous times, also known as Lei Xiang Cha 雷响茶 (Sound of Thunder Tea).[52]
The second course is sweet tea. Pieces of walnut kernel and roastedrushan (乳扇, lit.milk fan), a dried cheese specific to the Dali region,[54] are put into a tea cup with brown sugar and other ingredients. Boiling water is added and the tea is then offered to the guest. This tea is sweet without being oily, so the guest can easily drink it.[55]
The third tea is made by mixing honey,Sichuan pepper, slices of ginger, andcassia together in a china cup with hot Cangshan Xue green tea.[55] The product is a tea that is sweet, coarse and spicy all at once. This Dali specialty has a noticeable aftertaste, which meant it was known as Hui Wei Cha 回味茶 (Reflection Tea).[52]
The 18 procedures of the tea ceremony are governed by strict etiquette, which follows the principles of etiquette, honesty, and beauty. As such, the tea ceremony is considered by some to perfectly embody the hospitable Bai people's current customs.[53]
The Bai people have developed and preserved three distinctive architectural styles that reflect their unique traditions and craftsmanship. These styles include the "one house with two cottages," "three rooms and one wall screening," and "four houses and five courtyards." Each of these architectural designs showcases not only the structural layout but also the intricate decorative elements that are characteristic of Bai architecture. The Bai homes, with their white walls, hexagonal tile patterns, colorful paintings, and elaborate decorations like carved wooden doors, exemplify the attention to detail and artistic flair that define Bai architectural aesthetics.
The village of Xizhou is known for its preservation of Qing Dynasty-era Bai homes, with some of these structures repurposed into museums. The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, dating back to the period between 823 and 840 AD, are recognized as significant architectural landmarks attributed to the Bai people. The central pagoda, standing at a height surpassing 70 meters in Dali, ranks among the tallest structures of similar kind in China, highlighting the architectural achievements associated with the Bai community.[56]
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| Sino-Tibetan |
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| Austroasiatic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Austronesian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hmong-Mien | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mongolic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kra–Dai | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tungusic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indo-European | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Others | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overseas diaspora |
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| Related | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Immigrants and expatriates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Underlined: the 56 officially recognised ethnic groups ranked by population in their language families according to2020 census | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
