Cloud-forest mountains, liana bridges, and Dan stilt dancers
Man is the main city of western Côte d'Ivoire's Dix-Huit Montagnes region — forested highlands that earned the nickname 'the Switzerland of Africa' for their mist-covered peaks. The Dan (Yacouba) people here are known for the world's most technically demanding stilt dancing tradition, and their masks are among the most collected in West African art. A suspension bridge woven from lianas (vines) spans the Cavally River near town, rebuilt by the same family for generations.
The Dan people have inhabited the western Ivorian highlands and the border region with Liberia and Guinea for centuries. Their mask tradition — including the 'ge dumas' fire-walking masks and stilt dancers ('tchagba') who can jump over obstacles at head height — plays a central role in community governance, initiation, and judicial proceedings. French colonial administration reached the region later than the coast; Man became an administrative post in the early 20th century.