Jianchuan Culture

1.Ancestor of Bai people in Jianchuan

The language of Bai belongs to the Yi branch of Zang-Mian Austronesian of the Chinese-Tibetan Phylum. They have also invented their own written characters based on the Chinese characters. The language contains a large number of Chinese words due to the Bais' long contact with the Han. Nowadays the Chinese language is the most widely used language among the Bai people.

Ancestors of the Bai nationality lived in Erhai area. Archaeological finds from the Cang'er Site and the Haimenkou Site show that the Erhai area was inhabited as early as the Neolithic Age, and artifacts of that period indicate that the people of the region used stone tools, engaged in farming, livestock.

2.Jianchuan Wood Carving Culture

Wood carving of Bai minority in Dali of Yunnan, is famous both at home and  abroad from long ago, and it is represented by the carvings of Jianchuan.Jianchuan carvings as characteristics of traditional cultural are Created by the diligent and intelligent of local people in the long process of development of  human civilization. The decorative arts of Jianchuan wood carving has a shape closely linked to local culture as well as the ancient culture of Bai minority, and  the nation culture of the Nanzhao and the Dali which impact on the Chinese culture.

As an outstanding traditional arts, academics are so interested of the  research of that in recent years.But the studies of the art of Jianchuan wood  carving usually limited to the wide applications, the characteristics in aesthetic, the value of aesthetic and the Carving methods of the art Bai minority of Jianchuan wood carving in the construction, furniture and crafts,  and it can not reflect the changes of the true history, can not highlight the art of Jianchuan wood carving and decorative features. And the lack of the  origin of Jianchuan wood carving, and the influence of wood carving of       Nanzhao, Dali period, and also lack of the evolution history of Jianchuan     wood carving, and the detailed studies of how it transmit into modern society.