Baiju (Bai Opera) is the traditional theatre of the Bai people in Dali, recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Born from the Ming-dynasty "Chuichuiqiang" tune blended with the Bai storytelling art of "Dabenqu," it is sung in both the Bai and Chinese languages, with lyrics often in the Bai "Shanhua" poetic form. Accompanied by suona horns and drums, it blends song and dance to tell tales of local deities, Bai history, and life around Cangshan and Erhai. Listed as national heritage in 2008.