Villages work together in building houses and clearing fields, and celebrate together at feasts. Within each village community, there are a select few who gain prominence because of their literacy in Chinese. They become experts in the writing of ritual texts and family genealogies. Highland Yao dress reinforces their ethnic identity. Yao men wear distinctive earrings and specially embroidered tunics.
Women wear elaborate costumes with bright red wool collars.
Infants wear intricately embroidered caps, believed to protect them from harm from malevolent spirits. The religion of the Highland Yao is far more than a component of their culture. It is a total belief system that explains all the natural events of life and provides a way to gain control over those events. Time and resources are spent to make sure that the ancestors remain content and the spirits are pacified. Rituals that reflect a blending of Taoist belief and animism are often conducted by well-trained priests.