The Bai people have traditionally earned their income from a combination of agriculture and industry. They work as farmers of rice and wheat, as well as numerous other cash crops. Much of the Bai population lives around the city of Dali. The Dali area has long been famous for its abundant supply of marble, which gives the Bai their name (Bai means "white" in Chinese). Some Dali marble was cut and exported over the Himalayan Mountains to the great Taj Mahal of India.

The Bai are family-oriented, and unlike many Chinese people groups, the Bai value girls as much as boys. The Bai find many different reasons to celebrate. Occasions as common as a house-building are accompanied by a ceremony to bless the house and bring together friends and relatives. Tea-time is also a time of coming together and celebrating tradition. Every spring, the lunar New Year is celebrated to symbolize renewal and the new planting season. The Bai are a fun-loving people, even building Yunhe Pavilions - recreations centers which can accommodate about 200 people to chat or play chess.