Yunnan’s colorful national and cultural resources, including the distinctive ethnic culture, songs and dances, customs, handicrafts, architecture, food, festivals etc., constitute the unique human landscape of Yunnan, which provides fertile soil for the development of cultural undertakings and its prosperity.
There are a number of ethnic groups in Yunnan, fostering splendid ethnic cultures of different architectures, apparels, festivals, songs and dances, diets and crafts with their own characteristics. A great number of prehistoric relics and ancient human fossils and cultural sites create the long and diversified historical and cultural resources, including the heritage, borderland, ancient road, red revolutionary, anti-Japanese war, religious, ecological and farming culture.
Firstly, songs and dances resources. The people of Yunnan have made many useful attempts in the market operation of ethnic folk songs and dances, “Dynamic Yunnan ” is a successful example of showing, protecting and developing Yunnan folk song and dance resources.
Secondly, ethnic folk handicrafts. Such as metal handicrafts from Xinhua village, Heqing county, wood carving in Jianchuan county, the tie-dyed skill of Yi and Bai nationalities from Dali and Weishan autonomous prefecture respectively, variegated copperware technology in Huize county, Nixi pottery from Shangri-La county, purple pottery in Jianshui county, marble products etc.
Thirdly, ethnic costumes. Costumes of all ethnic minorities in Yunnan are colorful and buautifully shaped with various manufacturing processes. Localism and individualization provide the space and soil for national costumes to survive and expand.
Fourthly, ethnic festivals. Among others, the “Water Splashing Festival” of Dai nationality and “Torch Festival” of Yi nationality are the most famous.
These are the unique and huge cultural spiritual wealth and aesthetic needs of Yunnan’s ethnic minorities. These are the special cultural and spiritual wealth of the ethnic minorities in Yunnan as well as carriers of our aesthetic needs.
Last but not the least, ethnic dietary culture. The cuisine of Yunnan ethnic minorities has a strong local flavour, which also reflects the traditional ethnic food culture and characteristics.
Yunnan’s unique cultural characteristics, coupled with its climate, topography, and biological diversity, has created a charming natural scenery, which made Yunnan become one of the world’s rarest wonders. Therefore, maintaining the localism is the root of building Yunnan into a province known for its ethnic culture characteristic.