Bai
265020
225202462
2008-07-12T12:57:14Z
125.238.128.207
/* Cormorant Fishing */ "Changed Mai" fishermen to "Bai fishermen"
{{Otheruses3|BAI}}
{{Infobox Ethnic group|
|group=Bai
|image=
Alternative names:<br>Minjia
|poptime=1,858,063
|popplace=[[China]], mostly in the [[Yunnan]] province ([[Dali, Yunnan province|Dali]] area), [[Guizhou]] province ([[Bijie]] area) and [[Hunan]] province ([[Sangzhi]] area)
|langs=[[Bai (language)|Bai]], [[Mandarin language|Chinese]]
|rels=[[Buddhists]], with a strong belief in local deities; In Dali itself there is a strong protestant and catholic community, too.
|related=
}}
The '''Bai''' ({{zh-cp|c=白族|p=Báizú}}; [[endonym]] {{pronounced|pɛ̀tsī}}) are one of the [[List of Chinese ethnic groups|56 ethnic groups]] officially recognized by the [[People's Republic of China]]. They numbered 1,858,063 as of [[2000]].
The Bai People hold the white colour in high esteem and call themselves "Baizi", "Baini" or "Baihuo", which means white people. In 1956, of their own will they were named the Bai Nationality by Chinese Authorities.
[[Image:Lago-erhai-casa-bai-c03.jpg|thumb|Bai Architecture]]
[[Image:Bai Tea Serving Ceremonial Ground.JPG|thumb|A tea-serving ceremonial ground.]]
[[Image:Bai female costumes.JPG|thumb|Ladies decked out in Bai costumes.]]
==Location==
Bai people live mostly in the provinces of [[Yunnan]] ([[Dali, Yunnan province|Dali]] area), and in neighboring [[Guizhou]] ([[Bijie]] area) and [[Hunan]] ([[Sangzhi]] area) provinces. Of the 2 million Bai people, eighty percent live in concentrated communities in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province.<ref>[http://www.china.org.cn/e-groups/shaoshu/shao-2-bai.htm Ethnic Groups - china.org.cn<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Language==
An estimated 1,240,000 (as of [[2003]]) of the Bai speak the [[Bai (language)|Bai language]] in all its varieties. The tongue is either a member of the [[Sinitic languages|Sinitic branch]] or the [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman branch]] of the [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan language family]] or possibly part of an independent branch of this family.
== Cormorant Fishing ==
[[Cormorant fishing]] is a way of using [[cormorant]] birds for fishing and is practiced among the Bai fishermen.
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
* [[Nanzhao]]
* [[Kingdom of Dali]]
==External links==
{{Commons|Bai people}}
*''[http://www.china.org.cn/e-groups/shaoshu/shao-2-bai.htm The bai ethnic minority]''
*''[http://alcor.eastasiagroup.net/bai/en/index.htm Bai culture]''
*''[http://www.ethnic-china.com/Bai/baiindex.htm Bai nationality]''
{{CEG}}
{{Asia-ethno-group-stub}}
{{china-stub}}
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[[br:Bai]]
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[[it:Bai (popolo)]]
[[nl:Bai (volk)]]
[[new:बै]]
[[ja:ペー族]]
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[[ru:Бай (народ)]]
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[[vi:Người Bạch]]
[[zh:白族]]