Heha villagers dance to worship mountains

Located in Menglian county, southwest Yunnan’s Pu'er city, the Heha village is home to the unique “mountain god” dance that has been recognized as a cultural heritage this year. In local Dai ethnic language, Heha means the place where roots stand.

The folk dance aims to urge the mountain god to protect nature. During the performance, the dancers wear masks, bamboo shoes, and costumes sewn out of banana leaves.

When the major festivals arrive, the Dai people will stage a mountain-god dance, a tradition that has been passed down for thousands of years.

In addition to the unique dance, the Heha villagers also dance like deer, peacocks and elephants. At times, local Dai women even stage the sword dance as a martial-art show.

Reporting by Pu Rongrong (Yunnan Daily app); Trans-editing by Mo Yingyi