A man plays a traditional guitar-style instrument made from wood, in a performance for visitors in Langdai Ancient Town.

A tour guide of the new Yi villages and wild jade scenic spot shows off a typical headdress worn by the Yi minority. As a Yi woman, her new career in tourism has brought her benefits.

At a new cultural heritage site, school children practise a performance using a spinning top and a whip. All performers must hit the spinning top at the same time, the "thwack" echoing between the mountains for miles around.

A group of Changjiaomiao villagers pose for a photo at the entrance to their new Langdai ancient town.

A local minority women enjoys the shade while showing visitors how she embroiders her outfits. Women here learn the technique from their mothers and grandmothers and its seen as a very important quality in a wife and mother.

A man and woman joyously sing a rendition of a typical minority love song.

The song begins with the women shyly singing in harmony, followed by the bellowing of boisterous lads trying to wow possible love interests.

The Buyi ethnic minority of Guizhou pose for a photo in modern versions of their traditional outfits.

This local woman works in a hotel built near the Zangke river, thanks to the recent boom in tourism. She is tired after a night of dancing around a bonfire with visitors.

In Langdai Ancient town, home to the Changjiaomiao minority, locals have moved from sparsely populated villages to this large town, where they can make money and enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle.

On arrival, this wonderfully happy woman broke into a warm welcome song with some of her peers. Her outfit is traditional to the area.