Dali, the one and only autonomous prefecture of the Bai ethnic group in China, has been designated as a new national-level guardian of cultural ecology in a bid to better protect the region's cultural treasures.

The move is part of a second batch of five national-level cultural ecology protection zones recently named by China's cultural affairs regulator. With the first seven protection zones officially announced in 2019, the expanded list highlights the country's efforts to develop traditional cultures in areas rich in intangible cultural heritage resources.

Known as one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized in China, the Bai ethnic group boasts a spectacular culture, credited with inventions and advances not only in the fields of meteorology, astronomy, architecture, and medical sciences, but also in many art forms including literature, music, dance, carving, and painting.

The Dali Bai autonomous prefecture is home to the majority of the Bai people in China, with around 80 percent of the ethnic group's total population. And as the first state-level cultural ecology zone of its kind in Yunnan province, the newly designated reserve already claims over 700 intangible cultural heritages at different levels and more than 2,300 inheritors.