14. Chinese Nationalities Bai Minority -- Minorities by Descending Populations

Bai Minority

By the 7th century the Bai people had established a powerful kingdom in Yunnan the Nanzhao, south of Dali. Initially allying its power with the Chinese against the Tibetans, this kingdom extended its power until, in the middle of the 8th century, it was able to challenge and defeat the Tang armies. It took control of a large slice of the southwest and established itself as a fully independent entity, dominating the trade routes from China and Burma. The Nanzhao kingdom fell in the 10th century and was replaced by the kingdom of Dali, an independent state that lasted until the Mongols overran it in the mid-13th century. After 25-centuries of resistance to northern rule, this part of the southwest was finally integrated into the empire as the province of Yunnan.

The Bai have had a close affiliation with the Han for centuries. The Bai are rice farmers from villages in the high plains of Yunnan, whose ancestors were among the original inhabitants of the region. The Bai are found in Yunnan, and Guizhou Provinces. They are part of the Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman ethno linguistic group. The Bai have close cultural ties with the Han, and are among the most acculturated of China's minority nationalities. We bought a Bai outfit for Bernice.