The Yao people in Yunnan, with a population of 173 000, mainly live in Funin Guangnan, Malipo,Qiubei,
Maguan, Hekou, Yanyang, Jingping and Honghe counties.Before 1950's, most of the Yao areas had reached the land-lord-economy stage.

The yaos have their own language and they.speak Chinese, Zhuang and Miao dialects. The Yao women are good at embroidery. There are delicate patterns on the front of their Chinese jackets, wristbands and the bottom of trousers. Women wear their hair in many thin braids with colourful beads around the heads. They decorate themselves with silver hair-pins, earrings, necklaces, diver tablets and bracelets. Men wear black or red haodkerchiefs over their hair, which are put up in buns. They wear collarless Chinese tops and capes with
wide trousers.

The Yao people adopted monogyny and seldom get married with other nationalities. The young people can choose their own life-long parmers.

There are many festivals for the Yao people, for example, Ganba Festival, New Rice (Xingmi) Festival, and the
most well-known Danu Festival (also called Pangwang Festival or Yao New Year) which is held on October 16th of every lunar calendar. The Yao people like singing and they sing folk songs loudly and clearly on festivals and special occasions.