The Dai people are several Tai-speaking ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of China's Yunnan Province. The Dai people form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. By extension, the term can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar when Dai is used to mean specifically Tai Yai, Lue, Chinese Shan, Tai Dam, Tai Khao or even Tai in general. For other names, see the table below.
The Bai or Pai, are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, Bijie area of Guizhou Province, and Sangzhi area of Hunan Province. The Bai constitute one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by China, with a population of 2,091,543.
Yang Liping is a Chinese dancer and choreographer of Bai ethnicity. She rose to fame for choreographing and performing "The spirit of Peacock" in 1986. She was the first dancer from Mainland China that went to Taiwan to perform in 1992. She is known across China for her creativity and her performance of the Dai peacock dance. Yang has been dubbed as the "Peacock Princess of China". She has performed over 1000 shows and toured to over 30 countries and regions, including The Philippines, Singapore, Russia, US, Canada, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.
Dance in Cambodia consists of three main categories: classical dance of the royal court, folk dance which portrays cultural traditions, and social dances performed in social gatherings.
Water festivals are vibrant celebrations that occur across the globe, often marking the start of a new year or season. These festivals are deeply rooted in cultural and religious traditions, and they showcase the importance of water as a life-giving resource. In Asia, countries like Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Xishuangbanna Prefecture and Dehong regions of China celebrate their respective new years with lively water festivals such as Songkran, Bunpimay, Thingyan, and Chaul Chnam Thmey. These festivities involve the joyous splashing of water, symbolizing purification and renewal. Beyond Southeast Asia and China, other countries have their own unique water-themed celebrations, from the Holi festival of colors in India to the Water Battle of Spain. These festivals serve as a reminder of the universal significance of water in our lives and our connection to it.
The lusheng is a Hmong musical instrument. It has a long history of 3000 years in China, traced back to the Tang Dynasty. It is a mouth organ with multiple bamboo pipes, each fitted with a free reed, which are fitted into a long blowing tube made of hardwood. It most often has five or six pipes of different pitches and is thus a polyphonic instrument. Its construction includes six parts. It comes in sizes ranging from very small to several meters in length.
The Teochew people or Chaoshanese, Teo-Swa people or Chaoshan people is an ethnic group native to the historical Chaoshan region in south China who speak the Teochew language. Today, most ethnic Teochew people live throughout Chaoshan and Hong Kong, and also outside China in Southeast Asia, including in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The community can also be found in diasporas around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France.
Yu opera, or Yuju opera, sometimes known as Henan bangzi, is one of China's famous national opera forms, alongside Peking opera, Yue opera, Huangmei opera and Pingju. Henan province is the origin of Yu opera. Henan's one-character abbreviation is "豫" (yù), and thus the opera style was officially named "豫剧" (Yùjù) after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The area where Yu opera is most commonly performed is in the region surrounding the Yellow River and Huai River. According to statistical figures, Yu opera was the leading opera genre in terms of the number of performers and troupes. While Yu opera is often called "Henan opera" in English, within Henan it is considered to be just one of the province's three most important forms of opera, the other two being Quju (曲剧) and Yuediao (越调).
Dance in Indonesia reflects the country's diversity of ethnicities and cultures. There are more than 600 ethnic groups in Indonesia. Austronesian roots and Melanesian tribal forms are visible, and influences ranging from neighboring Asian and even western styles through colonization. Each ethnic group has its own dances: there are more than 3,000 original dance forms in Indonesia. The old traditions of dance and drama are being preserved in the numerous dance schools which flourish not only in the courts but also in the modern, government-run or supervised art academies.
Nuo theatre, Nuo drama, Nuo opera, or Nuoxi is a traditional theatrical art popular in many regions of China. Characterized by its special features such as ferocious masks, unique dresses and adornments, the strange language used in performance, and mysterious scenes, Nuo theatre has been selected as one of the non-material cultural legacies of China. The opera is a religious performance intrinsic to the culture of Nuoism, a type of Chinese folk religion. The purpose of Nuo theatre is to drive away devils, disease and evil influences, and also to petition for blessings from the gods. Singing and dancing are included in Nuo theatre and performers wear costumes and masks.
Pingtan, also known as Suzhou Pingtan, is a regional variant of quyi and a popular musical/oral performance art form in the Jiangnan region of China, encompassing southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Originating from Suzhou, it is a blend of the Chinese narrative musical traditions of pinghua and tanci, with roots tracing back to the Song dynasty and influences from Wuyue culture.
Sundanese dances is a dance tradition that is a part of ritual, artistic expression as well as entertainment and social conduct among the Sundanese people of West Java and Banten, Indonesia. Sundanese dance is usually cheerful, dynamic and expressive, with flowing movements in-sync with the beat of kendang accompanied with Gamelan degung music ensemble.
Guanniu, also known as Chinese bullfighting or Chinese-style bullfighting, is a form of bull-wrestling contest held in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China. It is also known as Hui bullfighting (回族斗牛). because it originated among the Hui people. The word guan means throwing, dropping, or tossing, and niu refers to cattle, so guanniu translates literally as 'wrestling with a bull'.
The Miao Flower Mountain Festival, also known as the Treading on Flower Festival, is a traditional occasion for the Miao, a Chinese ethnic group. It represents a chance for the youth to express love and a chance for middle-aged and older people to bless each other.
Xiju, also known as Wuxi opera, is a genre of opera which originated in the southern region of the Yangtze River Delta in China. It evolved from "Tanhuang" (滩簧), a folk opera art in the region of Wuxi and Changzhou of Jiangsu province. As one of the main local operas in Jiangsu Province, Wuxi opera has been reputed as "a piece of plum flower in Taihu Lake", a title given to the three major operas in East China, alongside Yue opera and Huangmei opera.
Holboo is a Mongolian vocal art form that originated around the 12th century A.D. At first, it spread to the Horqin and Harqin areas, and then extended to other Mongolian settlements in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and its surrounding provinces. The singing forms of Holboo include singing, duet singing, duet singing and multi-person chorus. Holboo is sung in an impromptu manner, and the lyrics are similar to folk songs. On June 7, 2008, Holboo was listed in the second batch of the List of national intangible cultural heritage of China.
Luoshan Dragon is a traditional dragon dance of the Lishui District and Fengzhen Luoshan Village, Nanjing,China.Luoshan Dragon is an intangible heritage, those is local one of the importance folk culture activity, has been 400 years history.
The Third Month Fair is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Bai people of southwest China. It includes a street bazaar, performances, sports, and games, and takes place annually in Dali City, Yunnan. The fair lasts several days, starting on the 15th day of the third month of the Chinese calendar. In 2025, it begins on April 12.
Iron flower, also known as iron tree, is a type of firework made of hammered molten iron that is popular in Henan, Shanxi, Hebei and related regions. It is one of China's Intangible cultural heritage.
