After a young man and a young woman get engaged, based on free love or with the help of a matchmaker, the young man's family must ask someone to erect a wedding tent before the marriage date. On the eve of the wedding day, the family invites those who are good at Chinese opera to perform in the tent. People watch the performance while enjoying fruit, tea and wine prepared by the host. The performance lasts until midnight, after which those present share a bowl of Tangyuan (boiled rice dumplings) to wish a great reunion.

The next day is the wedding day. The bridegroom's family begins to arrange a banquet to entertain guests in the morning. When guests are enjoying good dishes after tasting rice wine, the bridegroom, together with his groomsman begins to toast the guests, one table after another in the music played with suona horn.

In some places, the bridegroom does not go to meet the bride and escort her to his home for the wedding. It is the groomsman that goes to meet her with suona music under the leadership of the matchmaker. After arriving at the gate of the bride's home, the suona players must play joyous and bright songs loudly six times before several relatives of the bride's family go out to welcome them into the house.

Senior members of the bridegroom's family are waiting at the gate of his house for the arrival of the bride and other people. As soon as they enter the house, the bride goes upstairs accompanied by the bridesmaid and senior female members of the bridegroom's family to dress up. After she dresses up and gets ready for entering the nuptial chamber, two little boys of ten years old or so rush from the starting point by the stairs amongst people’s joyful laughter and conversation into the nuptial chamber with pine torches in their hands. Then the bride, supported by two bridesmaids’ hands, runs into the chamber while people scramble to pinch her and laugh happily.

Moments after the bride enters the nuptial chamber, a ceremony is held for the new couple to kowtow, to Heaven and Earth, and to the parents. On the next day, the bridegroom sends the God of Happiness to the home of the bride's parents and the bride pays her first visit after marriage to her parents. In general, the bride returns to her new home on the same day. If it is far way, she stays in her parents' home for the night. By then, the wedding ceremony ends.

Tea Etiquette of Bai Ethnic Minority

The three-course tea etiquette is a special custom of the Bai Ethnic Minority for treating guests. In Dali area, after entering the house of the host, one becomes their guest. The host will hospitably invite guests to take a seat in the main hall and talk with them while preparing the tea.

The tea is usually served in three courses. The tea is bitter in the first course, sweet in the second and most memorable in the third.

The first-course tea is as crystal-clear as amber. The host pours two to three tea drops into the cup, adds some boiled water and then hand it over to the guest with both hands. After that, the host begins to sing a sweet song to show his or her warm welcome.

Then comes the second course. The host takes out a small bowl with flaky walnut kernels and brown sugar in it. After hot tea is poured into the bowl, the boiled water begins to writhe in the bowl and flaky walnut kernel look like cicada alas. Together with the tea fragrance, drinking the second-course tea is really enjoyable.

The third-course tea is more out of expectation. The host adds a half spoon of honey and two to three Chinese spices into the baked tea, which leaves a lingering and refreshing flavor when tasted.

With China’s opening up and the development of tourism, the three-course tea has become the etiquette of the Bai people to treat friends they first meet. No matter where tourists visit in Dali, they will have an opportunity to enjoy the three-course tea accompanied with singing and dancing.