Benzhu Culture of the Bai People

        The Benzhu culture consists of rich elements such as the minority's history, folk custom, religion, music, dance, building and diet, which play a significant role in forming the Bai-people culture serve as a spiritual tie to bring the ethnic group together. Benzhu worship originated over 1000 years ago is a folk religion peculiar to the Bai-people. "Benzhu", referring to "Local God of Good Luck", is the gods who protect villages of the Bai people. Benzhu include natural objects, Buddhist and Taoist gods, people who have made great contributions in history or legends as well as ordinary people. In the eyes of the Bai people, Benzhu have formidable supernatural power and majesty, but are also approachable as human beings. They are called as "Worldly God". In all villages inhabited by the Bai minority, people will hold a magnificent ceremony to worship Benzhu and celebrate the Benzhu Festival each year. It has been included in the first ethnic folk traditional culture protection list publicized by the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture Government in September, 2005.