Dancing the Overlord Whip has the meaning of praying for blessings. Important festivals in Dali generally involve Bawang whip, such as Torch Festival, Rao Sanling, March Street, etc. The dancer holds the whip in his right hand, claps with his left hand, and pulls both ends of the whip. The body moves with the whip. During the dance, the whip is used around the main joints of the body to make a sound, which triggers the twisting and swinging of the upper body, changes in the lower legs and feet. The dance forms a variety of dance postures and movements.
Bawang Whip Dance is mainly popular in Dali City, Eryuan City, Yunlong County, Binchuan County and Jianchuan County in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. In Bai language, Bawangbian is called "Dawabie", "Deqiega" and "Dedu boots". "Dawabie" is literally translated as "Big King's Whip"; "Deqiega" is translated as "Money Rod"; and "Dedu Shoes" is a Bai language onomatopoeia that imitates the sound of King's Whip. The props used in this dance are believed by folk artists to have certain symbolic meanings. For example, the four rectangular holes on the Overlord's Whip symbolize the four seasons, and the number of copper coins embedded in the holes represent the 12 months or the 24 seasons respectively.