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Dai people - Wikipedia

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(Top)

1Name ambiguity

2Tai subgroups

3Languages

4History

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4.1Early period

4.2Yuan and Ming period

4.3Qing and modern China

5Exodus

6Cuisine

7Tai Lue in Thailand

8Festival

9Culture

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9.1Religion

9.2Literature and science

9.3Dwellings

9.4Economy

9.5Marriage and women's roles

10Gallery

11See also

12References

13External links

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Dai people

36 languages

Bân-lâm-gúབོད་ཡིགČeštinaDanskDeutschEspañolEsperantoEuskaraFrançais客家語/Hak-kâ-ngî한국어Bahasa IndonesiaItalianoქართულიLietuviųمصرى閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄Nederlands日本語Norsk bokmålOʻzbekcha / ўзбекчаپنجابیPolskiPortuguêsРусскийSrpskohrvatski / српскохрватскиSuomiSvenskaதமிழ்Türkçeئۇيغۇرچە / UyghurcheVahcuenghTiếng Việt吴语粵語中文

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Ethnic group of Asia

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Non-Chinese usage should be moved to Tai peoples and. Please help improve this article if you can. (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Dai people中国境内傣族1962 photograph of a Dai girl weaving silk in Dehong Prefecture, YunnanTotal populationc. 8 millionRegions with significant populations Myanmar6,345,236 Vietnam1,818,350 China1,159,000[1] Laos126,250 Thailand145,236LanguagesTai Lue, Tai Nuea, Tai Dam, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Lao, ThaiReligionTheravada Buddhism and Dai folk religion[2]

The Dai people (Burmese: ရှမ်းလူမျိုး; Tai Lü: ᨴᩱ/ᨴᩱ᩠ᨿ; Lao: ໄຕ; Thai: ไท; Shan: တႆး, [tai˥˩]; Tai Nuea: ᥖᥭᥰ, [tai˥]; Chinese: 傣族; pinyin: Dǎizú) are several Tai-speaking ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of China's Yunnan Province. The Dai people form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. By extension, the term can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar when Dai is used to mean specifically Tai Yai, Lue, Chinese Shan, Tai Dam, Tai Khao or even Tai in general. For other names, please see the table below.

Name ambiguity[edit]

This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. In particular, the first paragraph. Please help clarify the section. There might be a discussion about this on the talk page. (November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The Dai people are closely related to the Shan, Lao and Thai people who form a majority in Laos and Thailand, and a large minority in Myanmar. Originally, the Tai, or Dai, lived closely together in modern Yunnan Province until political chaos and wars in the north at the end of the Tang and Song dynasty and various nomadic peoples prompted some to move further south into modern Laos then Thailand. As with many other officially recognized ethnic groups in China (See Gaoshan and Yao), the term Dai, at least within Chinese usage, is an umbrella term and as such has no equivalent in Tai languages, who have only more general terms for 'Tai peoples in general' (e.g., Tai Lue: tai˥˩. This term refers to all Dai people, not including Zhuang) and 'Tai people in China' (e.g., Thai: ชาวไทในจีน'), both of which include the Zhuang, for example, which is not the case in the Chinese and more specific terms, as shown in the table below. Therefore[dubious – discuss] the word Dai, like with the aforementioned Yao, is a Han Chinese cultural concept which has now been adopted by other languages such as English, French, and German (see respective Wikipedias). As a solution in the Thai language, however, as in English, the term Tai Lue can be used to mean Dai, despite referring to other groups as in the table below. This is because the two main groups actually bear the same name, both meaning 'Northern Tai' (lue and nüa are cognate).

Although they are officially recognized as a single people by the Chinese state, these Tai people form several distinct cultural and linguistic groups. The two main languages of the Dai are Dai Lü (Sibsongbanna Dai) and Dai Nüa (Daihong Dai); two other written languages used by the Dai are Tày Pong and Tai Dam. They all are Tai languages, a group of related languages that includes Thai, Lao and Zhuang and part of the Tai–Kadai language family. Various languages of the Tai-Kadai language family are spoken from Assam in India to Hainan and Guizhou in China. The Dai people follow their traditional religion as well as Theravada Buddhism and maintain similar customs and festivals (such as Songkran) to the other Tai-speaking peoples and more broadly, in regards to some cultural aspects, to the unrelated dominant ethnic groups of Myanmar, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. They are among the few native groups in China who nominally practice the Theravada school of Buddhism. The term Tai in China is also used sometimes to show that the majority of people subsumed under the "Dai" nationality are mainly speakers of Thai languages (i.e. Southwestern Tai languages). Some use the term Daizurian to refer specifically to the sinicized Tai people living in Yunnan. The term is derived from the Chinese term 傣族人; pinyin: Dǎizúrén which is translated in Shan as တႆးၸူး taj4 tsuu4 meaning "the Tai who are in association/united".

Tai subgroups[edit]

Chinese

Pinyin

Tai Lü

Tai Nüa

Thai

Conventional

Area(s)

傣泐（西雙版納傣族自治州）

Dǎilè(Xīshuāngbǎnnà Dǎi)

tai˥˩ lɯː˩

ไทลื้อ

Tai Lü (Tai Lue, Lue)

Sipsongpanna Tai Autonomous Prefecture, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam

傣那（德宏傣）

Dǎinà(Déhóng Dǎi)

tai˥˩ nəː˥

taile6

ไทเหนือ, ไทใต้คง, ไทใหญ่

Tai Nüa (Northern Tai, Upper Tai, Chinese Shan, Tai Yai)

Dehong Burma,

Thailand

傣擔

Dǎidān

tai˥˩ dam˥

ไทดำ, ลาวโซ่ง, ไททรงดำ

Tai Dam (Black Tai, Tai Lam, Lao Song Dam*, Tai Muan, Tai Tan, Black Do, Jinping Dai, Tai Den, Tai Do, Tai Noir, Thai Den)

Jinping (金平), Laos, Thailand

傣繃

Dǎibēng

tai˥˩pɔːŋ˥

ไทเบิ้ง, ไทมาว, ไทใหญ่

Tay Pong

Ruili, Gengma, Lincangalong the Mekong

傣端

Dǎiduān

tai˥˩doːn˥

ไทขาว

White Tai, Tày Dón (Tai Khao, Tai Kao, Tai Don, Dai Kao, White Dai, Red Tai, Tai Blanc, Tai Kaw, Tày Lai, Thai Trang)

Jinping (金平)

傣雅

Dǎiyǎ

tai˥˩jaː˧˥

ไทหย่า

Tai Ya (Tai Cung, Cung, Ya)

Xinping (新平), Yuanjiang (元江)

傣友

Dǎiyǒu

tai˥˩jiu˩

ไทโยว

Tai Yo

Yuanyang (元阳),along the Red River

* lit. "Lao [wearing] black trousers"

Languages[edit]

Peoples classified as Dai in China speak the following Southwestern Tai languages.

Tai Lü language (傣仂语; Dǎilè Yǔ)

Tai Nüa language (德宏傣语; Déhóng Dǎiyǔ; Shan language)

Tai Dam language (傣哪语 / 傣担语; Dǎinǎ Yǔ / Dǎidān Yǔ)

Tai Ya language (傣雅语; Dǎiyǎ Yǔ) or Tai Hongjin (红金傣语; Hóngjīndǎi Yǔ)

Yunnan (1998:150)[3] lists 4 major Tai language varieties.

Tai Lü language (傣泐方言): 400,000 speakers in Sipsongpanna, Menglian County, Jinggu County, Jiangcheng County, etc.

Tai Nüa language (傣纳方言): 400,000 speakers in Dehong, Gengma, Shuangjiang, Tengchong, Baoshan, Longling, Changning, Cangyuan, Lancang, Zhenkang, Jingdong, etc.

Tai Rui (傣端方言): 40,000 speakers in Jinping, Maguan, Malipo counties, etc.

Tianxin (田心方言): 20,000 speakers in Wuding, Luquan, Yongren, Dayao counties, etc. Representative dialect: Tianxin (田心), Wuding County

History[edit]

Early period[edit]

In 109 BCE, the Han dynasty established the Yizhou prefecture in the southwest of Yi (modern day parts of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou). In the twelfth century, the Dai (called Dai-Lue or Tai-Lue at this period) established the Jinghong Golden Hall Kingdom in Sipsong Panna (modern Xishuangbanna). Jinghong was the capital of this kingdom. The population of the kingdom was over one million and recognized the Chinese as their sovereign according to local records. The king had political and economic power and controlled most of the land and local water system.[4]

Yuan and Ming period[edit]

During the Yuan dynasty, the Dai became subordinate to Yunnan (itself recently conquered by the Mongols). Hereditary leaders were appointed by the authorities among the minorities of the region. This system continued under the Ming dynasty and the feudal systems during this period allowed manorial lords to establish political power along with its own army, prisons, and courts. However, some Dai communities had their own aspects of class, political structures, and land ownership that differed considerably from other groups. Also during the Ming dynasty, eight Dai tusi (chieftains) controlled the region with each having their own economic and political power.[4] Although Buddhism has had a presence in Yunnan since at least the seventh century, the Dai converted to Theravada Buddhism during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.[5][6]

Qing and modern China[edit]

The Qing dynasty kept the Yuan and Ming system intact but with some differences. The Qing had more economic power in the region and routinely sent officials to the area for direct supervision and control. This well-established system was only fully replaced by the Chinese government in 1953. 1953 also marked the end of the ancient ruling family that was in place since the Jinghong Kingdom. The last king, Chao Hmoam Gham Le (Dao Shixun in Chinese), then became the deputy head of Xishuangbanna prefecture.[4]

Exodus[edit]

The original areas of the Tai Lue included both sides of the Mekong River in the Sipsongpanna. According to the Tai Lue, there were five city-states on the east bank and six on the west, which with Jinghong formed twelve rice field divisions with all twelve having another 32 small provinces. These were:

On the west bank - Rung, Ha, Sae, Lu, Ong, Luang, Hun, Phan, Chiang Choeng, Hai, Chiang Lo and Mang;

On the east bank - La, Bang, Hing, Pang, La, Wang, Phong, Yuan, Bang and Chiang Thong (present-day Luang Prabang). (These names are transcribed according to their Thai pronunciations not their Tai Lue (Dai) pronunciations. If transcribed according to their Tai Lue pronunciations they would be as follows: Hung, Ha, Sae, Lu, Ong, Long, Hun, Pan, Cheng Choeng, Hai, Cheng Lo, Mang, La, Bang, Hing, Pang, La, Wang, Pong, Yon, Bang and Cheng Tong)

Some portions of these Tai Lue either voluntarily moved or were forcibly herded from these city-states around one to two hundred years ago, arriving in countries of present-day Burma, Laos and Thailand.

Cuisine[edit]

The staple food of the Dai people is rice. Dai people in the Dehong area mainly eat japonica rice.

Bamboo rice is a famous snack of the Dai people. It is made by putting glutinous rice in a fragrant bamboo tube, soaking with water for 15 minutes, and baking with fire.[citation needed]Pineapple purple rice is also a well-known Dai dish.

Raw, fresh, sour, and spicy are the characteristics of Dai cuisine. Dai people believe that eating sour foods can make their eyes bright, help digestion, and also help relieve heat. Sweet can remove fatigue. Spicy can increase appetite. Acid is considered the most delicious flavor in Dai cuisine, and all dishes and snacks are mainly sour, such as sour bamboo shoots, sour pork.[citation needed]

Tai Lue in Thailand[edit]

Wat Rong Ngae is a Thai Lue temple in Pua District, Nan Province

In Thailand there are Tai Lue in many provinces of the upper regions of Northern Thailand; these provinces are:

Chiang Rai: Mae Sai, Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen districts (a portion fled to Chiang Rung at the outbreak of the Ayuthian-Burman War)

Chiang Mai: Samoeng and Doi Saket districts

Nan: Tha Wang Pha, Pua, Chiang Klang and Thung Chang districts (the greatest number, fleeing from the Saiyaburi and Sipsongpanna regions)

Phayao: Chiang Muan and Chiang Kham districts (many in number)

Lampang: Mueang Lampang and Mae Tha districts

Lamphun: Mueang Lamphun and Ban Thi districts

Festival[edit]

The festivals of the Dai people are mostly related to religious activities. The main festivals include door closing festival, door opening festival and water splashing festival.

The closing festival is fixed on September 15 in the Dai calendar (the middle of July in the Gregorian calendar). The opening door festival, the time fixed in the Dai calendar on December 15 (the middle of October in the Gregorian calendar). In the two festivals on the same day, all of people will go to the Buddhist temple to hold ritual activities. People will offer foods, flowers and coins to the Buddha. The three months between the closing door festival and the opening door festival are the "close" time of the year, the most religious time of the year.

The Water Splashing Festival is a traditional festival of the Dai people, meaning the New Year of June. The time is in the late June or early July of the Dai calendar (the middle of April in the Gregorian calendar). Held about 10 days after the Qingming festival, it symbolizes "the most beautiful day". The holiday usually lasts three days. In the early morning of the festival, the people of the Dai village went to the Buddhist temple to clean the figure of Buddha. After the ceremony of the Buddhist temple, the young men and women pour water on each other. Then groups of people marched around, sprinkling pedestrians as a blessing. These represent blessings.

Culture[edit]

Religion[edit]

The Dai are predominately Theravada Buddhists. Dai Buddhism also tolerated many pre—Buddhist animistic beliefs and practices. The Dai were animists before Buddhism became popular and their belief in natural spirits continues.[5] Until very recently, every Dai village had at least one Buddhist temple while larger villages had two to five temples. Many of their Buddhist temples were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.[5] Parents commonly sent their sons (from 7 to 18 years old) to the Buddhist monasteries to become novices and to receive monastic education. The boys stay in the monasteries for three years or more while learning how to write, read, and practice the faith. Afterwards, most boys or young men would return to secular society while a handful of them remained in the monasteries to become fully ordained monks. This education system has led to high literacy rates and knowledge of the Dai script among Dai men that today exceed 80 percent.[4]

A small minority of Dai practice Islam. These specific Dai are often called "Parshi Dai" or "Dai Hui". Hui (Chinese Muslim) merchants from Dali and other parts of Yunnan settled in Xishuangbanna in the early nineteenth century. These settlers assimilated and intermarried with the locals which eventually led to the creation of a unique Dai and Sino-Islamic culture. The present Parshi Dai have a material culture identical to their Buddhist counterparts. They speak the same language, wear similar dress, have similar customs, rituals, and diet.[7]

Literature and science[edit]

The Dai have historically had a rich array of astronomical and literary works. The Dai have their own calendar that begins in the year 638 and have many astronomical books on calculating solar and lunar eclipses (most written in Dai script). Historical documents, legends, stories, poetry, fables, and children's stories are also plentiful.[4]

Dwellings[edit]

Traditional Dai villages are mainly located in bamboo plains near rivers or streams. Dai homes are usually built on stilts and some are square in shape. A few houses are two-story with the upper story being the living space and the bottom story as a storehouse. The bottom story can sometimes be wall-less.[4]

Economy[edit]

As an effect of living in a subtropical region, subsistence for many Dai include the use and growing of rice, coffee, rubber, tea, sugar, and many types of fruits. The Dai also have a highly developed handicraft industry which includes weaving, oil-pressing, winemaking, and bamboo work. Since the 1980s, tourism has become a source of revenue for the Dai in Xishuangbanna in consequence of airports being built in Jinghong and Mangshi. The increase of infrastructure and living standards in the region has led the Dai to assimilate into the mainstream Chinese economy better than other minorities.[4]

Marriage and women's roles[edit]

Historically, marriage was mainly between members of similar social or economic class and polygamy was common among chieftains. Dai society has traditionally been patriarchal with women having low status and unable to inherit property. Girls (from age 7 or 8) were responsible for caring for younger children and domestic duties. When they became older, working in the rice fields to clear weeds, harvest, plant, etc. was included into their responsibilities. Today, Dai women and youth have more freedoms then they did in the past and some women (with access to education) have entered into professional careers like teaching or nursing.[4]

Gallery[edit]

Dai containers (silver). Metalwork in the Yunnan Provincial Museum.

Dai Buddhist text. Manuscripts / writing systems in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai gourd pipes, also known as the hulusi, in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai bamboo house. Tools and utensils in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum, Kunming, Yunnan, China.

Dai copulating figurines. Folk Arts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai Buddhist streamer. Folk Arts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai mask. Exhibit in the Yunnan Provincial Museum

A wooden Thai Lue Buddha statue inside Wat Nong Bua, Tha Wang Pha District, Thailand

See also[edit]

Tai peoples

Thái people (Vietnam)

Rau peoples

References[edit]

^ "Ethnic Groups". China.org.cn. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-10-17.

^ Haimei Shen. Risk Society, the Predicaments of Folk Religion and Experience of Modernity: The Guardian Spirits in the Mandi Dailue Ethnic Society of Xishuangbanna Archived 2020-11-06 at the Wayback Machine. China: An International Journal, Vol. 11, No. 2

^ 云南省地方志编纂委员会 [Yunnan Gazetteer Commission], ed. (1998). 云南省志. 卷五十九, 少数民族语言文字志 [Yunnan Provincial Gazetteer, Vol. 59: Minority Languages Orthographies Gazetteer]. Kunming: 云南人民出版社 [Yunnan People's Press].

^ a b c d e f g h Skutsch, Carl, ed. (2005). Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities. New York: Routledge. pp. 361, 362. ISBN 1-57958-468-3.

^ a b c Hays, Jeffrey (July 2015). "Dai Religion and Festivals". facts and details. Retrieved 16 November 2019.

^ Cantwell, Cathy (2010). Buddhism: The Basics. New York: Routledge. pp. 148. ISBN 978-0-415-40880-6. Amongst the Dai minority nationality of Xishuangbanna...Theravada was established in the fifteenth century.

^ Ma, Chuang (2016). "Changes of Intermarriage Circle of the Pashi Dai (Muslims in Dai Society): A Case Study in the Hui Village in Manluan". In Rong, Gui (ed.). Hui Muslims in China. Leuven: Leuven University Press. pp. 87–95. ISBN 978-94-6270-066-6.

Works cited

Zhu, Liangwen (1992). The Dai: Or the Tai and Their Architecture & Customs in South China. Bangkok, Thailand, and Kunming, Yunnan, China: D D Books and The Science and Technology Press of Yunnan.

Les Dai de Chine: Zhongguo de Dai zu (in French), Jean A. Berlie, 136 pages, Paris, France, published in 1990.

External links[edit]

Photos related to Dai Theravada Buddhism

Site including information on some endangered Tai scripts

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dai people.

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The Dai (Tai) Minority of China

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The Dai (Tai) Minority of China

Written by Candice SongUpdated Jan. 17, 2024

Dai women

The Dai people of China mostly live along the border of Burma and Laos in Yunnan Province. They are the wealthiest of the ethnic minorities of Yunnan. Unlike other ethnic groups who must work on hillsides or in high altitude areas, the Dai people live in the rich lowland agricultural areas along the major rivers such as the Mekong River.

Their culture is much like Thai culture, and they are closely related to Thai. Along with lowland rice agriculture, the Dai grow rubber trees and specialty teas, especially the expensive Pu'er variety.

Tourists traveling to the tropical valley area of Xishuangbanna will be able to enjoy their spicy and delicious Dai tropical cuisine, see their festivals such as the Water Splashing Festival, and see their architecture as they enjoy Xishuangbanna's rain forest and agricultural abundance.

Where the Dai Live in China

The homelands of the Dai in China are in Yunnan, mainly around Xishuangbanna and Dehong.

The Dai or Tai are among the 55 Chinese ethnic minorities classified by the Chinese government.

The approximately 1.5 million Dai people in China live in Yunnan Province. Their main homeland area lies along the borders of Burma and Laos. On the other side of these borders live another approximately 7 million Dai, and there is frequent crossing back and forth. About 200,000 Dai live in Thailand.

About 400,000 Dai live in the city of Dehong and in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Prefecture where they are facing the pressures of urbanization as the city grows and their traditional farmlands are lost.

Another 400,000 or so Dai live in the Xishuangbanna area adjacent to Laos. It is a tropical lowland along the Mekong River and a popular tourist area. About 13 other ethnic groups live in Xishuangbanna.

In the Central part of Yunnan, about 50,000 Flower Waisted Dai live in Xinping Yi and Dai Autonomous County. They are called that because their women traditionally wear colorful clothing around their waists. Their lifestyle is different than that of lowland Dai.

Dai Origins and History

Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture

It is thought that the ancestors of the Dai were once living in the Yangtze River basin far to the north. But as the Qin Empire (221–206 BC) and then the Han Empire (206 BC– 20 AD) took control of the basin and the Han peopleand their control of the area increased, they moved south. Some settled north of Yunnan in Guangxi Province and surrounding areas and became the Zhuang people. Others moved further south into Yunnan and became the Dai.

Emperor Wu Di of the Western Han Dynasty established a large prefecture in his attempt to govern the Dai in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces. The climate was excellent for agriculture, and the Dai developed new agricultural techniques suited for the region such as using oxen for tilling.

About a thousand years ago, further wars and invasions drove part of Yunnan's ancient Dai people further south into Thailand and Laos. These became the modern Thai and Laotians.

With their control of the lowland areas and the Mekong River trade, the Dai have historically been wealthier and politically more powerful than the other ethnic groups. The expensive Pu'er tea is one of their cash crops, as are some tropical fruits and rubber. They are famed for their abundant rice harvests of both white and the special purple rice that is grown by the Flower Waisted Dai.

Dai Cuisine

Dai Cuisine

Their food is spicy and sour and is much like Thai cuisine. The Dai prefer to eat rice daily, and they add many kinds of meat to their meals including river fish. Like the Thai, they love pickled vegetables and bamboo shoots.

They also like to add tropical wild herbs, exotic fruit and algae from the river. These exotic dishes can be a special treat for tourists for the new taste experiences they can enjoy.

Special Traditional Dai Foods

Roasted chicken: The Dai love roasted chicken that they cook over low heat until it is moist and flavorful.

Bamboo cane rice: A special treat is bamboo rice that is made by putting rice in a bamboo cane, adding water, soaking it for a while, and then cooking the bamboo. The resulting soft, delicate rice has a delicious bamboo aroma and flavor.

Large insects: They like to eat various kinds of large tropical insects for meals and snacks. The bugs are eaten deep-fried, roasted, or grilled with spices.

Drinks: Homemade, partially-fermented wines are one of their favorite traditional drinks. Another is Pu'er tea (普洱茶 pu'er chá). It is one of China's potent famed medicinal drinks.

Dai Clothes

Traditional Dai dresses look much like Thai dresses

The historical Dai costume is made up of a short, narrow-sleeved dress worn with a sarong. Modern clothing comes in a wider range of styles, but there are some commonalities.

Most women's underclothes are light colors such as light blue, spring green, pink or white. Many women wear a short-waisted shirt that exposes a portion of the lower back over these garments. This shirt usually has a jewel-style collar. These are worn with a calf to floor-length narrow skirt and a bun hairstyle secured with a comb.

Male Dai clothing has some similarities to female dresses such as the tight-sleeved, collarless jackets they prefer. These are worn with long, loose trousers. Headgear includes white, black and blue turbans. In cold weather, a blanket may be wrapped around the shoulders.

Music and Dance

Dai culture includes many songs and dances, the most popular of which include the Drum Dance, Peacock Dance and Lion Dance. Most dances are accompanied by the elephant foot drum that is so named for its shape.

These drums are relatively long and made of hollowed logs covered with sheep or python skin and then painted bright colors and decorated with peacock feathers. The drums include a ribbon or strap that allow dancers to sling the instruments over their shoulders and play as they dance.

The famous Peacock Dance is notable for the undulating arm and torso motions and several steps that imitate peacock behavior. These include step walking, looking for water, peering about, bathing, drying the wings, and spreading the tail feathers, as well as flying from the nest. These bird motions are usually interspersed with free-form dance movements decided upon by the performer.

Dai Architecture

Traditional Dai houses are built to protect people from flooding.

The Dai of different Dai regions live in different structures. The Flower Waist Dai of central Yunnan build big adobe houses with flat roofs. Their structures are not raised.

Lowland Dai Stilt Houses

Most Dai however live in lowland rainforest areas prone to flooding. These Dai typically erect square or rectangular houses of wood and bamboo that are raised up on wood and/or bamboo pillars, and their houses have two or three stories. The second story is generally the family living space, and the lower is for sheltering livestock and storing food.

The family living area usually has a dining room, a work room, an area for receiving guests, bedrooms and a laundry balcony. The household water tank is kept on this balcony.

They attempt to elevate their raised structures high enough to protect the family living area from flooding if possible. By living in these raised houses, they also avoid the bugs and animals.

Festivals of the Dai Ethnic People

Water Splashing Festival of the Dai people

The festivals of the Dai people are generally related to their religion. The main festivals include the Door Closing Festival, the Door Opening Festival and the Water Splashing Festival.

The Dai calendar starts with the Water Splashing Festival that falls during Chinese New Year (between early January and the end of February depending on the lunar calendar). This is the first Buddhist festival of the year and the most important Dai festival. The event lasts for three days.

The first two days of the festival are marked by dragon-boat competitions designed as a method of saying goodbye to the old year.

The third day, early in the morning, people take a ceremonial bath, change into new clothes, and go to the temple.

This is followed by a playful splashing of water, basically a water fight, especially for the young. This can involve anyone who might be passing by. The water is thought to bring good luck for the new year to anyone who is splashed.

Visiting the Dai with Us

Elephant act

In Xishuangbanna, along with the Dai, there are about 13 ethnic groups to see, an elephant park, Dai architecture, ethnic restaurants, and tropical rainforest and gardens to enjoy. It is one of China's few tropical areas. We can help arrange your visit to native families.

Personal Drivers, Vehicles, and Our Local Expert Guides

There is an airport, but, as yet, there are no trains to this region. To get around, it is helpful to have a private driver and a guide with you. This is especially true if you want to visit the ethnic areas in the highlands and rainforest. We can provide private transport and driver for you to get there quickly and travel around to the various villages to meet the people.

Private drivers and vehicles are very convenient in Dai areas.

Here are sample itineraries for the ethnic areas of southern China. If you want a trip specifically to see the ethnic Dai or to go to other places directly, we can provide such a tour for you also.

6-Day Jianshui and Yuanyang Tour - includes the classic ancient buildings in Jianshui and the most spectacular sights in Yuanyang.

6-Day Yunnan Ethnic Minorities Tour - We can modify this to explore Dai regions as long as you wish.

THE DIVERSE MINORITIES - 17 Days Guilin-Sanjiang-Kaili-Kunming-Lijiang-Shangri-la - This is a grand tour of many different ethnicities, villages and tribes. We could modify this to go to the regions and people that most interest you.

According to where you want to go and what you want to do in Dai regions, we can modify these tours for you and design a trip you'll enjoy. Send us your ideas. You'll receive a response within 24 hours. Inquiries are free.

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Hani Ethnic People live adjacent to the Dai in the Mekong basin lowlands.

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An Introduction To China's Dai People

An Introduction To China's Dai People Looking for a last minute departure: save up to $960 on one of our March and April trips. Guides US$ CHOOSE CURRENCY US$ € £ AU$ CA$ NZ$ Culture Trips Rail Trips Private Trips Offers Guides An Introduction to China's Dai People Dai Women Celebrate Thai New Year | © 老铎 / WikiCommons Rachel Deason 28 April 2018 Copy Link Facebook Email Twitter Pinterest Similar to the Yao, the Dai is a composite of several related people groups. With a long history and a fun-loving culture, the Dai have come to influence Yunnan culture in a significant way. One of China’s 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities, the Dai are closely related to both the Lao and Thai peoples, having a closely intertwined history and a relatively close geographical position. There are over one million Dai living in China, primarily in the southern Yunnan province; however, the largest cluster of Dai live in Myanmar, with an estimated 6.3 million. While Dai peoples all share a similar language and culture, the term is actually a generalization of several Tai-Kadai-speaking peoples in China’s south. To clear up confusion with the term, Thailand has come to call them Tai Lue, meaning Tai peoples in general. Homeland The vast majority of China’s Dai live in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in the extreme south of Yunnan province. The prefecture borders Myanmar to the southwest and Laos to the southeast. With Dai culture dominating in Xishuangbanna, visitors to the region will feel much more like they have landed in Southeast Asia than in China. Harboring much of the biodiversity of Yunnan, Xishuangbanna is home to rainforests, rare plants and the last few Asian elephants in China. Many Dai also live in Yunnan’s Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, where coffee cultivation contributes greatly to the local economy. Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna | © Jacek Karczmarczyk / WikiCommons History Because Dai is an umbrella term created by China, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of the people group. In fact, the term as such was not used until the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, when the so-called “Water Dai,” “Land Dai,” and “Waist Festoon Dai” were merged into one Dai for census purposes. According to the U.S. Library of Congress, the ancestors of the Dai, Thai, and Lao originate in what is now Yunnan, where they subsisted on lowland rice cultivation. Other scholars believe that the people group could even have diverged from early Pacific islanders. For centuries, the Dai lived in scattered villages governed under Muang, or principalities. Around the 10th and 11th centuries, they established powerful local kingdoms such as the Mong Mao and Kocambi, which dominated other ethnic groups in the region. The first time the Dai were really ruled over by the Chinese was during the Yuan dynasty, when Mongol conquerors managed to capture as far south as modern day Myanmar. The subsequent dynasty, the Ming, pushed the Mongols out and began encroaching on Dai lands, producing a series of ongoing conflicts between the Dai and the Han Chinese that would come to a head in 1874 when a Hui Muslim named Du Wenxiu united the Dai with other minority groups in a rebellion against the Qing dynasty. The Communists tried to make reparations with the Dai, establishing Xishuangbanna as an autonomous prefecture in the 1950s, but many Dai still faced persecution during the later Cultural Revolution and fled across the border to Dai communities in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Ruili, Yunnan | © llee_wu / Flickr Culture Dai culture, like the people themselves, is vibrant and full of variety. One cultural aspect of note is the language, or rather, languages. The speaking of dialects and languages within the Tai-Kadai linguistic branch is one thing that helps unite the Dai. However, Dai in China still speak a wide range of languages, such as Tai Lu, Tai Nua, Tai Dam, Tai Ya, Tai Hongjin, and others. The Dai script is universal among these languages, however, and is quite different from Chinese in its adherence to an alphabetic system, likely derived from Sanskrit. Many Dai in China celebrate the Water Splashing Festival during their New Year (April 13–16), a date chosen to honor the birthday of the Buddha. While today the festival seems to be little more than an excuse for kids to get out of school and squirt each other with water guns, its origins center around the ritual “bathing of the Buddha.” The festival is also widely celebrated in Thailand, where it goes by the name Songkran. Dai Traditional Dance | © Paul Arps / Flickr Cuisine Though Yunnanese cuisine is a fusion of many local ethnic styles, a large part of it comes courtesy of the Dai. Yunnan cuisine uses all parts of nature. It is not uncommon to find locals chomping on insects, flowers, ferns, wild mushrooms, or algae, and those who are brave enough to try these culinary delights will find it a wonder that not everyone eats like that. The cuisine is often extremely spicy, although not in the same way that Sichuanese or Hunanese cuisine is spicy. Popular dishes include pineapple rice, mashed potatoes with chives and chilies and goat’s milk cheese. Edible Flowers | © Tim Wang / Flickr KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD? Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in. Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special. Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together. 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Dai Ethnic Minority - Complete Introduction to Dai People in China

Dai Ethnic Minority - Complete Introduction to Dai People in Chinaservice@chinatravel.com86-773-286-5632 (Intl rates apply)Contact Us

China ToursClassic China TourTop 10 China ToursYangtze River CruiseSilk Road ToursChina Panda ToursMinority Discovery ToursDestinationsBeijingShanghaiXi’anHong KongGuilinTibetHangzhouSuzhouHuangshanDay TripsShanghai Day TripsBeijing Day TripsHong Kong Day TripsGuilin Day TripsSuzhou Day TripsHangzhou Day TripsAsia ToursVietnam, Cambodia and ThailandClassic ThailandNorthern Vietnam DiscoverySiem Reap ExperienceUniversal Studios Singapore TicketsGolden Triangle in IndiaTravel GuideChina Entry and ExitPlan Your China TripChina VisaChina WeatherGreat Wall Of ChinaGiant PandaCultureChinese FoodChinese TeaChinese ZodiacChinese FestivalsChinese New YearChinese Kung FuCreate My TripWhat is Tailor-Made TourTrainsFlightsHomeChina GuideChinese Ethnic GroupsDai Ethnic MinorityWritten by Sally Guo Updated Jan. 24, 2022The Dai (alternatively, Tai) are one of the 56 official ethnic minorities in China, whose ethnic majority are of course the Han Chinese.The Dai Ethnic Group comprises several smaller ethnic groups living mainly in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, in the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in the southern part of Yunnan Province. Smaller pockets of Dai live in and around the Yunnan cities of Xinping and Yuanjiang, as well as in other autonomous counties in Yunnan Province. In all there are roughly 1.2 million Dai living in China. However, the Dai of China belong to a larger family of Dai/ Tai ethnic groups that also exist in neighboring Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.History of the Dai PeopleThe origin of the Dai ethnic family goes back to the ancient Baiyue (alternatively, Bai Yue, or Hundred Yue) people, a tribe of ancient ethnic groups. The term "Yue" has historically been used in a broad-stroke manner by the ancient Chinese to refer to any number of larger to smaller ethnic groups that do not necessarily belong in the same ethnic "pot", much like the ancient Greeks used the term "Keltai" (corresponding to the present-day English-language term "Celt") to refer, in broad-brush strokes, to certain peoples of present-day Europe, stretching from France through Germany and on to the British Isles.The Baiyue include the Dong, though this group insists that it is a separate ethnic entity. In fact, scholars believe that the original Yue folk who branched out along a northerly route that would lead them into present-day China (a similar group, forebears of the present-day Tai (alternatively "Thai") folk of Thailand, branched southward) are in fact forebears to the Han Chinese - indeed, the Cantonese language is also called the Yue language (to read more about this interesting migration theory, which relates the Dong, the Yue, and the ancestors of the Han together, click here).The earliest Dai peoples of China were separated into three different groups, corresponding to three kingdoms: the Mong Loong Kingdom (Kingdom of Uncle), situated in the southern Yellow River region; the Mong Pa Kingdom (Kingdom of Auntie), in present-day Sichuan Province; and the Mong Yio Kingdom (Kingdom of the Yue/ Yi peoples), east of the Yangtze River. With plentiful rainfall and fertile land, the areas that these three Dai groups inhabited was quasi-subtropical, and thus suitable for the planting of Dai crops that today would be called cash crops. According to ancient Chinese documents, the Dai had a fairly well-developed system of agriculture, and a part of their crops were sold, or bartered, for other commodities. The Dai are believed by scholars to be one of the first ethnic groups to employ oxen to till the land.The forebears of the present-day Dai Ethnic Minority of China first organized themselves into a semi-unified political organization - the "Shan Guo" - during the Qin (BCE 221-207) and Han (BCE 206 - CE 220) Dynasties period. In BCE 109, Emperor Wu Di of the Western Han (BCE 206 - CE 009) Dynasty set up the prefecture of Yizhou (alternatively Yi Zhou, "Yi" being a variant of "Yue", and "Zhou" (alternatively "Zhao") meaning state, or prefecture) as a special area to house the Yue people in southwestern China, corresponding to present-day Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces.Dai WomenIn subsequent years the Dai of Yizhou Prefecture sent emissaries bearing tributes to the Han court in Luoyang in appreciation of the recognition shown them by the Chinese emperor. Included in the entourage were Dai musicians and acrobats whose performance at the Han court won the Dai people great praise; these emissaries, or "Dai ambassadors", received gold seals from the emperor while their leader was given the title of "Great Captain." In the years that followed, the Dai people would be officially affiliated with the Han Dynasty, receiving recognition and protection from Han rulers in exchange for their loyalty to the emperor.Over the years the resourceful Dai further multiplied and split into smaller groups, or tribes. From the 8th to the 12th century, the Dai of the Dehong region had lived under their own separate, semi-autonomous rule - but within the confines of Imperial China, of course - in the Meng Mao Kingdom whose capital was Ruilijiang. But in the 12th century, a Dai chieftain named Pa Ya Zhen unified all of the Dai tribes and established a local kingdom, albeit, still within the confines of Imperial China, called Mengle, with Jinghong in present-day Yunnan Province as its capital.During the Yuan (CE 1271-1368) Dynasty, the Dai homelands were subordinated to Yunnan Province, and the feudal system of appointing hereditary headmen from among the ethnic minorities - including from among the Dai - was instituted, which was a step backward compared to the more progressive organizational system of the previous, principally Han Chinese, dynasties, and it was surely a form of cultural appeasement towards ethnic minorities with whom the Yuan Dynasty had its share of problems. However, this neo-feudal system continued, not only with respect to the Dai, but with respect to the bulk of China's ethnic minorities, on through the Ming (CE 1368-1644) and the Qing (CE 1644-1911) Dynasties, except for small enclaves of minority groups that lived within the confines of the more advanced Han Chinese areas; these latter enclaves of Dai folk were subject to the same administrative rule as the surrounding mainstream Chinese society.After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the new republic, under the rule of the Kuomintang - which feared a civil-war-like break-up of the country (and which may even have feared defeat at the hands of some of these minority groups, not least the Mongolians) - set up a special administrative entity, a county, in the Dai homelands, and a policy of oppression was thereafter pursued throughout the reaches of the county's administration.After the formation of the People's Republic of China, the Dai area that had been under strict Kuomintang rule was "liberated" (1950). In subsequent years, in particluar between 1954 and 1985, upwards of 90% of the Dai people would come to live in areas which had been granted autonomous administration within the PRC.The Dai Language and Writing SystemThe language of the Dai belongs to the Zhuang-Dai branch of the Zhuang-Dong group of Chinese-Tibetan Phylum, or family of languages. The Dai have their own special writing system, which is written in an alphabetic, as opposed to a character, script. There are five different branches of this writing system spread throughout the various Dai communities in China. Among these, the most common are the Daikou and the Daina writing systems, which are also known as the Xinshuangbanna and the Dehong writing systems, respectively.CostumesWomen's CostumesTraditionally, Dai women wore tight-sleeved short dresses and sarongs, which accentuated their slim but shapely figures admirably, imparting a femininity and daintiness that was, and remains, unique. Dai women's clothing, particularly in the Xishuangbanna region, comes in a wide variety of styles. Undergarments are typically of a light shade such as white, light green, sky-blue or pink. Over this is worn a jewel-collared short-waisted shirt that rides above the hips, exposing part of the lower back. It either buttons down the front, or on the right side, and has long, tight-fitting sleeves. The skirt, or sarong, is tight-fitting as well, and is quite long, reaching, in some cases, almost to the ground. It is not uncommon for a Dai woman to wear a silk girdle around her waist, and to wind her long, beautiful hair into an elegant bun, fixed with a shapely comb, atop her head.Dai FestivalYounger Dai women decorate their hair with flowers, while older Dai women typically wear a hat, often made of bamboo straw. A woman's personal jewelry includes silver earrings, necklaces, waistbands, bracelets, and bejeweled coronets. Some Dai women also wear jewelry made of jade, agate and colored glass.Men's CostumesTraditionally, Dai men wore collarless, tight-sleeved short jackets - with the opening down the front or along the right side, as seen in the Dai woman's shirt - and long, baggy pants. This tradition continues today. In winter, Dai men drape a blanket over their shoulders in lieu of a coat. To finish off his rather austere wardrobe, a Dai man wears a turban in black, white, or blue.Cuisine and Eating HabitsRice is the staple of the Dai diet. The Dai in the Dehong region prefer a rice sort that, when cooked, produces a looser-grained finished product, i.e., does not stick together (similar to long-grained rice in Europe and America), while the Dai of the Xishuangbanna region generally prefer a stickier, more glutinous type of rice, similar to the rice sort that is used in Europe and America to make pudding.The Dai are fond of pork, beef, duck, chicken, and fish; they seldom eat mutton. In some areas, dog meat is also popular among the Dai. In general, the Dai love flavors that are sour and/or spicy hot. They are known for their roasted chicken and pickled fish, but also for their pickled bamboo shoots, pickled peas, and pickled meat. Not surprisingly, the Dai are wild about dry sauerkraut. The Dai are fond not only of fish, but also of other seafoods such as shrimp, crab, and shellfish. Besides being fond of sour and spicy hot dishes, the Dai also enjoy foods that are slightly bitter, such as bitter gourd and bitter bamboo shoots, both of which everyday vegetable dishes are as common to a Dai household as is apple pie to an American household.Local SpecialtiesSince the Dai live in areas that are hot and humid, replete with a cornucopia of large insects, they have learned to incorporate this rich protein source into their diet. Therefore, dishes and snacks made of insects constitute a large part of the Dai diet, and enhance it with their special flavors. In addition to the cicada, the bamboo worm as well as a number of species of spiders are the most commonly used insects in the Dai diet, which also includes exotic foods such as field turtle and the eggs of giant ants. The Dai also have a liking for partially-fermented wine that is generally homemade. These are more often than not sweet wines. Although tea is a local specialty, the Dai prefer their tea made of large-leaf tea sorts that are not highly perfumed. Other typical Dai products include sun-dried pork, sun-dried eel, and salted eggs.Dai FoodEtiquette and TaboosMost of these taboos occurs in Sacrificial Occasions:Tourists are forbidden to enter a stockaded village when the Dai are engaged in the worship of the stockade god.Tourists are required to take off their shoes before entering a Buddhist temple. Neither may a tourist step on the shadow of a monk, nor touch the head of a monk. Proper etiquitte calls for passersby of all nationalities and faiths to show respect to a monk by placing their palms together in the universal gesture of prayer, and nodding a greeting, however slight the movement.Weddings, Childbirths and Funerals1) A tourist may not enter the home of a pregnant woman or a sick man.2) A special object made of bamboo hanging near the main door of a home signifies that a pregnant woman is nearing childbirth, and this means that all visitors will be refused.3) A tourist may not enter a home where a member has just died. Moreover, a tourist is forbidden to attend a Dai funeral ceremony without express permission of the family.4) A bamboo keg for holding water is always hung near the door where a death has occurred in a family. Inside this keg are placed sour leaves, and after the funeral rites have been completed, all participants sprinkle a small amount of this special water over their heads, in order to turn away evil spirits.Top Festivals and CelebrationsThe Water Splashing FestivalThe Water Splashing Festival falls during the New Year of the Dai Calendar. It is sometimes called Shanghan or Jingbimai (both variants meaning "New Year"), but it is more commonly called Hounan ("Water Splashing Festival") in the Dai language. The Water Splashing Festival is not only the first Buddhist festival of a new year, but also the most important festival observed by the Dai. (To learn more about the Water Splashing Festival, click: http://www.chinatravel.com/facts/water-splashing-festival.htm)Water Splashing FestivalThe Dragon Homage FestivalThe Dai pay yearly homage to the dragon, who is seen as a deity with the power to bless or punish mankind, especially as regards the yearly harvest. This Dragon Homage Festival is held at a date determined by the Dai calendar, which means that it often falls in January of the Western calendar, and thus also occurs close to the traditional Chinese Spring Festival. During the Dragon Homage Festival, a monk from the village temple organizes the collection of food and clothing to be offered to the Dragon God.Every Dai, without regard to income or social standing, is encouraged to make such an offering to the Dragon God, though one of course offers gifts commensurate with one's wealth. For example, rich families might offer items in gold or silver, including coins. All offerings are dropped off at the temple, where they are preserved in an appropriate "Dragon Palace" until the highlight ceremony of the Dragon Homage Festival, at which time the "Dragon Palace" is placed on a bamboo raft and allowed to drift away down the Menglong River, while the people pray and chant Buddhist scripture.Dai Cultural IdentityThe Dai enjoy a rich and colorful culture, the Bai Yue culture, whose designation today is shortened to Bai Ye to distinguish it from the original anthropological culture of the ancient Bai folk. The ancient Bai Yue culture was in the forefront of social development in many respects when the Dai first began to organize themselves into communities in China. The Dai also have their own calendar, they have books in Dai script for calculating solar and lunar eclipses, and their historical documents span a rich variety of literary works, from poetry and fables to ancient stories and legends.The Bei Ye CultureBei Ye Culture is a general term for the social and cultural history of the Dai people. Bai Ye cultural artifacts and traditions include original scripture etched onto the leaves of the pattra tree (a tropical plant native to the Dai homelands), Dai scripture copied onto cotton paper, and "song" ("chanting" may be the better term) books, as well as a plethora of lesser cultural traditions that are handed down generation after generation, and thus every Dai individual is a walking preserve of Dai culture. The Bei Ye Culture became known especially for the scriptures that were etched onto the leaves of the pattra tree.Bei Ye scriptures, as indicated, are preserved on two different media: the leaf of the patta tree and paper made of cotton. The former is called "Tanlan" in the language of the Dai, while the latter is called "Bogalesha". The Bei Ye culture has developed over time from its origins as a collection of primitive ethnic and religious practices that have been combined with the influences of neighboring cultures, primarily the Han Chinese culture, but also Indian Buddhist culture (the Dai practice a form of Buddhism that differs from the Chinese-influenced Indian Buddhism of the mainstream Han Chinese).Though they live in separate countries, and in some cases miles apart, the Dai of China, the Lao of Laos, the Shan of Myanmar, and the Thai of Thailand all have evolved from the same ethnic origins - they all share the same Bai Ye culture particular to Southeast Asia.The Dai CalendarDai have their own calendar, which is still in use today. The Dai calendar is unusual, compared to the Han Chinese lunar calendar, in that the former incorporates elements of both the solar and the lunar calendars. Borrowing from the Han Chinese Taoist tradition, Dai use the method of Heavenly Stems and the Terrestrial Branches to record days and years in their "hybrid" calendar (this is a reference to the Taoist sexagenary cycle, or a cyclical system of 60 combinations of the two basic cycles: the 10 Heavenly Stems and the 12 Earthly Branches). Dai has chosen to not only employ much of the Han Chinese calendar terminology, they have also preserved the Han Chinese pronunciation of this terminology.A year is divided into twelve months in the Dai calendar, while some months are called "single" months and others are called "double" months. There are thirty days in a "single" Dai month and twenty-nine days in a "double" Dai month. A year is also composed of three seasons: the Cold Season, which runs from January to April; the Hot Season, which runs from May to August; and the Rainy Season, which runs from September to December. To further account for the irregularities of the earth's orbit, so as to make the Dai calendar fit the actual time trajectory of the earth's orbit, there are seven leap years to every span of nineteen years.According to ancient Dai documents, there are four epochs, termed "Saha", in Dai history. The fourth epoch is the current one, or the "Zhujiang Saha", which began in the year CE 647, circa, in Western calendar terms, and was announced by a Dai religious leader by the name of Payazhula.Songs and DancesDai are exceptionally good at singing and dancing. Their most popular dances are the Peacock Dance, the Lusheng Dance, the Sanxian Dance, the Lion Dance and the Drum Dance. The most important musical instrument in accompanying Dai dances is the so-called elephant-foot drum, which can be played by people of all ages, from a young child to a pensioner.The elephant-foot drum is typically long and made of a section of log that has been hollowed out, then covered with the skin of a python, though today sheepskin is used (otherwise pythons might soon be on the endangered species list). The drum is painted in a variety of bright colors and adorned with the feathers of a peacock - a bird that is especially auspicious in Dai culture, hence the dance of the same name. A stout ribbon serves as a strap that is attached to the drum so that it can be carried by the performing dancer. The performing dancer carries the elephant-foot drum slung over his left shoulder, beating the drum mainly with his right hand, while his left-hand helps to steady and/or shift the position of the drum so as to facilitate the playing rhythm.Regarding the origin of the elephant-foot drum, legend has it that in ancient times, the Dai homelands were frequently subjected to severe flooding. The people learned about the presence of an evil dragon nearby that was causing the floods. A brave Dai youth, aided by his fellow villagers, eventually managed to kill the monster, and for the celebrations that followed, a special drum was hollowed out of a log and the hide of the slain dragon was used as the drum's resonating outer skin.The Peacock DanceThe Peacock Dance is the favorite dance of the Dai. It is a very graceful and elegantly performed dance that imitates the stately strutting of the peacock and is marked by undulations of the waist and the arms. The Peacock Dance is usually performed during Dai New Year celebrations, as well as during certain Buddhist festivals such as the annual Baipala Festival. As with so many other folkloric practices, there is a Dai legend attached to the origin of the Peacock Dance. The legend goes like this...Long, long ago, the feathers of the peacock were not so colorful and beautiful, nor did the peacock possess the characteristic "eyed" tail feathers by which it is known today. The peacock was known, however, for its relative tameness and obedience. It so happened that once during a Buddhist festival at a local temple, word spread that the Buddhist patriarch would descend to earth. Therefore a great throng of adherents came rushing to the temple, which quickly became overcrowded.In the meantime, a peacock in a remote mountain region heard the news of the imminent arrival of the patriarch at the temple in question and being a devout Buddhist peacock, it, therefore, flew the long journey to join the other worshippers in the already overcrowded little temple, where the patriarch himself had just arrived.When the peacock, in agitation at not being able to get a better view of the patriarch, paced back and forth behind the throng of other worshippers, the patriarch became aware of this and cast a beam of the light of Buddha in the direction of the devout peacock. The light beam struck the tail of the peacock, lighting it up in iridescent colors and producing the characteristic "eyed" tail feathers by which the peacock is recognized today.On departing, the patriarch said to the devout peacock that the two would meet during the next Baipala Festival. From then on, when the Patriarch descended to earth during the Baipala Festival, he would first meet with his human followers at the temple, and afterward, he would visit the peacock on its remote mountain and watch it prance and dance and show off its beautiful tail.That is how the peacock came to be so beautiful, and that is also why the Dai perform a dance in its honor every year during the major Dai festivals, including the harvest festival and of course the Baipala Festival.The Peacock DanceThe Choreography of the Peacock DanceThe Peacock Dance involves a number of fixed elements that imitate the behavior of the peacock. These imitative elements include: launching into flight from the nest; flying about; strolling about; searching for a water source; peering intensely, combined with suggestive eye movements; bathing in a water puddle; spreading the wings and shaking them to dry off; and spreading the tail feathers as if to announce its presence as the most exquisite creature in the whole of the animal kingdom.Hand GesturesThe hand gestures of the Peacock Dance include the following: turning the thumb inwards towards the palm of the hand, while extending the four fingers that are held tightly together (not splayed); tucking the thumb only slightly, with the index finger bent and the other three fingers extended but splayed (known as the "peacock hand" gesture); the thumb and index finger extended and clasped together at the ends, and with the other three fingers fanned out, in a slightly curved manner, suggesting the shape of an eye.Basic Body MovementsTypical Dai dance movements involve lowering the body, raising the body, stepping to the right and stepping to the left (usually combined with lowering and raising the body). Raising the body from a lowered position begins on both legs but ends on only one: as the dancer rises, one leg is forced backwards, ending in a kicking motion as the dancer rotates from side to side, then the "kick" leg is brought forward and the dancer hops to the side, onto that leg, i.e., the dancer hops laterally, either to the right or to the left, depending on which leg was used for the kicking motion. The dancer alternates between kicking backward with the right and then the left leg.The beginning of the dance is signaled by a lowering of the body. It is done with a straightened back, and to the accompaniment of a heavy musical rhythm. In both lowering and raising the body, the dancer maintains a rigidly straightened back posture. While hopping right (left), the dancer swings the body to the right (left) and brings the knees together, turning the head sharply in the opposite direction of the body.Dai ArchitectureThe Traditional Dai HouseDai architecture, except for temple architecture, which was built according to dictated architectural standards of Buddhism, is vernacular architecture, i.e., it is "people's architecture", or architecture that does not involve the services of professional architects.The most typical building material in Dai culture is bamboo, and the building style of the typical Dai house is called "Gan Lan". The columns, beams, purlins, rafters, and walls of the house are of bamboo, as is the gate leading to the house. In fact, the grass, or thatch, that covers the roof of a Dai traditional house is held together in tufts, or bundles, with the help of bamboo twigs, which are quite elastic. In some areas, the roof consists of bamboo shafts split in half, then tied together to form a seamless roof. Obviously, the greater the bearing requirement the larger, or sturdier, the bamboo. Thus the house's main framework will be made of the largest bamboo shafts, while narrower bamboo is used for walls, for the roof, and as a final covering over the bearing framework of the floor, if wooden planks are not to be used.A traditional Dai house is two-storeyed and roughly square in shape. The upper store serves as the living quarters for the family, while the lower store, which may be only partially walled in, but is generally partitioned into more than one room, serves as a storeroom for grain, etc., and as a shelter for livestock. The living quarters contain, besides bedrooms, room for working, for dining, and for receiving guests. There is traditionally a balcony for washing clothes. It is here that the household water supply, its water tank, is located. The advantage of having the living quarters raised above ground are obvious: it reduces the risks to life and property during high water conditions (flooding), being well above ground, it is free of dampness, ground chill, and it is generally free of insects, especially mosquitoes.The Traditional Dai HouseReligious Architecture: Temples and PagodasReligious buildings in China are traditionally built in secluded, auspicious locales on mountains or hilltops, tucked in among trees. The aesthetics of the physical setting is of paramount importance in the placement of religious buildings in China, as the physical setting contributes greatly to the overall religious experience.The Buddhist TempleThe Buddhist temple, or "Wa" in the language of the Dai, is a place of reverence. The typical temple complex consists of a temple gate, the main hall, and various rooms for the monks who live and work at the temple, as well as a special room for housing the drum. The larger the temple complex, the greater number of pagodas. The placement of the pagodas - indeed of the placement of all the building components - is undertaken with an eye to the overall aesthetics of the temple complex, taking the topography of the surrounding terrain into consideration (these considerations hold true in China not only for Buddhism but also for Taoism).The Temple GateFacing eastward, and slighly offset behind the meter-high wall that surrounds the temple complex, the temple gate is built in a memorial archway style, with two equal-sized staircase steps before and after the archway itself. Such symmetry is crucial to the memorial archyway style.The Buddhist HallThe main hall, or Buddhist Hall, is also called a "Wei Han" in the language of the Dai. Situated on an east-west axis, the Buddhist Hall is the primary place of worship, it is the locale where Buddhists gather to worship the founding father of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha. Here worshippers light incense, chant sutras, and conduct various religious activities in accordance with Buddhist tradition. The center area of the Buddhist Hall is topped with a roof with an apsis in the center, with one-half of the roof sloping in one direction and the other half sloping in the opposite direction, in the quintessentially Chinese hip-and-gable roof style. There is a dividing wall directly below the apsis, such that each half of the roof corresponds to a walled-off room below the roof, one room, or hall, facing eastward, the other westward. A large statue of Buddha stands in the hall facing eastward (below is a detailed description of the Buddha statue).The walls of the Buddhist Hall are only two meters high, and seem dwarfed by the height of the arched roof. Since Dai homelands are synonymous with a humid climate, even the Dai Buddhist temple walls are constructed so as to permit ventilation. Windows, where present, are quite small. The supporting pillars of the main hall are thick and sturdy, and the pillars, as well as supporting beams, are painted a bright red. This feature, together with the "Jin Shui" scripture which adorns the walls of a Dai Buddhist temple, defines, as it were, Dai temple architecture.The Buddhist PagodaEither standing alone or as part of the superstructure of a Buddhist monastery, the brick-built pagoda is a repository for relics, and for the ashes of Buddha. Being the dominant feature of the skyline of a Dai village, Dai Buddhist pagodas differ considerably from the corresponding pagodas of Han Chinese and Tibetan-Chinese areas. The plinth of the Dai Buddhist pagoda is typically either in the shape of the Chinese "Ya", or in the shape of a lotus blossom. The overall shape of the pagoda is in the form of an upside-down Buddhist alms bowl. The pedestal on which it stands has a rock-solid appearance, which contrasts with the light appearance of the pagoda that rises above it. Where there are multiple pagodas, they generally come in varying shapes, yet each fits the overall scheme of the temple's superstructures well as the overall scheme of the layout of the temple complex.The Buddha StatueThe statue of Buddha represents the pinnacle of Dai sculptural arts. It is made by Dai artists who are Buddhist devotees. The Dai Buddha statue is generally of two varieties: one that is a traditional Sakymuni Buddha representation, i.e., with "snail-shaped" hair (sometimes flame-shaped or lotus-flower-shaped) and an exposed right shoulder; and one that is a more stately representation of Buddha with a crown, in a resplendent cape, and with an arm-guard as well as precious stones decorating the front, or chest area. It is typical for the Dai Buddha to be in a sitting posture.This Buddha is characterized by a head that makes up one-third of the height of the statue. Other, smaller Buddha figures may be in a standing posture, with more natural proportions (the head of the sitting Buddha figure is considered the most prominent feature). In contrast to the Han Chinese Buddha figure, which is generally quite plump and often smiling, the Dai Buddha figure is slimmer, with a more subdued expression on a more elongated face atop a thin neck that protrudes above broad shoulders and a short upper torso.Dai HandicraftsThe Paper-cutThe Dai paper-cut is the traditional folk art of the Dai minority. Paper-cut drawings are used as well to design patterns on household articles such as bed linen, bags and hats. The Dai paper-cut motifs are beautiful and intricate, composed of images of grass, trees, insects, animals and humans, all interacting in a harmonious way. Others contain a more specific set of story-telling images relevant to the Dai culture, as well as relevant to more local traditions. In the paper-cut, the Dai follow a proud Chinese tradition, albeit, adapted to meet the specific cultural and artistic aspirations of the Dai ethnic minority.Dai Buddhist Temple Art: Jin Shui Pillar Patterns and MuralsJin Shui is a common pillar decoration method in Dai Buddhist temples involving Dai scripture. The Jin Shui procedure is complicated, but can be described roughly as follows: the areas of the pillars to receive the decorations are chosen, then painted black. Paper-cut images of the scripture's text are then pasted onto the black areas of the pillar, after which the rest of the pillar is painted red. When the red paint dries, the paper-cut images are painted with a golden paint which seeps into the paper and onto the black background behind it, leaving a red pillar with scripture in golden letters of the Dai alphabet, called "Jin Shui".The mural is the most vivid form of folk painting among the Dai. Murals are usually drawn on temple walls in a fluid, panoramic style that typically tells a story. The imagery almost always involves the Buddha and various princes and princesses, as well as impressive members of the animal kingdom such as the white elephant, horses, and deer. Another fixture in the Dai Buddhist temple mural is the Buddhist pagoda set in among bright green trees. The colors of a Dai Buddhist temple mural are in general very bright and richly contrasting.The SatchelThe Satchel, also called "Tong Pa" in the language of the Dai, belongs the practical side of Dai handicrafts; it is very popular among the Dai. The satchel is used for the safekeeping of variety of everyday items from cigarettes to special seeds to sewing items and decorations. Young people use the satchel to keep memorable items exchanged with a boyfriend or a girlfriend. The patterns on the satchel are varied, typically with multiple images of animals, some rare, and with trees and flowers of a variety of types. Sometimes the artist will include geometrical shapes for added interest. In general, each pattern - be it animal, plant, or geometrical shape - has its own significance, as does each particular color theme. For example, red and green signify respect for ancestors, while the image of a peacock signifies good luck, the image of an elephant signifies a good harvest as well as a happy life in general. Such images reflect the Dai people's tendency to strive for a better life for themselves and for future generations.The Tattoo, or Body ArtThe Dai are proud of their beautiful tattoos - "the more the better" seems to be the motto. When a boy reaches the age of eleven or twelve, a tattoo artist is invited to tattoo the boy's body and limbs with designs of animals, flowers, geometric patterns, and examples of Dai script. Tattooing is achieved by first drawing the relevant patterns on the skin with colored dye, then the patterns are pricked with a fine needle which will allow the dye to sink into the skin. After a period of time (the curing period), the pattern is then permanent. The most propitious time of the year for tattooing is during the Dragon Boat Festival.The origin of tattooing in the Dai culture stems from a legend. Long, long ago (as most legends worth their salt begin) the Dai people were still in search of a suitable homeland, and in this nomadic state, they continued to move along the river, or to move to other rivers, in search of their staple food at the time, fish. On one particular river, the Dai encountered a very hostile dragon that would attack anything with a dark yellowish color, including humans. In an attempt to deceive this fierce dragon, the Dai painted their skin in the colors of the dragon - which included black, but excluded yellow, of course.Unfortunately, when the Dai entered the river, which was essential both in order to fish, to bathe, and to wash their clothing, the paint - which was only painted on the outer surface of the skin - would wash off, and the dragon would attack anew. A clever shaman figured out how to make the body paint permanent by applying the paint, then pricking the skin, and thus was born the practice of tattooing among the Dai people.ReligionMost of the Dai people believe in the Sthaviravada (the little vehicle) while some still adhere to the principle of animism, or the notion that all things, from what we call animate to inanimate things, possess a soul. The Sthaviravada holds that the world of senses is void, and that to reach nirvana, or the state of release from material existence, it is necessary to transcend the demands of the senses.The Buddha sutra of the Sthaviravada is generally called The Three Pitakas, one of which is the sutra that aims at maintaining stability in the laws of the universe.  Another, the Vinaya Pitaka, advocates religious discipline, while the last, the Abhidharma Pitaka, makes public the Buddhist theory and its teachings. According to the Sthaviravada, it was a common practice to send young boys to the temple to be educated, which also elevates the boy's social status. There, the boy would learn to read, write and chant scriptures, but it served as a form of schooling in general. Some of the boys would enter the monastery to become monks, though the vast majority remained within their villages, partaking in secular life as well.Dai ReligionCustomsThe Courtship Custom of the Flower Ball FestivalThere are many ways for Dai youths to express their affection for the opposite sex, but chief among them is the Flower Ball Festival. When the New Year of the Dai Lunar Calendar - i.e., the Water-Splashing Festival - is on the horizon, all the unmarried youths of the village and its environs get together to participate in the Flower Ball Festival. The event is carried out by having boys and girls stand in separate lines opposite each other, then the boy throws the flower ball, when it is his turn, to the girl he fancies the most and who is standing in the line directly opposite him (as can be understood, the girls line up first, then the boys take their positions opposite the girl of their choice, and, by pre-arrangement, any potential conflict such as two boys wishing to court the same girl is resolved by parents, well in advance of the Flower Ball Festival). Flower ball throwing is done round after round because not every girl catches the flower ball on the first attempt (it is a requirement to eventually catch the flower ball).The rule is if the girl doesn't catch the flower ball, the boy will give the girl a gift as encouragement since further rounds will be played for those not having caught the flower ball. In the event that a girl does not catch the flower ball, she is required to pick a flower for the boy who cast the ball to her. In reality, a girl may deliberately fail to catch the flower ball many times over, in order to thus elicit more gifts (a certain amount of pre-arrangement here cannot be excluded). Not all boys and girls "paired" at a Flower Ball go on to become serious sweethearts, but many, if not most, do, as there is more to the ceremony than innocent children choosing a favorite - suitability issues such as social standing, inter-family relations, etc., plays a role as well.The Custom of Thread TwiningThe Thread Twining Custom is known in the Dai language as Shu Huan, meaning "twining the souls". Shu Huan is a social event that involves the extended families of both parties to the wedding, as well as specially invited guests. It is done both at an official "engagement" ceremony that takes place any time between the 15th of December (the Opening-of-the-Door Festival) to the 15th of September of the following year (the Closing-of-the-Door Festival), and during the marriage ceremony itself. The purpose of this well-wishing ceremony is to pray for the bride and groom and to twine thread for them in the hope that theirs may be a happy and well-suited union.During the wedding ceremony itself, the host first prays for the bride and groom, then he takes a long white thread and begins to twine it around the hands of the new couple as a symbol of a long, healthy and happy life together. Thereafter the other family members of both the bride and groom perform the same symbolic thread twining ritual upon the bride and groom, and lastly, invited friends of the couple do the same.The custom of twining thread as a symbol of the marriage union is an old Dai tradition. Once again, its origin is enshrouded in legend...Long, long ago, there was a very young princess - just a girl, really - who often wondered about what type of man she would someday marry. One day, the princess mused to a very young male servant - a boy of roughly her own age, in fact: "I wonder who I will eventually marry?" The young boy answered matter of factly, and without the slightest hesitation: "You are going to marry me." Upon hearing this, the princess, in a fit of rage, grabbed a knife lying on a nearby table and threw it at the boy, making a deep gash in his forehead, which would leave a permanent scar. Moreover, the young boy, for his impertinence, was driven out of the country.There, the young boy became a young man, and a very successful one at that: he eventually became the country's king. As was the custom at the time, rulers of neighboring states and countries chose intermarriage as a means of defusing potential rivalry, so a marriage between the young king and the princess of the country from which the young man, as a boy, had been rudely kicked out, was arranged. On the day of the wedding, the princess immediately recognized the groom-to-be as her former servant, for the scar from the deep gash she had given him as a boy was clearly visible on his forehead. The princess was so overwhelmed with remorse - and also with awe at the boy's prophetic words - that she placed her right hand between the hands of her groom-to-be, and proceeded to twine their hands together, as a sign of her eternal devotion to her coming husband and king. Back to China Ethnic GroupsCreate My TripNeed Help?Request a custom itinerary today and get one step closer to your personalized tripCreate Your Trip CHINA TRAVELChina Travel is one of China’s leading touring specialists. 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China Dai People: Language, Resources, Food, Architecture

China Dai People: Language, Resources, Food, Architecture

 

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Dai Nationality

The Dai ethnic minority, which numbers 1,158,989, is distributed throughout the Dai Autonomous Region and the Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in Xishuangbanna in the southern part of Yunnan Province. In the past, they were called 'Baiyue', meaning a vast living area. Therefore, they have established a close relationship with ethnic groups like the Zhuang, Dong, Shui, Bouyei and Li, who are said to be the descendants of the Dai people. Language:Their language belongs to the Zhuang-Dai branch of the Zhuang-Dong group of Sino-Tibetan languages. The written language was derived from Devanagari and differs from region to region. Religion:Their religion is Southern Buddhism, which was adopted in the 6th to 8th century and had a profound influence on their politics, economy, culture and arts. Religious activities are so common that most 8 to 10-year-old boys, in particular in Xishuangbanna, are sent to temples where they learn sutras for one to five years. They then leave the temple and spend their lives as secularized monks. Performance of Dai People  Resources:Thanks  to the area's favorable climate, agriculture and horticulture developed very early. An abundance of rice won for Xishuangbanna the title 'barn of south Yunnan'; local tea, bamboo, and sugar cane are also of high quality. According to historical records, Pu'er Tea was presented to the emperor as tribute as early as the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Now this region has become an important producer of rubber.Other resources are also abundant. There are wild apples, bananas and Chinese gooseberries, rare animals like gibbons and peacocks, and minerals like gold, silver, iron, and crystal. Arts:They are quite good at singing and dancing. Their achievements in music are well-known among all the ethnic groups. Their folk and traditional musical instruments include the elephant-foot drum, bronze gong, clarinet, and hulusi.Xishuangbanna is the home of the peacock, which the Dai people revere as a symbol of good fortune, happiness, beauty and kindness. Thus the Peacock Dance is their most popular folk dance. Performers in clothes with peacock patterns imitate peacocks with lively, flexible and graceful movements in a dance that is a popular part of the Water-splashing Festival.The Elephant-foot drum dance is another well known dance for men. This unique instrument is made of carved mango or ceiba trunk covered with cowhide, and looks just like an elephant foot. The drum can be long, medium-sized, or short. The dance done with a long drum appears very graceful, with the medium-sized one, it is vigorous with broad, sweeping movements; and with the short one, flexible and bright. Architecture of Dai Nationality  Architecture:The  architecture of the Dai region is distinctive, known especially for the Dai-style temples, bamboo bridges and houses. The temples combine the styles of South Asian and Chinese culture and can be shaped like pavilions, thrones, bells, and so on. Bamboo houses are designed based on local conditions. Made entirely of bamboo, the houses have two floors - downstairs for livestock and upstairs for people - a clean, light and well - ventilated design. Food: They love glutinous rice and hot and sour dishes. A favorite dish is bamboo rice, made by putting clean rice into a bamboo tube, adding water and soaking for 7 or 8 hours. Finally, the mouth of tube is covered with a banana leaf and the whole thing is roasted for about 12 minutes. The resulting soft, delicate rice emits a delicious bamboo fragrance and is a choice offering for guests. Festivals:Their important festivals are the Water-splashing Festival, the Door-closing Festival and the Door-opening Festival, all of which are related to Buddhism. The Water-splashing Festival is the New Year of the Dai ethnic minority. On the 24th to 26th day of the sixth month of the Dai calendar, people engage in traditional activities such as water-splashing and dragon-boating, hoping to pacify evil spirits and ensure a good harvest in the coming year.The Door-closing and Door-opening Festivals are the two longest and grandest periods--one in mid-September and the other in mid-June. People worship Buddha by sacrificing food, flowers, sutra, clothes and other wealth. They also take advantage of the holidays to preach Buddhist teachings and have a good time.The Huajie Festival (Flower Street Festival) is held on the seventh day of the first lunar month to say farewell to the past year and to greet the new one. On that morning, men and women, old and young, wear flowery new clothes and bathe in the hot spring. Unmarried young people also sing to each other in an attempt to find their future better half. More Ethnic Groups in Yunnan Area:Yi     Bai     Hani     Zhuang     Lahu     Wa     Jingpo     Primi     Achang     Dulong​ Further Reading:​      Yunnan People

- Last updated on Apr. 20, 2020 -

Q & A Search: Questions & Answers on Dai NationalityAsked by Mr.Kelvin | Jun. 03, 2009 04:06Reply Are the Dai and the Thai of thailand related? If so, to what extend? like languages and culture?Answers (4)Answered by Mr.yina from CN | Jun. 04, 2009 02:1021Reply Hi, Mr. Kelvin. I am also curious about this question. I have searched on the internet and it says that they are with the same origin but different branches. Answered by Jaidn from AUSTRALIA | Mar. 20, 2014 23:0711Reply that is true Mr.KelvinAnswered by Sun Donkun from THAILAND | Sep. 17, 2017 08:5400Reply Yes, Dai is closely related to people in Myanmar's Shan State, Tay in northern Vietnam, Lanna in northern Thailand and, of course, Thai and Lao people. Dai's spoken language is mutually intelligible with Thai and Lao but written language is different, derived from ancient Indian script called Brahmi. Modern linguists categorized Zhuang-Tai languages under Tai-Kadai family even many loanwords from Sino-Tibetan family. Zhuang languages belong to Northern Tai branch while Dai and Thai-Lao belong to Southwestern Tai branch of Tai-Kadai family.Answered by Sun Donkun from THAILAND | Sep. 17, 2017 09:0300Reply Additional: Dai practiced Theravada Buddhism like Thai and other mainland Southeast Asians. The water-splashed festival is equal to Songkran of Thailand, Sangkhan of Laos, and Thingyan of Myanmar.The ethnic name Dai, Tai, Tai, Tay, Thai, Hlai come from the same origin. Another older ethnic name is Lao (Rau in Zhuang language). The exonym called by non-Tai people is "Siam" which the word Shan and Assam (Ahom) derived from.More Questions & AnswersAsk a QuestionQuestion Summary (100 characters)Details (optional) (2,000 characters)NameCountryEmail 

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The Dai (Tai) Minority of China

The Dai (Tai) Minority of China

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Chinese Culture

Chinese Ethnic Groups

The Dai (Tai) Minority of China

Written by Candice SongUpdated Jan. 17, 2024

Dai women

The Dai people of China mostly live along the border of Burma and Laos in Yunnan Province. They are the wealthiest of the ethnic minorities of Yunnan. Unlike other ethnic groups who must work on hillsides or in high altitude areas, the Dai people live in the rich lowland agricultural areas along the major rivers such as the Mekong River.

Their culture is much like Thai culture, and they are closely related to Thai. Along with lowland rice agriculture, the Dai grow rubber trees and specialty teas, especially the expensive Pu'er variety.

Tourists traveling to the tropical valley area of Xishuangbanna will be able to enjoy their spicy and delicious Dai tropical cuisine, see their festivals such as the Water Splashing Festival, and see their architecture as they enjoy Xishuangbanna's rain forest and agricultural abundance.

Where the Dai Live in China

The homelands of the Dai in China are in Yunnan, mainly around Xishuangbanna and Dehong.

The Dai or Tai are among the 55 Chinese ethnic minorities classified by the Chinese government.

The approximately 1.5 million Dai people in China live in Yunnan Province. Their main homeland area lies along the borders of Burma and Laos. On the other side of these borders live another approximately 7 million Dai, and there is frequent crossing back and forth. About 200,000 Dai live in Thailand.

About 400,000 Dai live in the city of Dehong and in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Prefecture where they are facing the pressures of urbanization as the city grows and their traditional farmlands are lost.

Another 400,000 or so Dai live in the Xishuangbanna area adjacent to Laos. It is a tropical lowland along the Mekong River and a popular tourist area. About 13 other ethnic groups live in Xishuangbanna.

In the Central part of Yunnan, about 50,000 Flower Waisted Dai live in Xinping Yi and Dai Autonomous County. They are called that because their women traditionally wear colorful clothing around their waists. Their lifestyle is different than that of lowland Dai.

Dai Origins and History

Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture

It is thought that the ancestors of the Dai were once living in the Yangtze River basin far to the north. But as the Qin Empire (221–206 BC) and then the Han Empire (206 BC– 20 AD) took control of the basin and the Han peopleand their control of the area increased, they moved south. Some settled north of Yunnan in Guangxi Province and surrounding areas and became the Zhuang people. Others moved further south into Yunnan and became the Dai.

Emperor Wu Di of the Western Han Dynasty established a large prefecture in his attempt to govern the Dai in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces. The climate was excellent for agriculture, and the Dai developed new agricultural techniques suited for the region such as using oxen for tilling.

About a thousand years ago, further wars and invasions drove part of Yunnan's ancient Dai people further south into Thailand and Laos. These became the modern Thai and Laotians.

With their control of the lowland areas and the Mekong River trade, the Dai have historically been wealthier and politically more powerful than the other ethnic groups. The expensive Pu'er tea is one of their cash crops, as are some tropical fruits and rubber. They are famed for their abundant rice harvests of both white and the special purple rice that is grown by the Flower Waisted Dai.

Dai Cuisine

Dai Cuisine

Their food is spicy and sour and is much like Thai cuisine. The Dai prefer to eat rice daily, and they add many kinds of meat to their meals including river fish. Like the Thai, they love pickled vegetables and bamboo shoots.

They also like to add tropical wild herbs, exotic fruit and algae from the river. These exotic dishes can be a special treat for tourists for the new taste experiences they can enjoy.

Special Traditional Dai Foods

Roasted chicken: The Dai love roasted chicken that they cook over low heat until it is moist and flavorful.

Bamboo cane rice: A special treat is bamboo rice that is made by putting rice in a bamboo cane, adding water, soaking it for a while, and then cooking the bamboo. The resulting soft, delicate rice has a delicious bamboo aroma and flavor.

Large insects: They like to eat various kinds of large tropical insects for meals and snacks. The bugs are eaten deep-fried, roasted, or grilled with spices.

Drinks: Homemade, partially-fermented wines are one of their favorite traditional drinks. Another is Pu'er tea (普洱茶 pu'er chá). It is one of China's potent famed medicinal drinks.

Dai Clothes

Traditional Dai dresses look much like Thai dresses

The historical Dai costume is made up of a short, narrow-sleeved dress worn with a sarong. Modern clothing comes in a wider range of styles, but there are some commonalities.

Most women's underclothes are light colors such as light blue, spring green, pink or white. Many women wear a short-waisted shirt that exposes a portion of the lower back over these garments. This shirt usually has a jewel-style collar. These are worn with a calf to floor-length narrow skirt and a bun hairstyle secured with a comb.

Male Dai clothing has some similarities to female dresses such as the tight-sleeved, collarless jackets they prefer. These are worn with long, loose trousers. Headgear includes white, black and blue turbans. In cold weather, a blanket may be wrapped around the shoulders.

Music and Dance

Dai culture includes many songs and dances, the most popular of which include the Drum Dance, Peacock Dance and Lion Dance. Most dances are accompanied by the elephant foot drum that is so named for its shape.

These drums are relatively long and made of hollowed logs covered with sheep or python skin and then painted bright colors and decorated with peacock feathers. The drums include a ribbon or strap that allow dancers to sling the instruments over their shoulders and play as they dance.

The famous Peacock Dance is notable for the undulating arm and torso motions and several steps that imitate peacock behavior. These include step walking, looking for water, peering about, bathing, drying the wings, and spreading the tail feathers, as well as flying from the nest. These bird motions are usually interspersed with free-form dance movements decided upon by the performer.

Dai Architecture

Traditional Dai houses are built to protect people from flooding.

The Dai of different Dai regions live in different structures. The Flower Waist Dai of central Yunnan build big adobe houses with flat roofs. Their structures are not raised.

Lowland Dai Stilt Houses

Most Dai however live in lowland rainforest areas prone to flooding. These Dai typically erect square or rectangular houses of wood and bamboo that are raised up on wood and/or bamboo pillars, and their houses have two or three stories. The second story is generally the family living space, and the lower is for sheltering livestock and storing food.

The family living area usually has a dining room, a work room, an area for receiving guests, bedrooms and a laundry balcony. The household water tank is kept on this balcony.

They attempt to elevate their raised structures high enough to protect the family living area from flooding if possible. By living in these raised houses, they also avoid the bugs and animals.

Festivals of the Dai Ethnic People

Water Splashing Festival of the Dai people

The festivals of the Dai people are generally related to their religion. The main festivals include the Door Closing Festival, the Door Opening Festival and the Water Splashing Festival.

The Dai calendar starts with the Water Splashing Festival that falls during Chinese New Year (between early January and the end of February depending on the lunar calendar). This is the first Buddhist festival of the year and the most important Dai festival. The event lasts for three days.

The first two days of the festival are marked by dragon-boat competitions designed as a method of saying goodbye to the old year.

The third day, early in the morning, people take a ceremonial bath, change into new clothes, and go to the temple.

This is followed by a playful splashing of water, basically a water fight, especially for the young. This can involve anyone who might be passing by. The water is thought to bring good luck for the new year to anyone who is splashed.

Visiting the Dai with Us

Elephant act

In Xishuangbanna, along with the Dai, there are about 13 ethnic groups to see, an elephant park, Dai architecture, ethnic restaurants, and tropical rainforest and gardens to enjoy. It is one of China's few tropical areas. We can help arrange your visit to native families.

Personal Drivers, Vehicles, and Our Local Expert Guides

There is an airport, but, as yet, there are no trains to this region. To get around, it is helpful to have a private driver and a guide with you. This is especially true if you want to visit the ethnic areas in the highlands and rainforest. We can provide private transport and driver for you to get there quickly and travel around to the various villages to meet the people.

Private drivers and vehicles are very convenient in Dai areas.

Here are sample itineraries for the ethnic areas of southern China. If you want a trip specifically to see the ethnic Dai or to go to other places directly, we can provide such a tour for you also.

6-Day Jianshui and Yuanyang Tour - includes the classic ancient buildings in Jianshui and the most spectacular sights in Yuanyang.

6-Day Yunnan Ethnic Minorities Tour - We can modify this to explore Dai regions as long as you wish.

THE DIVERSE MINORITIES - 17 Days Guilin-Sanjiang-Kaili-Kunming-Lijiang-Shangri-la - This is a grand tour of many different ethnicities, villages and tribes. We could modify this to go to the regions and people that most interest you.

According to where you want to go and what you want to do in Dai regions, we can modify these tours for you and design a trip you'll enjoy. Send us your ideas. You'll receive a response within 24 hours. Inquiries are free.

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Hani Ethnic People live adjacent to the Dai in the Mekong basin lowlands.

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An Introduction To China's Dai People

An Introduction To China's Dai People Looking for a last minute departure: save up to $960 on one of our March and April trips. Guides US$ CHOOSE CURRENCY US$ € £ AU$ CA$ NZ$ Culture Trips Rail Trips Private Trips Offers Guides An Introduction to China's Dai People Dai Women Celebrate Thai New Year | © 老铎 / WikiCommons Rachel Deason 28 April 2018 Copy Link Facebook Email Twitter Pinterest Similar to the Yao, the Dai is a composite of several related people groups. With a long history and a fun-loving culture, the Dai have come to influence Yunnan culture in a significant way. One of China’s 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities, the Dai are closely related to both the Lao and Thai peoples, having a closely intertwined history and a relatively close geographical position. There are over one million Dai living in China, primarily in the southern Yunnan province; however, the largest cluster of Dai live in Myanmar, with an estimated 6.3 million. While Dai peoples all share a similar language and culture, the term is actually a generalization of several Tai-Kadai-speaking peoples in China’s south. To clear up confusion with the term, Thailand has come to call them Tai Lue, meaning Tai peoples in general. Homeland The vast majority of China’s Dai live in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in the extreme south of Yunnan province. The prefecture borders Myanmar to the southwest and Laos to the southeast. With Dai culture dominating in Xishuangbanna, visitors to the region will feel much more like they have landed in Southeast Asia than in China. Harboring much of the biodiversity of Yunnan, Xishuangbanna is home to rainforests, rare plants and the last few Asian elephants in China. Many Dai also live in Yunnan’s Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, where coffee cultivation contributes greatly to the local economy. Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna | © Jacek Karczmarczyk / WikiCommons History Because Dai is an umbrella term created by China, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of the people group. In fact, the term as such was not used until the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, when the so-called “Water Dai,” “Land Dai,” and “Waist Festoon Dai” were merged into one Dai for census purposes. According to the U.S. Library of Congress, the ancestors of the Dai, Thai, and Lao originate in what is now Yunnan, where they subsisted on lowland rice cultivation. Other scholars believe that the people group could even have diverged from early Pacific islanders. For centuries, the Dai lived in scattered villages governed under Muang, or principalities. Around the 10th and 11th centuries, they established powerful local kingdoms such as the Mong Mao and Kocambi, which dominated other ethnic groups in the region. The first time the Dai were really ruled over by the Chinese was during the Yuan dynasty, when Mongol conquerors managed to capture as far south as modern day Myanmar. The subsequent dynasty, the Ming, pushed the Mongols out and began encroaching on Dai lands, producing a series of ongoing conflicts between the Dai and the Han Chinese that would come to a head in 1874 when a Hui Muslim named Du Wenxiu united the Dai with other minority groups in a rebellion against the Qing dynasty. The Communists tried to make reparations with the Dai, establishing Xishuangbanna as an autonomous prefecture in the 1950s, but many Dai still faced persecution during the later Cultural Revolution and fled across the border to Dai communities in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Ruili, Yunnan | © llee_wu / Flickr Culture Dai culture, like the people themselves, is vibrant and full of variety. One cultural aspect of note is the language, or rather, languages. The speaking of dialects and languages within the Tai-Kadai linguistic branch is one thing that helps unite the Dai. However, Dai in China still speak a wide range of languages, such as Tai Lu, Tai Nua, Tai Dam, Tai Ya, Tai Hongjin, and others. The Dai script is universal among these languages, however, and is quite different from Chinese in its adherence to an alphabetic system, likely derived from Sanskrit. Many Dai in China celebrate the Water Splashing Festival during their New Year (April 13–16), a date chosen to honor the birthday of the Buddha. While today the festival seems to be little more than an excuse for kids to get out of school and squirt each other with water guns, its origins center around the ritual “bathing of the Buddha.” The festival is also widely celebrated in Thailand, where it goes by the name Songkran. Dai Traditional Dance | © Paul Arps / Flickr Cuisine Though Yunnanese cuisine is a fusion of many local ethnic styles, a large part of it comes courtesy of the Dai. Yunnan cuisine uses all parts of nature. It is not uncommon to find locals chomping on insects, flowers, ferns, wild mushrooms, or algae, and those who are brave enough to try these culinary delights will find it a wonder that not everyone eats like that. The cuisine is often extremely spicy, although not in the same way that Sichuanese or Hunanese cuisine is spicy. Popular dishes include pineapple rice, mashed potatoes with chives and chilies and goat’s milk cheese. Edible Flowers | © Tim Wang / Flickr KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD? Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in. Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special. Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together. 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Dai people - Wikipedia

Dai people - Wikipedia

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1Name ambiguity

2Tai subgroups

3Languages

4History

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4.1Early period

4.2Yuan and Ming period

4.3Qing and modern China

5Exodus

6Cuisine

7Tai Lue in Thailand

8Festival

9Culture

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9.1Religion

9.2Literature and science

9.3Dwellings

9.4Economy

9.5Marriage and women's roles

10Gallery

11See also

12References

13External links

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Dai people

36 languages

Bân-lâm-gúབོད་ཡིགČeštinaDanskDeutschEspañolEsperantoEuskaraFrançais客家語/Hak-kâ-ngî한국어Bahasa IndonesiaItalianoქართულიLietuviųمصرى閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄Nederlands日本語Norsk bokmålOʻzbekcha / ўзбекчаپنجابیPolskiPortuguêsРусскийSrpskohrvatski / српскохрватскиSuomiSvenskaதமிழ்Türkçeئۇيغۇرچە / UyghurcheVahcuenghTiếng Việt吴语粵語中文

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Ethnic group of Asia

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Non-Chinese usage should be moved to Tai peoples and. Please help improve this article if you can. (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Dai people中国境内傣族1962 photograph of a Dai girl weaving silk in Dehong Prefecture, YunnanTotal populationc. 8 millionRegions with significant populations Myanmar6,345,236 Vietnam1,818,350 China1,159,000[1] Laos126,250 Thailand145,236LanguagesTai Lue, Tai Nuea, Tai Dam, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Lao, ThaiReligionTheravada Buddhism and Dai folk religion[2]

The Dai people (Burmese: ရှမ်းလူမျိုး; Tai Lü: ᨴᩱ/ᨴᩱ᩠ᨿ; Lao: ໄຕ; Thai: ไท; Shan: တႆး, [tai˥˩]; Tai Nuea: ᥖᥭᥰ, [tai˥]; Chinese: 傣族; pinyin: Dǎizú) are several Tai-speaking ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of China's Yunnan Province. The Dai people form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. By extension, the term can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar when Dai is used to mean specifically Tai Yai, Lue, Chinese Shan, Tai Dam, Tai Khao or even Tai in general. For other names, please see the table below.

Name ambiguity[edit]

This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. In particular, the first paragraph. Please help clarify the section. There might be a discussion about this on the talk page. (November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The Dai people are closely related to the Shan, Lao and Thai people who form a majority in Laos and Thailand, and a large minority in Myanmar. Originally, the Tai, or Dai, lived closely together in modern Yunnan Province until political chaos and wars in the north at the end of the Tang and Song dynasty and various nomadic peoples prompted some to move further south into modern Laos then Thailand. As with many other officially recognized ethnic groups in China (See Gaoshan and Yao), the term Dai, at least within Chinese usage, is an umbrella term and as such has no equivalent in Tai languages, who have only more general terms for 'Tai peoples in general' (e.g., Tai Lue: tai˥˩. This term refers to all Dai people, not including Zhuang) and 'Tai people in China' (e.g., Thai: ชาวไทในจีน'), both of which include the Zhuang, for example, which is not the case in the Chinese and more specific terms, as shown in the table below. Therefore[dubious – discuss] the word Dai, like with the aforementioned Yao, is a Han Chinese cultural concept which has now been adopted by other languages such as English, French, and German (see respective Wikipedias). As a solution in the Thai language, however, as in English, the term Tai Lue can be used to mean Dai, despite referring to other groups as in the table below. This is because the two main groups actually bear the same name, both meaning 'Northern Tai' (lue and nüa are cognate).

Although they are officially recognized as a single people by the Chinese state, these Tai people form several distinct cultural and linguistic groups. The two main languages of the Dai are Dai Lü (Sibsongbanna Dai) and Dai Nüa (Daihong Dai); two other written languages used by the Dai are Tày Pong and Tai Dam. They all are Tai languages, a group of related languages that includes Thai, Lao and Zhuang and part of the Tai–Kadai language family. Various languages of the Tai-Kadai language family are spoken from Assam in India to Hainan and Guizhou in China. The Dai people follow their traditional religion as well as Theravada Buddhism and maintain similar customs and festivals (such as Songkran) to the other Tai-speaking peoples and more broadly, in regards to some cultural aspects, to the unrelated dominant ethnic groups of Myanmar, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. They are among the few native groups in China who nominally practice the Theravada school of Buddhism. The term Tai in China is also used sometimes to show that the majority of people subsumed under the "Dai" nationality are mainly speakers of Thai languages (i.e. Southwestern Tai languages). Some use the term Daizurian to refer specifically to the sinicized Tai people living in Yunnan. The term is derived from the Chinese term 傣族人; pinyin: Dǎizúrén which is translated in Shan as တႆးၸူး taj4 tsuu4 meaning "the Tai who are in association/united".

Tai subgroups[edit]

Chinese

Pinyin

Tai Lü

Tai Nüa

Thai

Conventional

Area(s)

傣泐（西雙版納傣族自治州）

Dǎilè(Xīshuāngbǎnnà Dǎi)

tai˥˩ lɯː˩

ไทลื้อ

Tai Lü (Tai Lue, Lue)

Sipsongpanna Tai Autonomous Prefecture, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam

傣那（德宏傣）

Dǎinà(Déhóng Dǎi)

tai˥˩ nəː˥

taile6

ไทเหนือ, ไทใต้คง, ไทใหญ่

Tai Nüa (Northern Tai, Upper Tai, Chinese Shan, Tai Yai)

Dehong Burma,

Thailand

傣擔

Dǎidān

tai˥˩ dam˥

ไทดำ, ลาวโซ่ง, ไททรงดำ

Tai Dam (Black Tai, Tai Lam, Lao Song Dam*, Tai Muan, Tai Tan, Black Do, Jinping Dai, Tai Den, Tai Do, Tai Noir, Thai Den)

Jinping (金平), Laos, Thailand

傣繃

Dǎibēng

tai˥˩pɔːŋ˥

ไทเบิ้ง, ไทมาว, ไทใหญ่

Tay Pong

Ruili, Gengma, Lincangalong the Mekong

傣端

Dǎiduān

tai˥˩doːn˥

ไทขาว

White Tai, Tày Dón (Tai Khao, Tai Kao, Tai Don, Dai Kao, White Dai, Red Tai, Tai Blanc, Tai Kaw, Tày Lai, Thai Trang)

Jinping (金平)

傣雅

Dǎiyǎ

tai˥˩jaː˧˥

ไทหย่า

Tai Ya (Tai Cung, Cung, Ya)

Xinping (新平), Yuanjiang (元江)

傣友

Dǎiyǒu

tai˥˩jiu˩

ไทโยว

Tai Yo

Yuanyang (元阳),along the Red River

* lit. "Lao [wearing] black trousers"

Languages[edit]

Peoples classified as Dai in China speak the following Southwestern Tai languages.

Tai Lü language (傣仂语; Dǎilè Yǔ)

Tai Nüa language (德宏傣语; Déhóng Dǎiyǔ; Shan language)

Tai Dam language (傣哪语 / 傣担语; Dǎinǎ Yǔ / Dǎidān Yǔ)

Tai Ya language (傣雅语; Dǎiyǎ Yǔ) or Tai Hongjin (红金傣语; Hóngjīndǎi Yǔ)

Yunnan (1998:150)[3] lists 4 major Tai language varieties.

Tai Lü language (傣泐方言): 400,000 speakers in Sipsongpanna, Menglian County, Jinggu County, Jiangcheng County, etc.

Tai Nüa language (傣纳方言): 400,000 speakers in Dehong, Gengma, Shuangjiang, Tengchong, Baoshan, Longling, Changning, Cangyuan, Lancang, Zhenkang, Jingdong, etc.

Tai Rui (傣端方言): 40,000 speakers in Jinping, Maguan, Malipo counties, etc.

Tianxin (田心方言): 20,000 speakers in Wuding, Luquan, Yongren, Dayao counties, etc. Representative dialect: Tianxin (田心), Wuding County

History[edit]

Early period[edit]

In 109 BCE, the Han dynasty established the Yizhou prefecture in the southwest of Yi (modern day parts of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou). In the twelfth century, the Dai (called Dai-Lue or Tai-Lue at this period) established the Jinghong Golden Hall Kingdom in Sipsong Panna (modern Xishuangbanna). Jinghong was the capital of this kingdom. The population of the kingdom was over one million and recognized the Chinese as their sovereign according to local records. The king had political and economic power and controlled most of the land and local water system.[4]

Yuan and Ming period[edit]

During the Yuan dynasty, the Dai became subordinate to Yunnan (itself recently conquered by the Mongols). Hereditary leaders were appointed by the authorities among the minorities of the region. This system continued under the Ming dynasty and the feudal systems during this period allowed manorial lords to establish political power along with its own army, prisons, and courts. However, some Dai communities had their own aspects of class, political structures, and land ownership that differed considerably from other groups. Also during the Ming dynasty, eight Dai tusi (chieftains) controlled the region with each having their own economic and political power.[4] Although Buddhism has had a presence in Yunnan since at least the seventh century, the Dai converted to Theravada Buddhism during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.[5][6]

Qing and modern China[edit]

The Qing dynasty kept the Yuan and Ming system intact but with some differences. The Qing had more economic power in the region and routinely sent officials to the area for direct supervision and control. This well-established system was only fully replaced by the Chinese government in 1953. 1953 also marked the end of the ancient ruling family that was in place since the Jinghong Kingdom. The last king, Chao Hmoam Gham Le (Dao Shixun in Chinese), then became the deputy head of Xishuangbanna prefecture.[4]

Exodus[edit]

The original areas of the Tai Lue included both sides of the Mekong River in the Sipsongpanna. According to the Tai Lue, there were five city-states on the east bank and six on the west, which with Jinghong formed twelve rice field divisions with all twelve having another 32 small provinces. These were:

On the west bank - Rung, Ha, Sae, Lu, Ong, Luang, Hun, Phan, Chiang Choeng, Hai, Chiang Lo and Mang;

On the east bank - La, Bang, Hing, Pang, La, Wang, Phong, Yuan, Bang and Chiang Thong (present-day Luang Prabang). (These names are transcribed according to their Thai pronunciations not their Tai Lue (Dai) pronunciations. If transcribed according to their Tai Lue pronunciations they would be as follows: Hung, Ha, Sae, Lu, Ong, Long, Hun, Pan, Cheng Choeng, Hai, Cheng Lo, Mang, La, Bang, Hing, Pang, La, Wang, Pong, Yon, Bang and Cheng Tong)

Some portions of these Tai Lue either voluntarily moved or were forcibly herded from these city-states around one to two hundred years ago, arriving in countries of present-day Burma, Laos and Thailand.

Cuisine[edit]

The staple food of the Dai people is rice. Dai people in the Dehong area mainly eat japonica rice.

Bamboo rice is a famous snack of the Dai people. It is made by putting glutinous rice in a fragrant bamboo tube, soaking with water for 15 minutes, and baking with fire.[citation needed]Pineapple purple rice is also a well-known Dai dish.

Raw, fresh, sour, and spicy are the characteristics of Dai cuisine. Dai people believe that eating sour foods can make their eyes bright, help digestion, and also help relieve heat. Sweet can remove fatigue. Spicy can increase appetite. Acid is considered the most delicious flavor in Dai cuisine, and all dishes and snacks are mainly sour, such as sour bamboo shoots, sour pork.[citation needed]

Tai Lue in Thailand[edit]

Wat Rong Ngae is a Thai Lue temple in Pua District, Nan Province

In Thailand there are Tai Lue in many provinces of the upper regions of Northern Thailand; these provinces are:

Chiang Rai: Mae Sai, Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen districts (a portion fled to Chiang Rung at the outbreak of the Ayuthian-Burman War)

Chiang Mai: Samoeng and Doi Saket districts

Nan: Tha Wang Pha, Pua, Chiang Klang and Thung Chang districts (the greatest number, fleeing from the Saiyaburi and Sipsongpanna regions)

Phayao: Chiang Muan and Chiang Kham districts (many in number)

Lampang: Mueang Lampang and Mae Tha districts

Lamphun: Mueang Lamphun and Ban Thi districts

Festival[edit]

The festivals of the Dai people are mostly related to religious activities. The main festivals include door closing festival, door opening festival and water splashing festival.

The closing festival is fixed on September 15 in the Dai calendar (the middle of July in the Gregorian calendar). The opening door festival, the time fixed in the Dai calendar on December 15 (the middle of October in the Gregorian calendar). In the two festivals on the same day, all of people will go to the Buddhist temple to hold ritual activities. People will offer foods, flowers and coins to the Buddha. The three months between the closing door festival and the opening door festival are the "close" time of the year, the most religious time of the year.

The Water Splashing Festival is a traditional festival of the Dai people, meaning the New Year of June. The time is in the late June or early July of the Dai calendar (the middle of April in the Gregorian calendar). Held about 10 days after the Qingming festival, it symbolizes "the most beautiful day". The holiday usually lasts three days. In the early morning of the festival, the people of the Dai village went to the Buddhist temple to clean the figure of Buddha. After the ceremony of the Buddhist temple, the young men and women pour water on each other. Then groups of people marched around, sprinkling pedestrians as a blessing. These represent blessings.

Culture[edit]

Religion[edit]

The Dai are predominately Theravada Buddhists. Dai Buddhism also tolerated many pre—Buddhist animistic beliefs and practices. The Dai were animists before Buddhism became popular and their belief in natural spirits continues.[5] Until very recently, every Dai village had at least one Buddhist temple while larger villages had two to five temples. Many of their Buddhist temples were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.[5] Parents commonly sent their sons (from 7 to 18 years old) to the Buddhist monasteries to become novices and to receive monastic education. The boys stay in the monasteries for three years or more while learning how to write, read, and practice the faith. Afterwards, most boys or young men would return to secular society while a handful of them remained in the monasteries to become fully ordained monks. This education system has led to high literacy rates and knowledge of the Dai script among Dai men that today exceed 80 percent.[4]

A small minority of Dai practice Islam. These specific Dai are often called "Parshi Dai" or "Dai Hui". Hui (Chinese Muslim) merchants from Dali and other parts of Yunnan settled in Xishuangbanna in the early nineteenth century. These settlers assimilated and intermarried with the locals which eventually led to the creation of a unique Dai and Sino-Islamic culture. The present Parshi Dai have a material culture identical to their Buddhist counterparts. They speak the same language, wear similar dress, have similar customs, rituals, and diet.[7]

Literature and science[edit]

The Dai have historically had a rich array of astronomical and literary works. The Dai have their own calendar that begins in the year 638 and have many astronomical books on calculating solar and lunar eclipses (most written in Dai script). Historical documents, legends, stories, poetry, fables, and children's stories are also plentiful.[4]

Dwellings[edit]

Traditional Dai villages are mainly located in bamboo plains near rivers or streams. Dai homes are usually built on stilts and some are square in shape. A few houses are two-story with the upper story being the living space and the bottom story as a storehouse. The bottom story can sometimes be wall-less.[4]

Economy[edit]

As an effect of living in a subtropical region, subsistence for many Dai include the use and growing of rice, coffee, rubber, tea, sugar, and many types of fruits. The Dai also have a highly developed handicraft industry which includes weaving, oil-pressing, winemaking, and bamboo work. Since the 1980s, tourism has become a source of revenue for the Dai in Xishuangbanna in consequence of airports being built in Jinghong and Mangshi. The increase of infrastructure and living standards in the region has led the Dai to assimilate into the mainstream Chinese economy better than other minorities.[4]

Marriage and women's roles[edit]

Historically, marriage was mainly between members of similar social or economic class and polygamy was common among chieftains. Dai society has traditionally been patriarchal with women having low status and unable to inherit property. Girls (from age 7 or 8) were responsible for caring for younger children and domestic duties. When they became older, working in the rice fields to clear weeds, harvest, plant, etc. was included into their responsibilities. Today, Dai women and youth have more freedoms then they did in the past and some women (with access to education) have entered into professional careers like teaching or nursing.[4]

Gallery[edit]

Dai containers (silver). Metalwork in the Yunnan Provincial Museum.

Dai Buddhist text. Manuscripts / writing systems in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai gourd pipes, also known as the hulusi, in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai bamboo house. Tools and utensils in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum, Kunming, Yunnan, China.

Dai copulating figurines. Folk Arts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai Buddhist streamer. Folk Arts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai mask. Exhibit in the Yunnan Provincial Museum

A wooden Thai Lue Buddha statue inside Wat Nong Bua, Tha Wang Pha District, Thailand

See also[edit]

Tai peoples

Thái people (Vietnam)

Rau peoples

References[edit]

^ "Ethnic Groups". China.org.cn. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-10-17.

^ Haimei Shen. Risk Society, the Predicaments of Folk Religion and Experience of Modernity: The Guardian Spirits in the Mandi Dailue Ethnic Society of Xishuangbanna Archived 2020-11-06 at the Wayback Machine. China: An International Journal, Vol. 11, No. 2

^ 云南省地方志编纂委员会 [Yunnan Gazetteer Commission], ed. (1998). 云南省志. 卷五十九, 少数民族语言文字志 [Yunnan Provincial Gazetteer, Vol. 59: Minority Languages Orthographies Gazetteer]. Kunming: 云南人民出版社 [Yunnan People's Press].

^ a b c d e f g h Skutsch, Carl, ed. (2005). Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities. New York: Routledge. pp. 361, 362. ISBN 1-57958-468-3.

^ a b c Hays, Jeffrey (July 2015). "Dai Religion and Festivals". facts and details. Retrieved 16 November 2019.

^ Cantwell, Cathy (2010). Buddhism: The Basics. New York: Routledge. pp. 148. ISBN 978-0-415-40880-6. Amongst the Dai minority nationality of Xishuangbanna...Theravada was established in the fifteenth century.

^ Ma, Chuang (2016). "Changes of Intermarriage Circle of the Pashi Dai (Muslims in Dai Society): A Case Study in the Hui Village in Manluan". In Rong, Gui (ed.). Hui Muslims in China. Leuven: Leuven University Press. pp. 87–95. ISBN 978-94-6270-066-6.

Works cited

Zhu, Liangwen (1992). The Dai: Or the Tai and Their Architecture & Customs in South China. Bangkok, Thailand, and Kunming, Yunnan, China: D D Books and The Science and Technology Press of Yunnan.

Les Dai de Chine: Zhongguo de Dai zu (in French), Jean A. Berlie, 136 pages, Paris, France, published in 1990.

External links[edit]

Photos related to Dai Theravada Buddhism

Site including information on some endangered Tai scripts

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dai people.

vteEthnic groups in ChinaUnderlined: the 56 recognized ethnic groupsSino-TibetanSinitic

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Categories: Dai peopleTai peoplesEthnic groups in LaosEthnic groups in MyanmarEthnic groups in ThailandEthnic groups in VietnamEthnic groups officially recognized by ChinaHidden categories: Webarchive template wayback linksArticles containing Chinese-language textCS1 uses Chinese-language script (zh)Articles with short descriptionShort description matches WikidataArticles needing cleanup from February 2017All pages needing cleanupCleanup tagged articles with a reason field from February 2017Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from February 2017Articles using infobox ethnic group with image parametersArticles containing Tai Lü-language textArticles containing Lao-language textArticles containing Thai-language textArticles containing Shan-language textPages with plain IPAArticles containing Tai Nüa-language textWikipedia articles needing clarification from November 2023All Wikipedia articles needing clarificationAll accuracy disputesArticles with disputed statements from September 2010Articles containing simplified Chinese-language textAll articles with unsourced statementsArticles with unsourced statements from September 2018Commons category link is on Wikidata

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2Tai subgroups

3Languages

4History

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4.1Early period

4.2Yuan and Ming period

4.3Qing and modern China

5Exodus

6Cuisine

7Tai Lue in Thailand

8Festival

9Culture

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9.1Religion

9.2Literature and science

9.3Dwellings

9.4Economy

9.5Marriage and women's roles

10Gallery

11See also

12References

13External links

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Dai people

36 languages

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Ethnic group of Asia

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Non-Chinese usage should be moved to Tai peoples and. Please help improve this article if you can. (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Dai people中国境内傣族1962 photograph of a Dai girl weaving silk in Dehong Prefecture, YunnanTotal populationc. 8 millionRegions with significant populations Myanmar6,345,236 Vietnam1,818,350 China1,159,000[1] Laos126,250 Thailand145,236LanguagesTai Lue, Tai Nuea, Tai Dam, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Lao, ThaiReligionTheravada Buddhism and Dai folk religion[2]

The Dai people (Burmese: ရှမ်းလူမျိုး; Tai Lü: ᨴᩱ/ᨴᩱ᩠ᨿ; Lao: ໄຕ; Thai: ไท; Shan: တႆး, [tai˥˩]; Tai Nuea: ᥖᥭᥰ, [tai˥]; Chinese: 傣族; pinyin: Dǎizú) are several Tai-speaking ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of China's Yunnan Province. The Dai people form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. By extension, the term can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar when Dai is used to mean specifically Tai Yai, Lue, Chinese Shan, Tai Dam, Tai Khao or even Tai in general. For other names, please see the table below.

Name ambiguity[edit]

This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. In particular, the first paragraph. Please help clarify the section. There might be a discussion about this on the talk page. (November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The Dai people are closely related to the Shan, Lao and Thai people who form a majority in Laos and Thailand, and a large minority in Myanmar. Originally, the Tai, or Dai, lived closely together in modern Yunnan Province until political chaos and wars in the north at the end of the Tang and Song dynasty and various nomadic peoples prompted some to move further south into modern Laos then Thailand. As with many other officially recognized ethnic groups in China (See Gaoshan and Yao), the term Dai, at least within Chinese usage, is an umbrella term and as such has no equivalent in Tai languages, who have only more general terms for 'Tai peoples in general' (e.g., Tai Lue: tai˥˩. This term refers to all Dai people, not including Zhuang) and 'Tai people in China' (e.g., Thai: ชาวไทในจีน'), both of which include the Zhuang, for example, which is not the case in the Chinese and more specific terms, as shown in the table below. Therefore[dubious – discuss] the word Dai, like with the aforementioned Yao, is a Han Chinese cultural concept which has now been adopted by other languages such as English, French, and German (see respective Wikipedias). As a solution in the Thai language, however, as in English, the term Tai Lue can be used to mean Dai, despite referring to other groups as in the table below. This is because the two main groups actually bear the same name, both meaning 'Northern Tai' (lue and nüa are cognate).

Although they are officially recognized as a single people by the Chinese state, these Tai people form several distinct cultural and linguistic groups. The two main languages of the Dai are Dai Lü (Sibsongbanna Dai) and Dai Nüa (Daihong Dai); two other written languages used by the Dai are Tày Pong and Tai Dam. They all are Tai languages, a group of related languages that includes Thai, Lao and Zhuang and part of the Tai–Kadai language family. Various languages of the Tai-Kadai language family are spoken from Assam in India to Hainan and Guizhou in China. The Dai people follow their traditional religion as well as Theravada Buddhism and maintain similar customs and festivals (such as Songkran) to the other Tai-speaking peoples and more broadly, in regards to some cultural aspects, to the unrelated dominant ethnic groups of Myanmar, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. They are among the few native groups in China who nominally practice the Theravada school of Buddhism. The term Tai in China is also used sometimes to show that the majority of people subsumed under the "Dai" nationality are mainly speakers of Thai languages (i.e. Southwestern Tai languages). Some use the term Daizurian to refer specifically to the sinicized Tai people living in Yunnan. The term is derived from the Chinese term 傣族人; pinyin: Dǎizúrén which is translated in Shan as တႆးၸူး taj4 tsuu4 meaning "the Tai who are in association/united".

Tai subgroups[edit]

Chinese

Pinyin

Tai Lü

Tai Nüa

Thai

Conventional

Area(s)

傣泐（西雙版納傣族自治州）

Dǎilè(Xīshuāngbǎnnà Dǎi)

tai˥˩ lɯː˩

ไทลื้อ

Tai Lü (Tai Lue, Lue)

Sipsongpanna Tai Autonomous Prefecture, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam

傣那（德宏傣）

Dǎinà(Déhóng Dǎi)

tai˥˩ nəː˥

taile6

ไทเหนือ, ไทใต้คง, ไทใหญ่

Tai Nüa (Northern Tai, Upper Tai, Chinese Shan, Tai Yai)

Dehong Burma,

Thailand

傣擔

Dǎidān

tai˥˩ dam˥

ไทดำ, ลาวโซ่ง, ไททรงดำ

Tai Dam (Black Tai, Tai Lam, Lao Song Dam*, Tai Muan, Tai Tan, Black Do, Jinping Dai, Tai Den, Tai Do, Tai Noir, Thai Den)

Jinping (金平), Laos, Thailand

傣繃

Dǎibēng

tai˥˩pɔːŋ˥

ไทเบิ้ง, ไทมาว, ไทใหญ่

Tay Pong

Ruili, Gengma, Lincangalong the Mekong

傣端

Dǎiduān

tai˥˩doːn˥

ไทขาว

White Tai, Tày Dón (Tai Khao, Tai Kao, Tai Don, Dai Kao, White Dai, Red Tai, Tai Blanc, Tai Kaw, Tày Lai, Thai Trang)

Jinping (金平)

傣雅

Dǎiyǎ

tai˥˩jaː˧˥

ไทหย่า

Tai Ya (Tai Cung, Cung, Ya)

Xinping (新平), Yuanjiang (元江)

傣友

Dǎiyǒu

tai˥˩jiu˩

ไทโยว

Tai Yo

Yuanyang (元阳),along the Red River

* lit. "Lao [wearing] black trousers"

Languages[edit]

Peoples classified as Dai in China speak the following Southwestern Tai languages.

Tai Lü language (傣仂语; Dǎilè Yǔ)

Tai Nüa language (德宏傣语; Déhóng Dǎiyǔ; Shan language)

Tai Dam language (傣哪语 / 傣担语; Dǎinǎ Yǔ / Dǎidān Yǔ)

Tai Ya language (傣雅语; Dǎiyǎ Yǔ) or Tai Hongjin (红金傣语; Hóngjīndǎi Yǔ)

Yunnan (1998:150)[3] lists 4 major Tai language varieties.

Tai Lü language (傣泐方言): 400,000 speakers in Sipsongpanna, Menglian County, Jinggu County, Jiangcheng County, etc.

Tai Nüa language (傣纳方言): 400,000 speakers in Dehong, Gengma, Shuangjiang, Tengchong, Baoshan, Longling, Changning, Cangyuan, Lancang, Zhenkang, Jingdong, etc.

Tai Rui (傣端方言): 40,000 speakers in Jinping, Maguan, Malipo counties, etc.

Tianxin (田心方言): 20,000 speakers in Wuding, Luquan, Yongren, Dayao counties, etc. Representative dialect: Tianxin (田心), Wuding County

History[edit]

Early period[edit]

In 109 BCE, the Han dynasty established the Yizhou prefecture in the southwest of Yi (modern day parts of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou). In the twelfth century, the Dai (called Dai-Lue or Tai-Lue at this period) established the Jinghong Golden Hall Kingdom in Sipsong Panna (modern Xishuangbanna). Jinghong was the capital of this kingdom. The population of the kingdom was over one million and recognized the Chinese as their sovereign according to local records. The king had political and economic power and controlled most of the land and local water system.[4]

Yuan and Ming period[edit]

During the Yuan dynasty, the Dai became subordinate to Yunnan (itself recently conquered by the Mongols). Hereditary leaders were appointed by the authorities among the minorities of the region. This system continued under the Ming dynasty and the feudal systems during this period allowed manorial lords to establish political power along with its own army, prisons, and courts. However, some Dai communities had their own aspects of class, political structures, and land ownership that differed considerably from other groups. Also during the Ming dynasty, eight Dai tusi (chieftains) controlled the region with each having their own economic and political power.[4] Although Buddhism has had a presence in Yunnan since at least the seventh century, the Dai converted to Theravada Buddhism during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.[5][6]

Qing and modern China[edit]

The Qing dynasty kept the Yuan and Ming system intact but with some differences. The Qing had more economic power in the region and routinely sent officials to the area for direct supervision and control. This well-established system was only fully replaced by the Chinese government in 1953. 1953 also marked the end of the ancient ruling family that was in place since the Jinghong Kingdom. The last king, Chao Hmoam Gham Le (Dao Shixun in Chinese), then became the deputy head of Xishuangbanna prefecture.[4]

Exodus[edit]

The original areas of the Tai Lue included both sides of the Mekong River in the Sipsongpanna. According to the Tai Lue, there were five city-states on the east bank and six on the west, which with Jinghong formed twelve rice field divisions with all twelve having another 32 small provinces. These were:

On the west bank - Rung, Ha, Sae, Lu, Ong, Luang, Hun, Phan, Chiang Choeng, Hai, Chiang Lo and Mang;

On the east bank - La, Bang, Hing, Pang, La, Wang, Phong, Yuan, Bang and Chiang Thong (present-day Luang Prabang). (These names are transcribed according to their Thai pronunciations not their Tai Lue (Dai) pronunciations. If transcribed according to their Tai Lue pronunciations they would be as follows: Hung, Ha, Sae, Lu, Ong, Long, Hun, Pan, Cheng Choeng, Hai, Cheng Lo, Mang, La, Bang, Hing, Pang, La, Wang, Pong, Yon, Bang and Cheng Tong)

Some portions of these Tai Lue either voluntarily moved or were forcibly herded from these city-states around one to two hundred years ago, arriving in countries of present-day Burma, Laos and Thailand.

Cuisine[edit]

The staple food of the Dai people is rice. Dai people in the Dehong area mainly eat japonica rice.

Bamboo rice is a famous snack of the Dai people. It is made by putting glutinous rice in a fragrant bamboo tube, soaking with water for 15 minutes, and baking with fire.[citation needed]Pineapple purple rice is also a well-known Dai dish.

Raw, fresh, sour, and spicy are the characteristics of Dai cuisine. Dai people believe that eating sour foods can make their eyes bright, help digestion, and also help relieve heat. Sweet can remove fatigue. Spicy can increase appetite. Acid is considered the most delicious flavor in Dai cuisine, and all dishes and snacks are mainly sour, such as sour bamboo shoots, sour pork.[citation needed]

Tai Lue in Thailand[edit]

Wat Rong Ngae is a Thai Lue temple in Pua District, Nan Province

In Thailand there are Tai Lue in many provinces of the upper regions of Northern Thailand; these provinces are:

Chiang Rai: Mae Sai, Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen districts (a portion fled to Chiang Rung at the outbreak of the Ayuthian-Burman War)

Chiang Mai: Samoeng and Doi Saket districts

Nan: Tha Wang Pha, Pua, Chiang Klang and Thung Chang districts (the greatest number, fleeing from the Saiyaburi and Sipsongpanna regions)

Phayao: Chiang Muan and Chiang Kham districts (many in number)

Lampang: Mueang Lampang and Mae Tha districts

Lamphun: Mueang Lamphun and Ban Thi districts

Festival[edit]

The festivals of the Dai people are mostly related to religious activities. The main festivals include door closing festival, door opening festival and water splashing festival.

The closing festival is fixed on September 15 in the Dai calendar (the middle of July in the Gregorian calendar). The opening door festival, the time fixed in the Dai calendar on December 15 (the middle of October in the Gregorian calendar). In the two festivals on the same day, all of people will go to the Buddhist temple to hold ritual activities. People will offer foods, flowers and coins to the Buddha. The three months between the closing door festival and the opening door festival are the "close" time of the year, the most religious time of the year.

The Water Splashing Festival is a traditional festival of the Dai people, meaning the New Year of June. The time is in the late June or early July of the Dai calendar (the middle of April in the Gregorian calendar). Held about 10 days after the Qingming festival, it symbolizes "the most beautiful day". The holiday usually lasts three days. In the early morning of the festival, the people of the Dai village went to the Buddhist temple to clean the figure of Buddha. After the ceremony of the Buddhist temple, the young men and women pour water on each other. Then groups of people marched around, sprinkling pedestrians as a blessing. These represent blessings.

Culture[edit]

Religion[edit]

The Dai are predominately Theravada Buddhists. Dai Buddhism also tolerated many pre—Buddhist animistic beliefs and practices. The Dai were animists before Buddhism became popular and their belief in natural spirits continues.[5] Until very recently, every Dai village had at least one Buddhist temple while larger villages had two to five temples. Many of their Buddhist temples were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.[5] Parents commonly sent their sons (from 7 to 18 years old) to the Buddhist monasteries to become novices and to receive monastic education. The boys stay in the monasteries for three years or more while learning how to write, read, and practice the faith. Afterwards, most boys or young men would return to secular society while a handful of them remained in the monasteries to become fully ordained monks. This education system has led to high literacy rates and knowledge of the Dai script among Dai men that today exceed 80 percent.[4]

A small minority of Dai practice Islam. These specific Dai are often called "Parshi Dai" or "Dai Hui". Hui (Chinese Muslim) merchants from Dali and other parts of Yunnan settled in Xishuangbanna in the early nineteenth century. These settlers assimilated and intermarried with the locals which eventually led to the creation of a unique Dai and Sino-Islamic culture. The present Parshi Dai have a material culture identical to their Buddhist counterparts. They speak the same language, wear similar dress, have similar customs, rituals, and diet.[7]

Literature and science[edit]

The Dai have historically had a rich array of astronomical and literary works. The Dai have their own calendar that begins in the year 638 and have many astronomical books on calculating solar and lunar eclipses (most written in Dai script). Historical documents, legends, stories, poetry, fables, and children's stories are also plentiful.[4]

Dwellings[edit]

Traditional Dai villages are mainly located in bamboo plains near rivers or streams. Dai homes are usually built on stilts and some are square in shape. A few houses are two-story with the upper story being the living space and the bottom story as a storehouse. The bottom story can sometimes be wall-less.[4]

Economy[edit]

As an effect of living in a subtropical region, subsistence for many Dai include the use and growing of rice, coffee, rubber, tea, sugar, and many types of fruits. The Dai also have a highly developed handicraft industry which includes weaving, oil-pressing, winemaking, and bamboo work. Since the 1980s, tourism has become a source of revenue for the Dai in Xishuangbanna in consequence of airports being built in Jinghong and Mangshi. The increase of infrastructure and living standards in the region has led the Dai to assimilate into the mainstream Chinese economy better than other minorities.[4]

Marriage and women's roles[edit]

Historically, marriage was mainly between members of similar social or economic class and polygamy was common among chieftains. Dai society has traditionally been patriarchal with women having low status and unable to inherit property. Girls (from age 7 or 8) were responsible for caring for younger children and domestic duties. When they became older, working in the rice fields to clear weeds, harvest, plant, etc. was included into their responsibilities. Today, Dai women and youth have more freedoms then they did in the past and some women (with access to education) have entered into professional careers like teaching or nursing.[4]

Gallery[edit]

Dai containers (silver). Metalwork in the Yunnan Provincial Museum.

Dai Buddhist text. Manuscripts / writing systems in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai gourd pipes, also known as the hulusi, in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai bamboo house. Tools and utensils in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum, Kunming, Yunnan, China.

Dai copulating figurines. Folk Arts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai Buddhist streamer. Folk Arts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum

Dai mask. Exhibit in the Yunnan Provincial Museum

A wooden Thai Lue Buddha statue inside Wat Nong Bua, Tha Wang Pha District, Thailand

See also[edit]

Tai peoples

Thái people (Vietnam)

Rau peoples

References[edit]

^ "Ethnic Groups". China.org.cn. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-10-17.

^ Haimei Shen. Risk Society, the Predicaments of Folk Religion and Experience of Modernity: The Guardian Spirits in the Mandi Dailue Ethnic Society of Xishuangbanna Archived 2020-11-06 at the Wayback Machine. China: An International Journal, Vol. 11, No. 2

^ 云南省地方志编纂委员会 [Yunnan Gazetteer Commission], ed. (1998). 云南省志. 卷五十九, 少数民族语言文字志 [Yunnan Provincial Gazetteer, Vol. 59: Minority Languages Orthographies Gazetteer]. Kunming: 云南人民出版社 [Yunnan People's Press].

^ a b c d e f g h Skutsch, Carl, ed. (2005). Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities. New York: Routledge. pp. 361, 362. ISBN 1-57958-468-3.

^ a b c Hays, Jeffrey (July 2015). "Dai Religion and Festivals". facts and details. Retrieved 16 November 2019.

^ Cantwell, Cathy (2010). Buddhism: The Basics. New York: Routledge. pp. 148. ISBN 978-0-415-40880-6. Amongst the Dai minority nationality of Xishuangbanna...Theravada was established in the fifteenth century.

^ Ma, Chuang (2016). "Changes of Intermarriage Circle of the Pashi Dai (Muslims in Dai Society): A Case Study in the Hui Village in Manluan". In Rong, Gui (ed.). Hui Muslims in China. Leuven: Leuven University Press. pp. 87–95. ISBN 978-94-6270-066-6.

Works cited

Zhu, Liangwen (1992). The Dai: Or the Tai and Their Architecture & Customs in South China. Bangkok, Thailand, and Kunming, Yunnan, China: D D Books and The Science and Technology Press of Yunnan.

Les Dai de Chine: Zhongguo de Dai zu (in French), Jean A. Berlie, 136 pages, Paris, France, published in 1990.

External links[edit]

Photos related to Dai Theravada Buddhism

Site including information on some endangered Tai scripts

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dai people.

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Dai Ethnic Minority - Complete Introduction to Dai People in China

Dai Ethnic Minority - Complete Introduction to Dai People in Chinaservice@chinatravel.com86-773-286-5632 (Intl rates apply)Contact Us

China ToursClassic China TourTop 10 China ToursYangtze River CruiseSilk Road ToursChina Panda ToursMinority Discovery ToursDestinationsBeijingShanghaiXi’anHong KongGuilinTibetHangzhouSuzhouHuangshanDay TripsShanghai Day TripsBeijing Day TripsHong Kong Day TripsGuilin Day TripsSuzhou Day TripsHangzhou Day TripsAsia ToursVietnam, Cambodia and ThailandClassic ThailandNorthern Vietnam DiscoverySiem Reap ExperienceUniversal Studios Singapore TicketsGolden Triangle in IndiaTravel GuideChina Entry and ExitPlan Your China TripChina VisaChina WeatherGreat Wall Of ChinaGiant PandaCultureChinese FoodChinese TeaChinese ZodiacChinese FestivalsChinese New YearChinese Kung FuCreate My TripWhat is Tailor-Made TourTrainsFlightsHomeChina GuideChinese Ethnic GroupsDai Ethnic MinorityWritten by Sally Guo Updated Jan. 24, 2022The Dai (alternatively, Tai) are one of the 56 official ethnic minorities in China, whose ethnic majority are of course the Han Chinese.The Dai Ethnic Group comprises several smaller ethnic groups living mainly in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, in the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in the southern part of Yunnan Province. Smaller pockets of Dai live in and around the Yunnan cities of Xinping and Yuanjiang, as well as in other autonomous counties in Yunnan Province. In all there are roughly 1.2 million Dai living in China. However, the Dai of China belong to a larger family of Dai/ Tai ethnic groups that also exist in neighboring Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.History of the Dai PeopleThe origin of the Dai ethnic family goes back to the ancient Baiyue (alternatively, Bai Yue, or Hundred Yue) people, a tribe of ancient ethnic groups. The term "Yue" has historically been used in a broad-stroke manner by the ancient Chinese to refer to any number of larger to smaller ethnic groups that do not necessarily belong in the same ethnic "pot", much like the ancient Greeks used the term "Keltai" (corresponding to the present-day English-language term "Celt") to refer, in broad-brush strokes, to certain peoples of present-day Europe, stretching from France through Germany and on to the British Isles.The Baiyue include the Dong, though this group insists that it is a separate ethnic entity. In fact, scholars believe that the original Yue folk who branched out along a northerly route that would lead them into present-day China (a similar group, forebears of the present-day Tai (alternatively "Thai") folk of Thailand, branched southward) are in fact forebears to the Han Chinese - indeed, the Cantonese language is also called the Yue language (to read more about this interesting migration theory, which relates the Dong, the Yue, and the ancestors of the Han together, click here).The earliest Dai peoples of China were separated into three different groups, corresponding to three kingdoms: the Mong Loong Kingdom (Kingdom of Uncle), situated in the southern Yellow River region; the Mong Pa Kingdom (Kingdom of Auntie), in present-day Sichuan Province; and the Mong Yio Kingdom (Kingdom of the Yue/ Yi peoples), east of the Yangtze River. With plentiful rainfall and fertile land, the areas that these three Dai groups inhabited was quasi-subtropical, and thus suitable for the planting of Dai crops that today would be called cash crops. According to ancient Chinese documents, the Dai had a fairly well-developed system of agriculture, and a part of their crops were sold, or bartered, for other commodities. The Dai are believed by scholars to be one of the first ethnic groups to employ oxen to till the land.The forebears of the present-day Dai Ethnic Minority of China first organized themselves into a semi-unified political organization - the "Shan Guo" - during the Qin (BCE 221-207) and Han (BCE 206 - CE 220) Dynasties period. In BCE 109, Emperor Wu Di of the Western Han (BCE 206 - CE 009) Dynasty set up the prefecture of Yizhou (alternatively Yi Zhou, "Yi" being a variant of "Yue", and "Zhou" (alternatively "Zhao") meaning state, or prefecture) as a special area to house the Yue people in southwestern China, corresponding to present-day Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces.Dai WomenIn subsequent years the Dai of Yizhou Prefecture sent emissaries bearing tributes to the Han court in Luoyang in appreciation of the recognition shown them by the Chinese emperor. Included in the entourage were Dai musicians and acrobats whose performance at the Han court won the Dai people great praise; these emissaries, or "Dai ambassadors", received gold seals from the emperor while their leader was given the title of "Great Captain." In the years that followed, the Dai people would be officially affiliated with the Han Dynasty, receiving recognition and protection from Han rulers in exchange for their loyalty to the emperor.Over the years the resourceful Dai further multiplied and split into smaller groups, or tribes. From the 8th to the 12th century, the Dai of the Dehong region had lived under their own separate, semi-autonomous rule - but within the confines of Imperial China, of course - in the Meng Mao Kingdom whose capital was Ruilijiang. But in the 12th century, a Dai chieftain named Pa Ya Zhen unified all of the Dai tribes and established a local kingdom, albeit, still within the confines of Imperial China, called Mengle, with Jinghong in present-day Yunnan Province as its capital.During the Yuan (CE 1271-1368) Dynasty, the Dai homelands were subordinated to Yunnan Province, and the feudal system of appointing hereditary headmen from among the ethnic minorities - including from among the Dai - was instituted, which was a step backward compared to the more progressive organizational system of the previous, principally Han Chinese, dynasties, and it was surely a form of cultural appeasement towards ethnic minorities with whom the Yuan Dynasty had its share of problems. However, this neo-feudal system continued, not only with respect to the Dai, but with respect to the bulk of China's ethnic minorities, on through the Ming (CE 1368-1644) and the Qing (CE 1644-1911) Dynasties, except for small enclaves of minority groups that lived within the confines of the more advanced Han Chinese areas; these latter enclaves of Dai folk were subject to the same administrative rule as the surrounding mainstream Chinese society.After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the new republic, under the rule of the Kuomintang - which feared a civil-war-like break-up of the country (and which may even have feared defeat at the hands of some of these minority groups, not least the Mongolians) - set up a special administrative entity, a county, in the Dai homelands, and a policy of oppression was thereafter pursued throughout the reaches of the county's administration.After the formation of the People's Republic of China, the Dai area that had been under strict Kuomintang rule was "liberated" (1950). In subsequent years, in particluar between 1954 and 1985, upwards of 90% of the Dai people would come to live in areas which had been granted autonomous administration within the PRC.The Dai Language and Writing SystemThe language of the Dai belongs to the Zhuang-Dai branch of the Zhuang-Dong group of Chinese-Tibetan Phylum, or family of languages. The Dai have their own special writing system, which is written in an alphabetic, as opposed to a character, script. There are five different branches of this writing system spread throughout the various Dai communities in China. Among these, the most common are the Daikou and the Daina writing systems, which are also known as the Xinshuangbanna and the Dehong writing systems, respectively.CostumesWomen's CostumesTraditionally, Dai women wore tight-sleeved short dresses and sarongs, which accentuated their slim but shapely figures admirably, imparting a femininity and daintiness that was, and remains, unique. Dai women's clothing, particularly in the Xishuangbanna region, comes in a wide variety of styles. Undergarments are typically of a light shade such as white, light green, sky-blue or pink. Over this is worn a jewel-collared short-waisted shirt that rides above the hips, exposing part of the lower back. It either buttons down the front, or on the right side, and has long, tight-fitting sleeves. The skirt, or sarong, is tight-fitting as well, and is quite long, reaching, in some cases, almost to the ground. It is not uncommon for a Dai woman to wear a silk girdle around her waist, and to wind her long, beautiful hair into an elegant bun, fixed with a shapely comb, atop her head.Dai FestivalYounger Dai women decorate their hair with flowers, while older Dai women typically wear a hat, often made of bamboo straw. A woman's personal jewelry includes silver earrings, necklaces, waistbands, bracelets, and bejeweled coronets. Some Dai women also wear jewelry made of jade, agate and colored glass.Men's CostumesTraditionally, Dai men wore collarless, tight-sleeved short jackets - with the opening down the front or along the right side, as seen in the Dai woman's shirt - and long, baggy pants. This tradition continues today. In winter, Dai men drape a blanket over their shoulders in lieu of a coat. To finish off his rather austere wardrobe, a Dai man wears a turban in black, white, or blue.Cuisine and Eating HabitsRice is the staple of the Dai diet. The Dai in the Dehong region prefer a rice sort that, when cooked, produces a looser-grained finished product, i.e., does not stick together (similar to long-grained rice in Europe and America), while the Dai of the Xishuangbanna region generally prefer a stickier, more glutinous type of rice, similar to the rice sort that is used in Europe and America to make pudding.The Dai are fond of pork, beef, duck, chicken, and fish; they seldom eat mutton. In some areas, dog meat is also popular among the Dai. In general, the Dai love flavors that are sour and/or spicy hot. They are known for their roasted chicken and pickled fish, but also for their pickled bamboo shoots, pickled peas, and pickled meat. Not surprisingly, the Dai are wild about dry sauerkraut. The Dai are fond not only of fish, but also of other seafoods such as shrimp, crab, and shellfish. Besides being fond of sour and spicy hot dishes, the Dai also enjoy foods that are slightly bitter, such as bitter gourd and bitter bamboo shoots, both of which everyday vegetable dishes are as common to a Dai household as is apple pie to an American household.Local SpecialtiesSince the Dai live in areas that are hot and humid, replete with a cornucopia of large insects, they have learned to incorporate this rich protein source into their diet. Therefore, dishes and snacks made of insects constitute a large part of the Dai diet, and enhance it with their special flavors. In addition to the cicada, the bamboo worm as well as a number of species of spiders are the most commonly used insects in the Dai diet, which also includes exotic foods such as field turtle and the eggs of giant ants. The Dai also have a liking for partially-fermented wine that is generally homemade. These are more often than not sweet wines. Although tea is a local specialty, the Dai prefer their tea made of large-leaf tea sorts that are not highly perfumed. Other typical Dai products include sun-dried pork, sun-dried eel, and salted eggs.Dai FoodEtiquette and TaboosMost of these taboos occurs in Sacrificial Occasions:Tourists are forbidden to enter a stockaded village when the Dai are engaged in the worship of the stockade god.Tourists are required to take off their shoes before entering a Buddhist temple. Neither may a tourist step on the shadow of a monk, nor touch the head of a monk. Proper etiquitte calls for passersby of all nationalities and faiths to show respect to a monk by placing their palms together in the universal gesture of prayer, and nodding a greeting, however slight the movement.Weddings, Childbirths and Funerals1) A tourist may not enter the home of a pregnant woman or a sick man.2) A special object made of bamboo hanging near the main door of a home signifies that a pregnant woman is nearing childbirth, and this means that all visitors will be refused.3) A tourist may not enter a home where a member has just died. Moreover, a tourist is forbidden to attend a Dai funeral ceremony without express permission of the family.4) A bamboo keg for holding water is always hung near the door where a death has occurred in a family. Inside this keg are placed sour leaves, and after the funeral rites have been completed, all participants sprinkle a small amount of this special water over their heads, in order to turn away evil spirits.Top Festivals and CelebrationsThe Water Splashing FestivalThe Water Splashing Festival falls during the New Year of the Dai Calendar. It is sometimes called Shanghan or Jingbimai (both variants meaning "New Year"), but it is more commonly called Hounan ("Water Splashing Festival") in the Dai language. The Water Splashing Festival is not only the first Buddhist festival of a new year, but also the most important festival observed by the Dai. (To learn more about the Water Splashing Festival, click: http://www.chinatravel.com/facts/water-splashing-festival.htm)Water Splashing FestivalThe Dragon Homage FestivalThe Dai pay yearly homage to the dragon, who is seen as a deity with the power to bless or punish mankind, especially as regards the yearly harvest. This Dragon Homage Festival is held at a date determined by the Dai calendar, which means that it often falls in January of the Western calendar, and thus also occurs close to the traditional Chinese Spring Festival. During the Dragon Homage Festival, a monk from the village temple organizes the collection of food and clothing to be offered to the Dragon God.Every Dai, without regard to income or social standing, is encouraged to make such an offering to the Dragon God, though one of course offers gifts commensurate with one's wealth. For example, rich families might offer items in gold or silver, including coins. All offerings are dropped off at the temple, where they are preserved in an appropriate "Dragon Palace" until the highlight ceremony of the Dragon Homage Festival, at which time the "Dragon Palace" is placed on a bamboo raft and allowed to drift away down the Menglong River, while the people pray and chant Buddhist scripture.Dai Cultural IdentityThe Dai enjoy a rich and colorful culture, the Bai Yue culture, whose designation today is shortened to Bai Ye to distinguish it from the original anthropological culture of the ancient Bai folk. The ancient Bai Yue culture was in the forefront of social development in many respects when the Dai first began to organize themselves into communities in China. The Dai also have their own calendar, they have books in Dai script for calculating solar and lunar eclipses, and their historical documents span a rich variety of literary works, from poetry and fables to ancient stories and legends.The Bei Ye CultureBei Ye Culture is a general term for the social and cultural history of the Dai people. Bai Ye cultural artifacts and traditions include original scripture etched onto the leaves of the pattra tree (a tropical plant native to the Dai homelands), Dai scripture copied onto cotton paper, and "song" ("chanting" may be the better term) books, as well as a plethora of lesser cultural traditions that are handed down generation after generation, and thus every Dai individual is a walking preserve of Dai culture. The Bei Ye Culture became known especially for the scriptures that were etched onto the leaves of the pattra tree.Bei Ye scriptures, as indicated, are preserved on two different media: the leaf of the patta tree and paper made of cotton. The former is called "Tanlan" in the language of the Dai, while the latter is called "Bogalesha". The Bei Ye culture has developed over time from its origins as a collection of primitive ethnic and religious practices that have been combined with the influences of neighboring cultures, primarily the Han Chinese culture, but also Indian Buddhist culture (the Dai practice a form of Buddhism that differs from the Chinese-influenced Indian Buddhism of the mainstream Han Chinese).Though they live in separate countries, and in some cases miles apart, the Dai of China, the Lao of Laos, the Shan of Myanmar, and the Thai of Thailand all have evolved from the same ethnic origins - they all share the same Bai Ye culture particular to Southeast Asia.The Dai CalendarDai have their own calendar, which is still in use today. The Dai calendar is unusual, compared to the Han Chinese lunar calendar, in that the former incorporates elements of both the solar and the lunar calendars. Borrowing from the Han Chinese Taoist tradition, Dai use the method of Heavenly Stems and the Terrestrial Branches to record days and years in their "hybrid" calendar (this is a reference to the Taoist sexagenary cycle, or a cyclical system of 60 combinations of the two basic cycles: the 10 Heavenly Stems and the 12 Earthly Branches). Dai has chosen to not only employ much of the Han Chinese calendar terminology, they have also preserved the Han Chinese pronunciation of this terminology.A year is divided into twelve months in the Dai calendar, while some months are called "single" months and others are called "double" months. There are thirty days in a "single" Dai month and twenty-nine days in a "double" Dai month. A year is also composed of three seasons: the Cold Season, which runs from January to April; the Hot Season, which runs from May to August; and the Rainy Season, which runs from September to December. To further account for the irregularities of the earth's orbit, so as to make the Dai calendar fit the actual time trajectory of the earth's orbit, there are seven leap years to every span of nineteen years.According to ancient Dai documents, there are four epochs, termed "Saha", in Dai history. The fourth epoch is the current one, or the "Zhujiang Saha", which began in the year CE 647, circa, in Western calendar terms, and was announced by a Dai religious leader by the name of Payazhula.Songs and DancesDai are exceptionally good at singing and dancing. Their most popular dances are the Peacock Dance, the Lusheng Dance, the Sanxian Dance, the Lion Dance and the Drum Dance. The most important musical instrument in accompanying Dai dances is the so-called elephant-foot drum, which can be played by people of all ages, from a young child to a pensioner.The elephant-foot drum is typically long and made of a section of log that has been hollowed out, then covered with the skin of a python, though today sheepskin is used (otherwise pythons might soon be on the endangered species list). The drum is painted in a variety of bright colors and adorned with the feathers of a peacock - a bird that is especially auspicious in Dai culture, hence the dance of the same name. A stout ribbon serves as a strap that is attached to the drum so that it can be carried by the performing dancer. The performing dancer carries the elephant-foot drum slung over his left shoulder, beating the drum mainly with his right hand, while his left-hand helps to steady and/or shift the position of the drum so as to facilitate the playing rhythm.Regarding the origin of the elephant-foot drum, legend has it that in ancient times, the Dai homelands were frequently subjected to severe flooding. The people learned about the presence of an evil dragon nearby that was causing the floods. A brave Dai youth, aided by his fellow villagers, eventually managed to kill the monster, and for the celebrations that followed, a special drum was hollowed out of a log and the hide of the slain dragon was used as the drum's resonating outer skin.The Peacock DanceThe Peacock Dance is the favorite dance of the Dai. It is a very graceful and elegantly performed dance that imitates the stately strutting of the peacock and is marked by undulations of the waist and the arms. The Peacock Dance is usually performed during Dai New Year celebrations, as well as during certain Buddhist festivals such as the annual Baipala Festival. As with so many other folkloric practices, there is a Dai legend attached to the origin of the Peacock Dance. The legend goes like this...Long, long ago, the feathers of the peacock were not so colorful and beautiful, nor did the peacock possess the characteristic "eyed" tail feathers by which it is known today. The peacock was known, however, for its relative tameness and obedience. It so happened that once during a Buddhist festival at a local temple, word spread that the Buddhist patriarch would descend to earth. Therefore a great throng of adherents came rushing to the temple, which quickly became overcrowded.In the meantime, a peacock in a remote mountain region heard the news of the imminent arrival of the patriarch at the temple in question and being a devout Buddhist peacock, it, therefore, flew the long journey to join the other worshippers in the already overcrowded little temple, where the patriarch himself had just arrived.When the peacock, in agitation at not being able to get a better view of the patriarch, paced back and forth behind the throng of other worshippers, the patriarch became aware of this and cast a beam of the light of Buddha in the direction of the devout peacock. The light beam struck the tail of the peacock, lighting it up in iridescent colors and producing the characteristic "eyed" tail feathers by which the peacock is recognized today.On departing, the patriarch said to the devout peacock that the two would meet during the next Baipala Festival. From then on, when the Patriarch descended to earth during the Baipala Festival, he would first meet with his human followers at the temple, and afterward, he would visit the peacock on its remote mountain and watch it prance and dance and show off its beautiful tail.That is how the peacock came to be so beautiful, and that is also why the Dai perform a dance in its honor every year during the major Dai festivals, including the harvest festival and of course the Baipala Festival.The Peacock DanceThe Choreography of the Peacock DanceThe Peacock Dance involves a number of fixed elements that imitate the behavior of the peacock. These imitative elements include: launching into flight from the nest; flying about; strolling about; searching for a water source; peering intensely, combined with suggestive eye movements; bathing in a water puddle; spreading the wings and shaking them to dry off; and spreading the tail feathers as if to announce its presence as the most exquisite creature in the whole of the animal kingdom.Hand GesturesThe hand gestures of the Peacock Dance include the following: turning the thumb inwards towards the palm of the hand, while extending the four fingers that are held tightly together (not splayed); tucking the thumb only slightly, with the index finger bent and the other three fingers extended but splayed (known as the "peacock hand" gesture); the thumb and index finger extended and clasped together at the ends, and with the other three fingers fanned out, in a slightly curved manner, suggesting the shape of an eye.Basic Body MovementsTypical Dai dance movements involve lowering the body, raising the body, stepping to the right and stepping to the left (usually combined with lowering and raising the body). Raising the body from a lowered position begins on both legs but ends on only one: as the dancer rises, one leg is forced backwards, ending in a kicking motion as the dancer rotates from side to side, then the "kick" leg is brought forward and the dancer hops to the side, onto that leg, i.e., the dancer hops laterally, either to the right or to the left, depending on which leg was used for the kicking motion. The dancer alternates between kicking backward with the right and then the left leg.The beginning of the dance is signaled by a lowering of the body. It is done with a straightened back, and to the accompaniment of a heavy musical rhythm. In both lowering and raising the body, the dancer maintains a rigidly straightened back posture. While hopping right (left), the dancer swings the body to the right (left) and brings the knees together, turning the head sharply in the opposite direction of the body.Dai ArchitectureThe Traditional Dai HouseDai architecture, except for temple architecture, which was built according to dictated architectural standards of Buddhism, is vernacular architecture, i.e., it is "people's architecture", or architecture that does not involve the services of professional architects.The most typical building material in Dai culture is bamboo, and the building style of the typical Dai house is called "Gan Lan". The columns, beams, purlins, rafters, and walls of the house are of bamboo, as is the gate leading to the house. In fact, the grass, or thatch, that covers the roof of a Dai traditional house is held together in tufts, or bundles, with the help of bamboo twigs, which are quite elastic. In some areas, the roof consists of bamboo shafts split in half, then tied together to form a seamless roof. Obviously, the greater the bearing requirement the larger, or sturdier, the bamboo. Thus the house's main framework will be made of the largest bamboo shafts, while narrower bamboo is used for walls, for the roof, and as a final covering over the bearing framework of the floor, if wooden planks are not to be used.A traditional Dai house is two-storeyed and roughly square in shape. The upper store serves as the living quarters for the family, while the lower store, which may be only partially walled in, but is generally partitioned into more than one room, serves as a storeroom for grain, etc., and as a shelter for livestock. The living quarters contain, besides bedrooms, room for working, for dining, and for receiving guests. There is traditionally a balcony for washing clothes. It is here that the household water supply, its water tank, is located. The advantage of having the living quarters raised above ground are obvious: it reduces the risks to life and property during high water conditions (flooding), being well above ground, it is free of dampness, ground chill, and it is generally free of insects, especially mosquitoes.The Traditional Dai HouseReligious Architecture: Temples and PagodasReligious buildings in China are traditionally built in secluded, auspicious locales on mountains or hilltops, tucked in among trees. The aesthetics of the physical setting is of paramount importance in the placement of religious buildings in China, as the physical setting contributes greatly to the overall religious experience.The Buddhist TempleThe Buddhist temple, or "Wa" in the language of the Dai, is a place of reverence. The typical temple complex consists of a temple gate, the main hall, and various rooms for the monks who live and work at the temple, as well as a special room for housing the drum. The larger the temple complex, the greater number of pagodas. The placement of the pagodas - indeed of the placement of all the building components - is undertaken with an eye to the overall aesthetics of the temple complex, taking the topography of the surrounding terrain into consideration (these considerations hold true in China not only for Buddhism but also for Taoism).The Temple GateFacing eastward, and slighly offset behind the meter-high wall that surrounds the temple complex, the temple gate is built in a memorial archway style, with two equal-sized staircase steps before and after the archway itself. Such symmetry is crucial to the memorial archyway style.The Buddhist HallThe main hall, or Buddhist Hall, is also called a "Wei Han" in the language of the Dai. Situated on an east-west axis, the Buddhist Hall is the primary place of worship, it is the locale where Buddhists gather to worship the founding father of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha. Here worshippers light incense, chant sutras, and conduct various religious activities in accordance with Buddhist tradition. The center area of the Buddhist Hall is topped with a roof with an apsis in the center, with one-half of the roof sloping in one direction and the other half sloping in the opposite direction, in the quintessentially Chinese hip-and-gable roof style. There is a dividing wall directly below the apsis, such that each half of the roof corresponds to a walled-off room below the roof, one room, or hall, facing eastward, the other westward. A large statue of Buddha stands in the hall facing eastward (below is a detailed description of the Buddha statue).The walls of the Buddhist Hall are only two meters high, and seem dwarfed by the height of the arched roof. Since Dai homelands are synonymous with a humid climate, even the Dai Buddhist temple walls are constructed so as to permit ventilation. Windows, where present, are quite small. The supporting pillars of the main hall are thick and sturdy, and the pillars, as well as supporting beams, are painted a bright red. This feature, together with the "Jin Shui" scripture which adorns the walls of a Dai Buddhist temple, defines, as it were, Dai temple architecture.The Buddhist PagodaEither standing alone or as part of the superstructure of a Buddhist monastery, the brick-built pagoda is a repository for relics, and for the ashes of Buddha. Being the dominant feature of the skyline of a Dai village, Dai Buddhist pagodas differ considerably from the corresponding pagodas of Han Chinese and Tibetan-Chinese areas. The plinth of the Dai Buddhist pagoda is typically either in the shape of the Chinese "Ya", or in the shape of a lotus blossom. The overall shape of the pagoda is in the form of an upside-down Buddhist alms bowl. The pedestal on which it stands has a rock-solid appearance, which contrasts with the light appearance of the pagoda that rises above it. Where there are multiple pagodas, they generally come in varying shapes, yet each fits the overall scheme of the temple's superstructures well as the overall scheme of the layout of the temple complex.The Buddha StatueThe statue of Buddha represents the pinnacle of Dai sculptural arts. It is made by Dai artists who are Buddhist devotees. The Dai Buddha statue is generally of two varieties: one that is a traditional Sakymuni Buddha representation, i.e., with "snail-shaped" hair (sometimes flame-shaped or lotus-flower-shaped) and an exposed right shoulder; and one that is a more stately representation of Buddha with a crown, in a resplendent cape, and with an arm-guard as well as precious stones decorating the front, or chest area. It is typical for the Dai Buddha to be in a sitting posture.This Buddha is characterized by a head that makes up one-third of the height of the statue. Other, smaller Buddha figures may be in a standing posture, with more natural proportions (the head of the sitting Buddha figure is considered the most prominent feature). In contrast to the Han Chinese Buddha figure, which is generally quite plump and often smiling, the Dai Buddha figure is slimmer, with a more subdued expression on a more elongated face atop a thin neck that protrudes above broad shoulders and a short upper torso.Dai HandicraftsThe Paper-cutThe Dai paper-cut is the traditional folk art of the Dai minority. Paper-cut drawings are used as well to design patterns on household articles such as bed linen, bags and hats. The Dai paper-cut motifs are beautiful and intricate, composed of images of grass, trees, insects, animals and humans, all interacting in a harmonious way. Others contain a more specific set of story-telling images relevant to the Dai culture, as well as relevant to more local traditions. In the paper-cut, the Dai follow a proud Chinese tradition, albeit, adapted to meet the specific cultural and artistic aspirations of the Dai ethnic minority.Dai Buddhist Temple Art: Jin Shui Pillar Patterns and MuralsJin Shui is a common pillar decoration method in Dai Buddhist temples involving Dai scripture. The Jin Shui procedure is complicated, but can be described roughly as follows: the areas of the pillars to receive the decorations are chosen, then painted black. Paper-cut images of the scripture's text are then pasted onto the black areas of the pillar, after which the rest of the pillar is painted red. When the red paint dries, the paper-cut images are painted with a golden paint which seeps into the paper and onto the black background behind it, leaving a red pillar with scripture in golden letters of the Dai alphabet, called "Jin Shui".The mural is the most vivid form of folk painting among the Dai. Murals are usually drawn on temple walls in a fluid, panoramic style that typically tells a story. The imagery almost always involves the Buddha and various princes and princesses, as well as impressive members of the animal kingdom such as the white elephant, horses, and deer. Another fixture in the Dai Buddhist temple mural is the Buddhist pagoda set in among bright green trees. The colors of a Dai Buddhist temple mural are in general very bright and richly contrasting.The SatchelThe Satchel, also called "Tong Pa" in the language of the Dai, belongs the practical side of Dai handicrafts; it is very popular among the Dai. The satchel is used for the safekeeping of variety of everyday items from cigarettes to special seeds to sewing items and decorations. Young people use the satchel to keep memorable items exchanged with a boyfriend or a girlfriend. The patterns on the satchel are varied, typically with multiple images of animals, some rare, and with trees and flowers of a variety of types. Sometimes the artist will include geometrical shapes for added interest. In general, each pattern - be it animal, plant, or geometrical shape - has its own significance, as does each particular color theme. For example, red and green signify respect for ancestors, while the image of a peacock signifies good luck, the image of an elephant signifies a good harvest as well as a happy life in general. Such images reflect the Dai people's tendency to strive for a better life for themselves and for future generations.The Tattoo, or Body ArtThe Dai are proud of their beautiful tattoos - "the more the better" seems to be the motto. When a boy reaches the age of eleven or twelve, a tattoo artist is invited to tattoo the boy's body and limbs with designs of animals, flowers, geometric patterns, and examples of Dai script. Tattooing is achieved by first drawing the relevant patterns on the skin with colored dye, then the patterns are pricked with a fine needle which will allow the dye to sink into the skin. After a period of time (the curing period), the pattern is then permanent. The most propitious time of the year for tattooing is during the Dragon Boat Festival.The origin of tattooing in the Dai culture stems from a legend. Long, long ago (as most legends worth their salt begin) the Dai people were still in search of a suitable homeland, and in this nomadic state, they continued to move along the river, or to move to other rivers, in search of their staple food at the time, fish. On one particular river, the Dai encountered a very hostile dragon that would attack anything with a dark yellowish color, including humans. In an attempt to deceive this fierce dragon, the Dai painted their skin in the colors of the dragon - which included black, but excluded yellow, of course.Unfortunately, when the Dai entered the river, which was essential both in order to fish, to bathe, and to wash their clothing, the paint - which was only painted on the outer surface of the skin - would wash off, and the dragon would attack anew. A clever shaman figured out how to make the body paint permanent by applying the paint, then pricking the skin, and thus was born the practice of tattooing among the Dai people.ReligionMost of the Dai people believe in the Sthaviravada (the little vehicle) while some still adhere to the principle of animism, or the notion that all things, from what we call animate to inanimate things, possess a soul. The Sthaviravada holds that the world of senses is void, and that to reach nirvana, or the state of release from material existence, it is necessary to transcend the demands of the senses.The Buddha sutra of the Sthaviravada is generally called The Three Pitakas, one of which is the sutra that aims at maintaining stability in the laws of the universe.  Another, the Vinaya Pitaka, advocates religious discipline, while the last, the Abhidharma Pitaka, makes public the Buddhist theory and its teachings. According to the Sthaviravada, it was a common practice to send young boys to the temple to be educated, which also elevates the boy's social status. There, the boy would learn to read, write and chant scriptures, but it served as a form of schooling in general. Some of the boys would enter the monastery to become monks, though the vast majority remained within their villages, partaking in secular life as well.Dai ReligionCustomsThe Courtship Custom of the Flower Ball FestivalThere are many ways for Dai youths to express their affection for the opposite sex, but chief among them is the Flower Ball Festival. When the New Year of the Dai Lunar Calendar - i.e., the Water-Splashing Festival - is on the horizon, all the unmarried youths of the village and its environs get together to participate in the Flower Ball Festival. The event is carried out by having boys and girls stand in separate lines opposite each other, then the boy throws the flower ball, when it is his turn, to the girl he fancies the most and who is standing in the line directly opposite him (as can be understood, the girls line up first, then the boys take their positions opposite the girl of their choice, and, by pre-arrangement, any potential conflict such as two boys wishing to court the same girl is resolved by parents, well in advance of the Flower Ball Festival). Flower ball throwing is done round after round because not every girl catches the flower ball on the first attempt (it is a requirement to eventually catch the flower ball).The rule is if the girl doesn't catch the flower ball, the boy will give the girl a gift as encouragement since further rounds will be played for those not having caught the flower ball. In the event that a girl does not catch the flower ball, she is required to pick a flower for the boy who cast the ball to her. In reality, a girl may deliberately fail to catch the flower ball many times over, in order to thus elicit more gifts (a certain amount of pre-arrangement here cannot be excluded). Not all boys and girls "paired" at a Flower Ball go on to become serious sweethearts, but many, if not most, do, as there is more to the ceremony than innocent children choosing a favorite - suitability issues such as social standing, inter-family relations, etc., plays a role as well.The Custom of Thread TwiningThe Thread Twining Custom is known in the Dai language as Shu Huan, meaning "twining the souls". Shu Huan is a social event that involves the extended families of both parties to the wedding, as well as specially invited guests. It is done both at an official "engagement" ceremony that takes place any time between the 15th of December (the Opening-of-the-Door Festival) to the 15th of September of the following year (the Closing-of-the-Door Festival), and during the marriage ceremony itself. The purpose of this well-wishing ceremony is to pray for the bride and groom and to twine thread for them in the hope that theirs may be a happy and well-suited union.During the wedding ceremony itself, the host first prays for the bride and groom, then he takes a long white thread and begins to twine it around the hands of the new couple as a symbol of a long, healthy and happy life together. Thereafter the other family members of both the bride and groom perform the same symbolic thread twining ritual upon the bride and groom, and lastly, invited friends of the couple do the same.The custom of twining thread as a symbol of the marriage union is an old Dai tradition. Once again, its origin is enshrouded in legend...Long, long ago, there was a very young princess - just a girl, really - who often wondered about what type of man she would someday marry. One day, the princess mused to a very young male servant - a boy of roughly her own age, in fact: "I wonder who I will eventually marry?" The young boy answered matter of factly, and without the slightest hesitation: "You are going to marry me." Upon hearing this, the princess, in a fit of rage, grabbed a knife lying on a nearby table and threw it at the boy, making a deep gash in his forehead, which would leave a permanent scar. Moreover, the young boy, for his impertinence, was driven out of the country.There, the young boy became a young man, and a very successful one at that: he eventually became the country's king. As was the custom at the time, rulers of neighboring states and countries chose intermarriage as a means of defusing potential rivalry, so a marriage between the young king and the princess of the country from which the young man, as a boy, had been rudely kicked out, was arranged. On the day of the wedding, the princess immediately recognized the groom-to-be as her former servant, for the scar from the deep gash she had given him as a boy was clearly visible on his forehead. The princess was so overwhelmed with remorse - and also with awe at the boy's prophetic words - that she placed her right hand between the hands of her groom-to-be, and proceeded to twine their hands together, as a sign of her eternal devotion to her coming husband and king. Back to China Ethnic GroupsCreate My TripNeed Help?Request a custom itinerary today and get one step closer to your personalized tripCreate Your Trip CHINA TRAVELChina Travel is one of China’s leading touring specialists. 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DAI MINORITY AND THEIR HISTORY | Facts and Details

DAI MINORITY AND THEIR HISTORY | Facts and Details

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Minorities - Minorities in Western Yunnan

DAI MINORITY AND THEIR HISTORY

DAI ETHNIC GROUP

The Dai are a relatively large and prosperous minority that live primarily in tropical and semitropical monsoon forests and valleys in the Xishuangbanna region of southwestern Yunnan Province along the Burmese and Laos border. They have traditionally been valley-dwelling rice cultivators and are similar to the Thai, Lao, Shan and Ahom peoples who live valleys scattered throughout Southeast Asia and the Assam area of India. The Dai have their own distinct customs, cuisine, clothing and languages. They are most numerous in Xishuabgbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southern Yunnan Province along the border with Laos. Large numbers also live in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture.

The Dai are also known as the Baiyi, Beiyi, Boyi, Bitsu, La Sam, Mitro, Siam, Tai, Shan, Daija, Dailu, Taily, Daina, Han Baiyi, Han Dail, Shui Baiyi and Shui Dai. Dai means freedom. Before 1949, the Dai were known mainly as the Baiyu, which means “white clothing.” According to where they live or which Dai subgroup they belong to they also use names like "Daili", "Daiya", "Daina", "Daibeng" and "Daiduan". After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the various Dai groups were unified by the Chinese government under one name Dai. The Dai people are often divided into three groups—1) the Dailu or the Shui Dai (Water Dai); 2) the Daina or Han Dai (Land Dai); 3) Daija Huanyai Dai (Festoon Waist Dai, known for their bright colored blouses); —based on their customs, clothes and whether they live near a river or not. Sometimes a forth group, Kemu Dai, are included. All of these groups speak a language similar to Thai and Lao. The Dailu and Daina are the largest groups.

The Dai live mainly in lush subtropical southwest Yunnan Province in: 1) Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, 2) Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefectures, and 3) several districts between them, including Dima, Menglian, Jinggu, Xinping, Jinping, Yuanjiang, and Shuangjiang. Mostly they live in the plain and valley areas at the foot of the mountains in an area with abundant rainfall and rich soil. [Source: Liu Jun, Museum of Nationalities, Central University for Nationalities, Science of China, China virtual museums, Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences]

The Dai are the 19th largest ethnic group and the 18th largest minority out of 55 in China. They numbered 1,329,985 and made up 0.09 percent of the total population of China in 2020 according to the 2020 Chinese census. The Dai of China belong to a larger family of Dai/ Tai ethnic groups that also exist in neighboring Myanmar, India, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Dai populations in China in the past: 0.0946 percent of the total population; 1,261,311 in 2010 according to the 2010 Chinese census; 1,159,231 in 2000 according to the 2000 Chinese census; 1,025,128 in 1990 according to the 1990 Chinese census. A total of 478,966 Dai were counted in 1953; 535, 389 were counted in 1964; and 864,340 were in 1982. [Sources: People’s Republic of China censuses, Wikipedia]

See Separate Articles: DAI RELIGION AND FESTIVALS factsanddetails.com ;

DAI LIFE, HOUSES, FOOD, CUSTOMS AND MEDCINE factsanddetails.com ;

DAI MARRIAGE, WEDDINGS, COURTING AND WOMEN factsanddetails.com;

DAI MINORITY CULTURE: CLOTHES, ART AND DANCE factsanddetails.com

Websites and Sources: Wikipedia article Wikipedia ; ; Dai Song YouTube ; Elephant Foot Dance dailymotion.com; Book Chinese Minorities stanford.edu ; Chinese Government Law on Minorities china.org.cn ; Minority Rights minorityrights.org ; Wikipedia article Wikipedia

; Ethnic China ethnic-china.com ;Wikipedia List of Ethnic Minorities in China Wikipedia ; Travel China Guide travelchinaguide.com ; China.org (government source) china.org.cn ; People’s Daily (government source) peopledaily.com.cn ; Paul Noll site: paulnoll.com ; Museum of Nationalities, Central University for Nationalities, Science Museums of China Books: Ethnic Groups in China, Du Roufu and Vincent F. Yip, Science Press, Beijing, 1993;

An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China, Olson, James, Greenwood Press, Westport, 1998; “China's Minority Nationalities,” Great Wall Books, Beijing, 1984

RECOMMENDED BOOKS: “The Dai or the Tai and Their Architecture and Customs in South China” by Zhu Liangwen Amazon.com; “Where the Dai people Live” by An Chunyang Amazon.com;

“Peoples of the Greater Mekong: the Ethnic Minorities” by Jim Goodman and Jaffee Yeow Fei Yee Amazon.com ; “The Yunnan Ethnic Groups and Their Cultures” by Yunnan University International Exchange Series Amazon.com; “Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic” by Jinghong Zhang and K. Sivaramakrishnan Amazon.com;

“Xishuangbanna: the Tropics of Yunnan” by Jim Goodman Amazon.com;

“Dai Lue-English Dictionary” by William J. Hanna Amazon.com;

“Research on the Fertility Culture of the Dai Ethnic Group in China” by Shan Guo Amazon.com;

“Educating Monks: Minority Buddhism on China’s Southwest Border” by Thomas A. Borchert

and Mark Michael Rowe Amazon.com

Culture: “The Legend of the Peacock Princess” Amazon.com ; “Encyclopedia of Chinese Traditional Furniture, Vol. 2: Ethnical Minorities” by Fuchang Zhang Amazon.com; “The Origin of the Dai Bamboo House” Amazon.com; “The Roots of Asian Weaving: The He Haiyan collection of textiles and looms from Southwest China” by Eric Boudot and Chris Buckley Amazon.com; “Writing with Thread Traditional Textiles of Southwest Chinese Minorities” by University of Hawaii Art Gallery Amazon.com

Xishuangbanna

Xishuangbanna

The Dai and several smaller ethnic groups living mainly in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and in the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern Yunnan Province, though smaller pockets of Dai live in and around the Yunnan cities of Xinping and Yuanjiang, as well as in other autonomous counties in Yunnan Province.

Xishuangbanna is a region in southern Yunnan, near Burma and the Golden Triangle opium-growing region, known for its tropical forests, green mountains, and ethnic minorities. About a quarter of the people are Dai, another quarter are Han Chinese and the remainder include members of the Miao, Zhuang, Jinou, Bulang, Lahu and Wa minorities. Xishuabgbanna means “Twelve Thousand Fields” or “Twelve Principalities.” It was once the center of a kingdom that stretched into Burma, Thailand and Laos. During World War II it was the site of some bombing raids and many of the tribal people fled into Burma, Thailand and Laos. When the Communist took over the region they ended the kingdom, and the king became an academic in Kunming. Large numbers of Han Chinese moved in to the area during the Korean War when the region was used to grow rubber trees for the war effort.

The prefecture of Xishuangbanna is unique in China. For it's semi-tropical climate and abundance of flora and fauna, it enjoys special protection, as demonstrated by the declaration of numerous Nature Reserves and the development of a model of tourism that largely focuses on a respect for nature. Today almost one third of Xishuangbanna is protected forest. [Source: Ethnic China]

See Separate Article XISHUANGBANNA, SOUTHERN YUNNAN, THE MEKONG IN CHINA AND THE DAI AND WA factsanddetails.com

Dai and Tai Groups

"Dai" is the Pinyin form of "Tai". The Dai People of China, Thai people of Thailand and the Lao of Laos are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Southeast Asia and southern China. Their languages are languages are classified as part of the Tai–Kadai family of languages. The majority of them are followers of Theravada Buddhism. Other Tai people include the Shan in Myanmar and the Lao in Laos. Each group speaks its own Tai language or dialect and has customs and characteristics unique to the region they live in.

Almost all Tai people are lactase deficient. This means they have problems digesting milk products.

Pedro Ceinos Arcones wrote in Ethnic China: “The official category "Dai" includes several Tai-speaking groups linguistically related to other peoples belonging to the Tai-Kadai (Dong-Tai in Chinese) linguistic family and officially classified under the categories Zhuang, Li, or Shui. Those groups currently categorized as "Dai" were traditionally designated by the Han Chinese as "Pai-yi"/ "Bai-yi" -a name whose origin remains obscure. Some Han Chinese, following traditional categories, still divide the peoples included under the "Dai" category according to arbitrary, dated denominations, such as Han Dai (Dry-land Tai) and Shui Dai (Water Tai), Huayao Dai (Flowered-belt Tai). [Source: Ethnic China] *]

“The two most important Tai groups included in the "Dai" category are the Tai Neua, who inhabited mainly the Tai Khong area (Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture), as well as other regions along the Burmese border, and the Tai Lue, who live mostly in the Sipsong Panna (Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture), bordering Myanmar and Laos. There are also smaller populations of these groups in neighboring Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. *\

While the culture of these main groups, as well as that of the Tai Mao, also concentrated in the Tai Khong area and along the Burmese border, is determined by the Theravada Buddhist tradition, other groups, such as the Tai Ya (Huayao Dai) in Xinping County, have maintained Tai cults previous to the arrival of Buddhism in the area. This is also the case for a small number of Tai groups living along the Vietnamese border, such as the Tai Dam, Tai Khao or the Tai Leang (Black, White and Red Tai, respectively), whose main populations are in Northern Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. *\

In spite of a supposed common origin and common cultural traits, historically most of the groups categorized as "Dai" had hardly any contact among them, and developed diverse economic and cultural systems: the Tai Neua or the Tai Lue, for instance, were culturally closer to other Tai groups inhabiting areas being part of present-day Myanmar or Thailand, such as the Shan (in the Shan sates of Myanmar), Tai Kheun (Kentung, Shan State, Myanmar) or the Tai Yuan of Lanna (Northern Thailand). As it is true in these areas, Tai groups living in present-day southern China lived in interaction with other ethnic groups, mainly Mon-Khmer or Tibeto-Burman-speaking ethnic groups such as Bulang, Akha-Hani or Lahu. *\

See Thai Migrations Under I ANCIENT HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST ASIA: TAI MIGRATIONS, CHINESE AND INDIAN INFLUENCES AND THE ARRIVAL OF BUDDHISM factsanddetails.com

Origin and Early History of the Dai

The Dai is a nationality of great antiquity. The origin of the Dai and Dai-related people is matter of some debate. They have been in southwest China and Southeast Asia for some time. According to some their ancestors are mentioned in historical records dating back to the A.D. 1st century.

According to Chinese scholars the origin of the Dai (Tai) ethnic family goes back to the ancient Baiyue (alternatively, Bai Yue, or Hundred Yue) people. The term "Yue" has historically been used in a broad and general way by the ancient Chinese to refer to a number of ethnic groups that were otherwise difficult to categorize. Similarly, the ancient Greeks used the term "Keltai" (source of the term "Celt") to refer to various peoples and tribes that lived in a wide area of present-day Europe, stretching from France through Germany to the British Isles. [Source: Chinatravel.com \=/]

The Baiyue includes the Dong minority, though this group insists that it is a separate ethnic entity. Some scholars believe that the original Yue people who branched out along a northerly route that would lead them into present-day China are in fact forebears to the Han Chinese. The Cantonese language is also called the Yue language. A similar group, forebears of the present-day Tai (alternatively "Thai") folk of Thailand, branched southward. \=/]

The earliest Dai people of China were separated into three different groups, corresponding to three kingdoms: 1) the Mong Loong Kingdom (Kingdom of Uncle), situated in the southern Yellow River region; 2) the Mong Pa Kingdom (Kingdom of Auntie), in present-day Sichuan Province; and 3) the Mong Yio Kingdom (Kingdom of the Yue/ Yi peoples), east of the Yangtze River. With plentiful rainfall, a subtropical climate and fertile land, the areas that these three Dai groups settled were suitable for the planting of crops that today would be called cash crops. According to ancient Chinese documents, the Dai had a fairly well-developed system of agriculture, and a part of their crops were sold, or bartered, for other commodities. The Dai are believed by scholars to be one of the first ethnic groups to employ oxen to till the land. \=/]

The forebears of the present-day Dai Ethnic Minority of China first organized themselves into a semi-unified political organization - the "Shan Guo" - during the Qin (221-207 B.C.) and Han (206 B.C. - A.D. 220) Dynasties period. Dai ancestors in the time of the Han and the Jin Dynasties were called "Dianyue", "Dan", "Shan", "Liao" and "Jiuliao", while their residing areas were called the Elephant Riding Country.

Yue (Baiyue) People See DONG MINORITY AND THEIR HISTORY AND RELIGION factsanddetails.com

Early Contacts Between the Dai and Chinese

The history of contact between the Dai and Han peoples dates back to 109 B.C., when Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty set up Yizhou Prefecture in southwestern Yi (the name used to signify the minority areas of what are now Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces). The Dais in subsequent years sent tribute to the Han court in Luoyang, and among the emissaries were musicians and acrobats. The Han court gave gold seals to the Dai ambassadors and their chieftain was given the title "Great Captain." In the years that followed, the Dai people were officially affiliated with the Han Dynasty, receiving recognition and protection from Han rulers in exchange for their loyalty to the emperor.

In the A.D. 1st century, the Dai chief, Yongyoudiao, sent emissaries to Luoyang, the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 — 220). Yongyoudiao was subsequently given a high post by the central government, thus establishing formal political relations between the Dai and the Chinese authorities. Later on, the name of Yizhou Prefecture was changed to Yongchang. From the 8th to 13th century, the homeland of the Dai was under the control the Nanzhao Kingdom and then of the Dali Kingdom of Yunnan. [Source: C. Le Blanc, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,” Cengage Learning, 2009 *]

According to Chinese documents of the ninth century, the Dais had a fairly well developed agriculture. They used oxen and elephants to till the land, grew large quantities of rice and had built an extensive irrigation system. They used kapok for weaving, panned salt and made weapons of metal. They plated their teeth with gold and silver. As early as the 9th century, the Dai planted rice extensively in south and southwest Yunnan and set up extensive water conservation works and irrigation systems to increase yields of rice and other grain production. Dai women wove a special cloth called "silver cotton cloth." [Source: C. Le Blanc, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,” Cengage Learning, 2009; China.org]

Dai History During the Imperial Chinese Era

Southern China in the 13th Century

During the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties, the Dai were often referred to as "Jinchi (Gold Teeth)", "Yinchi (Silver Teeth)" and "Blackened Teeth" peoples, as a result of the Dai tradition of blackening one's teeth by chewing betel nuts. Blackened teeth in women especially was considered a mark of beauty, or at least of modesty, and it was thought betel nut juice prevented cavities. Japanese women also used to blacken their teeth for beauty reasons. In the Yuan Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty, they were called "Baiyi (White Robe)", "Baiyi (Hundred Minority)"; "Baiyi" (Bai Robe) or "Baiyi" (Bai Minority). Since the Qing Dynasty each of the above four "Baiyi" has been written in different Chinese and pinyin forms. [Source: Liu Jun, Museum of Nationalities, Central University for Nationalities ~; Chinatravel.com \=/]

Over the years the Dai further multiplied and split into smaller groups, or tribes. From the 8th to the 12th century, the Dai of the Dehong region lived in their own separate state in the Meng Mao Kingdom whose capital was Ruilijiang. In the 12th century, a Dai chieftain named Bazhen (Pa Ya Zhen ) unified all the tribes and established the Mengle local regime with Jinghong as the capital, and called it the "Jinglong Golden Hall Kingdom." According to local records, the kingdom had a population of more than one million, and was famous for white elephants and fine-breed horses. It recognized the Chinese imperial court as its sovereign. When Bazhen ascended the throne, he was given a "tiger-head gold seal" by the Emperor, and the title "Lord of the Region." Previously, the Dais in the Dehong region had established the Mengmao Kingdom, with Ruilijiang as the capital. |

The Dai were at the edge of the furthest southern thrusts by the Mongols, who managed to conquer much of Burma but not Vietnam.

During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the Dai area was subordinate to Yunnan Province and the system of appointing hereditary headmen from among the ethnic minorities was instituted; this system was consolidated during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). After the Ming armies drove out the Mongols in the 14th century, many Chinese moved into Yunnan and began encroaching on traditional Dai lands. The centuries that followed were dominated but conflicts and compromises involving the Dai and Han Chinese.

It was only in the 18th century, under the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644 — 1911), that the Dai chiefs were replaced by officials of Manchu or Chinese nationality. From then on the Dai districts were directly administered by the central government. [Source: C. Le Blanc, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,” Cengage Learning, 2009 *]

Dai Kingdoms

The Dai have a tradition of dominating other ethnic groups such as the De’ang, Blang, Hani, Lahu, Achang and Jingpo. In some cases the Dai were powerful landlords and other tribes were like their serfs. The Dai-controlled areas were on the fringes of the Chinese empire and separated from the main population centers by rugged mountains and rain forests.

A chief of the Dai in Xishuangbanna, Bazhen, unified all the tribes in the 12th century. Making Jinghong the capital, he founded the State of Jinglong. Paying homage to the emperor of China as his sovereign, he was granted an official title by the central government; the title passed on to his son. Beginning in the 14th century, the Chinese approved the Dai kings and nobles and officially recognized their control over other ethnic groups. The Dai established powerful local kingdoms such as Mong Mao and Kocambi in Dehong in the 10th and 11th centuries, the Oinaga (or Xienrun) in Xishuangbanna in the 12th century and the Lanna (or Babai Xifu) in northern Thailand in the 13th to 18th century.

During the Yuan (1271-1368) Dynasty, the Mongol rulers of China firmed Chinese grip on Yunnan Province and established a feudal system of appointing hereditary headmen from among the ethnic minorities — including the Dai — to rule over their subjects. This neo-feudal system continued, not only in regards to the Dai, but with respect to the bulk of China's ethnic minorities, through the Ming (1368-1644) Dynasty The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), on the whole, carried on the practice of the Yuan and Ming system in the minority areas. However, it placed the Dai areas with more advanced economy under its jurisdiction and sent officials to practice direct control.\=/ |

Social Structure of Dai Kingdoms

Gehan Wijeyewardene wrote in the “Encyclopedia of World Cultures”: “The fundamental class division of the traditional social structure was between the nobility, with the king and royal family at its peak, and the common people. Both groups, however, were themselves arranged hierarchically. The king—"the lord of the land" (cawphaendin) —was in theory the owner of all land in the kingdom. His hereditary chiefdom was based in Jing Hong, where he held court. The rest of the kingdom was divided into meng or muang, which may be translated as "chiefdoms." Other members of the nobility held various titles and performed duties toward the king or chief, in return for which they held land and rights over serfs. [Source: Gehan Wijeyewardene, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993 |~|]

The commoners were referred to as khaphai by the nobility. This term in fact brought together two different statuses: kha, which meant "slave" and was also generally used of non-Tai, Mon-Khmer-speaking peoples; and phai, which may be variously interpreted as "serf or "freeman." The senior commoner officials had special status and rights to land, as did certain ritual experts. This division among commoners was expressed in the contrast kanmeng/kanban, "the work of the chiefdom (or state)/the work of the village." Officials had a duty to the state itself, while other commoners had a duty to the village community. Today in Xishuangbanna the old class division expresses itself somewhat in the pattern of sinicization. Many Tai have now taken Chinese names, the old nobility having the surname "Dao." Members of the former ruling families hold positions of influence and authority in the provincial administration.

Southeast Asia in the 13th Century

According to the Chinese government: ““The historical conditions of the Dai communities were not the same, nor were the stages of their social development. So each had its own characteristics as to the form of land ownership, class structure and political system. Such areas as Jingdong, Xinping and Yuanjiang, where the Dais mingled with the Hans, had entered the feudal landlord economy stage earlier because the Dais absorbed the Han's more advanced tools and techniques of production. Social progress was slower in Xishuangbanna and Dehong on the border, particularly Xishuangbanna, which still retained a fairly complete feudal manorial economy. [Source: China.org |]

“Since the Yuan, Ming and Qing regimes practiced the system of appointing national-minority hereditary headmen, the "Cheli Official" had for generations been the highest manorial lord and ruler until liberation. All the land, forests and water belonged to him, and he subdivided his domain to be hereditarily ruled by his clan members and trusted followers. Under such a system, part of the land owned directly by the manorial lords became their private manors or served as pay for their household officials. The remaining part was allocated to the serfs and came under the common ownership of the whole village. The manorial lords established a set of political institutions, and had their own troops, courts and prisons to facilitate their plunder and strengthen their rule. |

Modern History of the Dai

In 1874, a Hui Muslim named Du Wenxiu united the Bai, Naxi, Yi and Dai in a rebellion against the Qing dynasty. The rebellion was brutally put down in 1892. Missionaries arrived when the Burma Road was constructed nearby in 1937-38. In the 1950s, the Xishuabgbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture was created under the Communists.

According to the Chinese government: ““After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the new republic, under the rule of the Kuomintang set up a special administrative entity, a county, in the Dai homelands, and a policy of oppression was thereafter pursued throughout the reaches of the county's administration. After the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Dai were "liberated" in 1950. In between 1954 and 1985 autonomous administration areas were set in which 90 percent of the Dai people made their homes.” [Source: China.org |]

During the Cultural Revolution many Dai people from the Yunnan Province escaped persecution by fleeing across the border to Dai villages in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Dai Buddhist temples, however, were desecrated, destroyed or turned into granaries. Recently the temples have been restored and many of them provide religious training for young monks.

Dai Identity and Bei Ye Culture

Washing in the Mekong The Dai have a strong cultural identity and take great pride in their rich and colorful culture. They have their own calendar, their own books in Dai script used for calculating solar and lunar eclipses, and literary and historical documents that includes poetry and fables and ancient stories and legends. Bai Yue culture—whose name today has been shortened to Bai Ye to distinguish it from the original anthropological culture of the ancient Bai folk—is an expression of Dai pride and has been at the forefront of social development as the Dai first organized themselves into communities within China. [Source: Chinatravel.com \=/]

Bei Ye Culture is a general term for the social and cultural history of the Dai people. Bai Ye cultural artifacts and traditions include original scripture etched onto the leaves of the pattra tree (a tropical plant native to the Dai homelands), Dai scripture copied onto cotton paper, and "song" (chant) the books, as well as a multitude of lesser cultural traditions that are handed down generation after generation. In these terms every Dai person is a walking storehouse of Dai culture. \=/

Bei Ye scriptures on the leaves of the patta tree are called "Tanlan" in the language of the Dai, while those made on cotton are called "Bogalesha". Bei Ye culture has developed over time from its origins as a collection of early ethnic and religious practices that have been combined with the influences of neighboring cultures, primarily the Han Chinese culture, but also Indian Buddhist culture (the Dai practice a form of Buddhism that differs from the Chinese-influenced Indian Buddhism of the mainstream Han Chinese). Though they live in separate countries, and in some cases many kilometers apart, the Dai of China, the Lao of Laos, the Shan of Myanmar, and the Thai of Thailand all have evolved from the same root—which is known as Bai Ye culture in China. \=/

Dai of Dehong

Yos Santasombat wrote in “Lak Chang: A Reconstruction of Tai Identity in Daikong,”: The Tai ethnic group, in its different branches, is beyond any doubt one of the most widespread of any ethnic group in the Southeast Asian peninsula. Different branches of the Tai are found from Assam, Vietnam and Laos to the Chinese province of Guangxi, and from Thailand to the interior of Yunnan. In Yunnan province, southern China, there are at least two major centres of the Tai civilization. One is Sipsongpanna, home of the Tai Lue in southern Yunnan, and another is Daikong, home of the Tai Yai in western Yunnan. While the Tai Lue of Sipsongpanna have been described sketchily by various students of Tai studies, little is known of the Tai Daikong in western Yunnan. [Source:Santasombat, Yos, “Lak Chang: A Reconstruction of Tai Identity in Daikong,” Canberra, AUS: Pandanus Books, 2001. p 1. (Introduction) Ethnic China *]

“The Tai Daikong are known by various names. They call themselves "Tai Luang"

or Tai Yai and in fact share remarkable cultural similarities with the Tai Yai of Shan States and the Tai Yai in Mae Hong Son province of northwest Thailand. According to Chea Yanchong, Tai Daikong refers to a particular group of Tai who settled and continued to live in the areas south (dai) of the River Kong (or Salaween). The Chinese scholars have invariably called this group "Tai Dehong", "Tai Mao", or "Tai Nua"; all these different names connote different state names or places of residence. Professor Chea further distinguished Tai Daikong into two distinct groups. The first group is called Tai Nua (northern Tai). This group of Tai Nua lives near the Burma- Chinese border, in the areas of Muang Mao, Muang Wan Teng or Wan Tieng, Muang One and Chiang Fang. Another group is called "Tai Dai" (southern Tai). The Tai Dai live in the areas of Muang Khon, Muang Ti and Muang La. These two groups of Tai Dehong share many similarities in terms of cultural traits. The spoken languages are basically the same but the written languages are mutually incomprehensible. Tai Dai uses the Tai Pong written characters of the Shan States, while the Tai Nua's written characters resemble those of the Tai Ahom in Assam. *\

Dai manuscript

“As if the multitude of tribe and state names (e. g. Tai Daikong, Tai Dehong, Tai Mao, Tai Nua, Tai Luang and Tai Yai) are not bewildering and confusing enough, a number of Western scholars have adopted the Burmese term "Shan" and referred to Tai Mao or Tai Daikong as "Chinese Shan", "Mao Shan", or "Shan of Yunnan". In fact, as Leach has noted, the Burmese apply the term "Shan" consistently to all the inhabitants of the Yunnan- Burma frontiers area who call themselves Tai. The Burmese usage of the term "Shan" has not been confined only to Tai Yai but also included other ethnic Tais such as Tai Lue and Tai Khun who speak different dialects. *\

The question, then, is who are the Tai Daikong? Postulating from the linguistic arguments, around the eighth century AD, the Tai world already extended across much of northern Southeast Asia, differentiated into five linguistic groups. The western group were ancestors of the present Tai Yai in Burma and Yunnan. By the next century, Tai-speaking chieftaincies were established on the flooded plains of the River Mao. These were believed to be Muang Mao and Pong. In the succeeding centuries, the western group of Tai-speaking people established themselves as the governing population through the Burmese Shan states, Assam and in much of Yunnan.

According to Wyatt, Tai-speaking people can be differentiated into five groups: 1) the northern group, ancestors of Zhuang; 2) Upland Tai group, ancestors of Black, Red and

White Tai; 3) Siang Kwang group, ancestors of central Thai (Siamese); 4) Lao group, ancestors of Lao and Sukhothai languages.” *\

Dai Language

The Dai people have their own spoken and written languages. The classification of Dai language is a matter of some debate. Some linguists classify it as a Sino-Tibetan language. Others classify it as Thai-Austronesian language. The Dai and use four written languages. They once used five non-Chinese written languages but now primarily use Chinese, Xishuangbanna Dai and Dehond Dai writing. Their script appeared in the 13th century.

Most linguists say the Dai language belongs to Zhuang-Dai branch of Zhuang- Dong group of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. There are three major dialects. All Dai women have Yi at the start of their name.

The Dai written language originated from Sanskrit. There used to be four written variations: types: Daili, Daina, Daibeng and Jinping. The special Dai writing system is written in an alphabetic, as opposed to a character, script. There are five different branches of this writing system spread throughout the various Dai communities in China. Among these, the most common are the Daikou and the Daina writing systems, which are also known as the Xinshuangbanna and the Dehong writing systems, respectively. [Source: Chinatravel.com]

Writing forms used by the Tai Lue in Myanmar and Thailand are derived from the Mon and look like the Burmese script. According to the “Encyclopedia of World Cultures”: “ In the 1950s the PRC reformed Tai scripts in Yunnan, and for Lue additional tone markers were added and all characters were written on the line. These reforms have created some problems. There are complaints that there is not sufficient material to read in the new script and that those educated in the new script cannot read the old Tai Lue documents. [Source: Gehan Wijeyewardene“Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993 |~|]

Place Names in the Dai Language

There are many place names like "Xishuangbanna" that are derived from the Dai language. But their meanings are different from the literal Chinese characters, and we cannot interpret them superficially without real understanding. "There is no 'long' (dragon) in Menglong and Feilong, no 'dao' (island) in Nongdao and Bingdao, neither is there 'jie' (sister) in Jiegao and Jiexiang, nor city of stone in Nanjing." In Dai, "long " means big, so Menglong and Feilong means "big plain" and "big shade"; "dao" means lichen, so Nongdao and Bingdao means "the pool with lichen" and "the corner with lichen"; "jie" means town, so Jiegao and Jiexiang are respectively "old town" and "gem town". In Zhenyuan County, Yunnan Province, there is a Nanjing village and a Nanjing street, and in Ruili County a Nanjing Li. Actually in Dai, "Nan" is river or water resource, "Jing" means to eat or drink, and "Li" means good. Therefore, "Nanjing" is a place with drinking water, while "Nanjing Li" is a place with good drinking water. [Source: Liu Jun, Museum of Nationalities, Central University for Nationalities ~]

Jinghong, the capital of Xishuangbanna, literally means the Town of Dawn: "Jing" is town and "Hong" is dawn. It was said that when Sakyamuni (the Buddha) arrived there during his missionary traveling, it was at daybreak, with cocks crowing. So He gave the name "the Town of Dawn" to this place. Then Sakyamuni moved on, and came to today's Zhuanghong Lu in Jinghong when it was breakfast time. Thus the street gets its name — "Zhuanghong Lu," is a place name composed of both Chinese and Dai; Zhuanghong is from Dai, meaning the first meal or breakfast, while "Lu" is from Chinese, meaning road. Then Sakyamuni crossed Mengyang and climbed up to Manpo of Jinuo Mountain, where he looked behind and found out that there was still a small piece of land he had not trod. So He cried out surprisedly "Meng Yang Nan!" - still a small piece of land! Thus the place gets the name of Mengyang or Little Mengyang. "Meng" means place, "Yang" means remaining, and "Nan" means small. The place names above are all of Buddhist origin, from which we can see how the Dai people respect and worship Sakyamuni.

Dai in Chinese characters Some other place names are related to natural resources and environment. Mannonghan in Gadong District, means "the Golden Lake Village": "Man" means village, "Nong" lake, and "Han" gold. As it is said, there used to be a lake, where golden red deer often came to drink water. Thus it got the name from that. And that reminds us of Payalawu chasing a golden deer to the mysterious Xishuangbanna. Maybe this is just the lake the deer had jumped into. Menghun, in Menghai County, means river having reversed its way. "Meng" means place while "Hun" means to reverse. There is a Nanhun River in Menghun County, which means river reversed its way. It is said that Nanhun River used to flow southeastward from Gelang River. When Sakyamuni travelled to the place, He pointed his staff to the west, and then the river reversed its flow to the west. So there are names of "Nanhun" and "Menghun". Besides, Mengla means a place producing tea; Menglun means a place producing soft stone; Mohei means "salt well", and Mozheng means "lead well".

Image Sources: Atlanta Chinese Dance Company, Nolls China website, Joho maps, twip com, Nature Products, Beifan Travel China

Text Sources: 1) “Encyclopedia of World Cultures: Russia and Eurasia/ China”, edited by Paul Friedrich and Norma Diamond (C.K.Hall & Company, 1994) and Gehan Wijeyewardene, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; 2) Liu Jun, Museum of Nationalities, Central University for Nationalities, Science of China, China virtual museums, Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences, kepu.net.cn ~; 3)

Ethnic China; 4) Chinatravel.com \=/; 5) China.org, the Chinese government news site china.org |; New York Times, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, Chinese government, National Geographic, Reuters, AP, AFP, BBC, and various books, websites and other publications.

Last updated September 2022

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China Water-Splashing Festival 2023

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China ToursClassic China TourTop 10 China ToursYangtze River CruiseSilk Road ToursChina Panda ToursMinority Discovery ToursDestinationsBeijingShanghaiXi’anHong KongGuilinTibetHangzhouSuzhouHuangshanDay TripsShanghai Day TripsBeijing Day TripsHong Kong Day TripsGuilin Day TripsSuzhou Day TripsHangzhou Day TripsAsia ToursVietnam, Cambodia and ThailandClassic ThailandNorthern Vietnam DiscoverySiem Reap ExperienceUniversal Studios Singapore TicketsGolden Triangle in IndiaTravel GuideChina Entry and ExitPlan Your China TripChina VisaChina WeatherGreat Wall Of ChinaGiant PandaCultureChinese FoodChinese TeaChinese ZodiacChinese FestivalsChinese New YearChinese Kung FuCreate My TripWhat is Tailor-Made TourTrainsFlightsHomeChinese CultureChinese FestivalsChina Water-Splashing FestivalWritten by Sally Guo Updated Mar. 1, 2024In 2024, the Water Splashing Festival will take place on April 13, 2024, and continue to April 15. The Festival lasts 3 days. Water-splashing Festival is the most solemn festival for the Dai people in Yunnan Province in southwest China. It is Dai' New Year held from the 13th to 16th of the 4th month of the Chinese lunar calendar with a 3-day celebration.The festival is also known as Songkran Festival or Bathing Buddha Festival. The first day is called "Mairi" in Dai's language like Chinese New Year's Eve. The second day is called "Naori" or "Kongri" in Thai and the third day is called "Bimai" which means the New Year of the Dai people. The third day is the happiest and most propitious day throughout the whole year.It is the grandest festival celebrated by most minorities among ethnic people in Yunnan. Dai people and De'ang people celebrate the festival. Besides, there are celebrations of the Water-splashing Festival in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand the world.Origin of Water-Splashing FestivalDai people in the Dehong area of Xishuangbanna called the Water-splashing Festival "Shangkran" or "Shangjian" which originated from Buddhist culture.The festival from India was an ancient ritual ceremony of Brahmanism which is adopted by Buddhism. It is introduced into the Dai area in Yunnan Province through Burma during the late 12th century and the early 13th century. Due to the influence of Buddhism, the Water-splashing festival becomes a national custom to hand down. With a long history, the festival plays an important role in the Dai people's life. Nowadays, it is the grandest festival for Dai and a festival attracting numerous travelers from around the world.Where to Celebrate Water-splashing Festival?Dai people's Water-splashing Festival is reputed as the "Carnival in the East". Located in the southeast of Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is the best place to experience the festival.Xishuangbanna has a tropical rainforest climate so the best time to visit is from October to June in the next year. But the Water-splashing Festival around the middle of April attracts hundreds of travelers from around the world. Additionally, travelers can experience the Dai people's culture, explore its tropical rainforest, and possibly see elephants in Wild Elephant Valley in Xishuangbanna.How to Celebrate the Water-splashing Festival?The whole celebration of the Water-splashing Festival lasts 3 days. The main celebrations of the first two days are held on the banks of the Lancang River. There are a lot of outdoor shops set up for the New Year shopping. Travelers can also join local people to buy some souvenirs. Amazing sand carvings and tasty local snacks may attract your attention.Dragon Boat RacingIn addition, there is a dragon boat race held along the Lancang River in the afternoon on the first day. Travelers can also see local people lighting lanterns on the river in the evening. Local people believe that lighting lanterns on the Lancang River can make people get rid of bad luck and bring people good luck and fortune.Washing the BuddhaThe third day is the most important among the celebrations. In the morning, Dai people dressed in the newest and best festival clothes get together in the Buddhist temples with clean water. After monks chant the Buddhist scriptures, the Dai people start to wash the Buddha with water. So the festival is also called the "Bathing Buddha Festival".Splashing Water to Each OtherWater is luck with their best wishes for the New Year. And then people splash water on every person with all kinds of buckets and basins. Travelers are welcome to take part in the festival and at the same time, some travelers will properly be splashed surprisingly. So it is wise not to bring phones and cameras to the streets during the festival. Other celebrations consist of pendulum-catching and peacock dancing.Top Things to Do in XishuangbannaXishuangbanna Primitive Forest ParkAs one of the biggest comprehensive ecological parks in the Dai people's area, Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park is a good choice for tropical rain forests and the Dai people's local culture. 98% of the park is covered with various precious tropical plants. Due to the great rainforest, the park is an animal kingdom to see lots of animals including peacocks, monkeys, and unique pangolins and lizards. Local ethnic culture is another highlight of the park. It is a good place to be lost in the jungle for a leisure journey.Name in Chinese: 西双版纳原始森林公园Address: Near 213 National Highway, 8 miles away from Jinghong City in Xishuangbanna (西双版纳距景洪市8公里处213国道旁)Tel： 0691- 2759818Working hours: 07:30-18:00Ticket: CNY65How to get there:There are regular buses from 7:20 to 17:00 to Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park.Wild Elephant ValleyWild Elephant Valley is located at Sanchahe Valley in Mengyang Natural Reserve, about 47 kilometers away from Jinghong City in Xishuangbanna. It is a forest park where about 300 wild elephants live. A lot of travelers around the world just head to the valley because of its wild elephants. The park is made up of performing elephants, a peacock garden, a butterfly greenhouse, and a tropical rainforest. Travelers can enjoy an elephant performance from 11:00 to 12:00 or 14:00 to 15:00 every day. But it is not free to take a photo with the elephants.Name in Chinese: 野象谷Address: Sancha Rive, Mengyang Town, Jinghong City， Xishuangbanna It is about 36 km away from Jinghong City. (西双版纳景洪市勐养镇三岔河, 距景洪市36千米 )Tel: 0691-2431024Opening Hours: 08:00-18:30How to get there: There are coaches at Cangshan Mountain (West Gate) to Xizhou Ancient Town.Dai Ethnic GardenLocated in the Ganlan Basin of Menghan County, the Dai Ethnic Garden is a national AAAA scenic spot. Travelers can experience Dai people's unique culture which is the highlight of the garden. The garden consists of the top 5 well-preserved Dai villages including Manjiang, Manchunman, Manting, Manzha, and Manga. Travelers can not only enjoy the beautiful natural scenery but also make friends with hospitable Dai people and experience their unique culture. It is a great place to take part in the Water-splashing Festival with large-scale celebrations.Name in Chinese: 傣族园Ticket: 50 CNYOpening hours： 08:00-18:00Address: Ganlanba, Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna(西双版纳景洪市橄榄坝)How to get there: Buses are running between Jinghong Fantaichang Coach Station (景洪翻胎厂客运站) to Menggan Bus Station (勐罕客运站) with a 30 to 40 minutes journey.Manfeilong White PagodaManfeilong White Pagoda is located in Manfeilong Village, 70 km away from Jinghong City, the capital of Xishuangbanna. With nearly 1000 years of history, the pagoda is a famous stupa complex in the area. It looks like bamboo shoots after the rain from a long-distance view. The pagoda is a symbol of the Dai people's culture and history. Where there are Dai people, there are pagodas. But Manfeilong White Pagoda's structure is unique in the area because of 9 stupas.Name in Chinese: 勐龙曼飞龙白塔Address: Located in the northern section of Manfeilong village in the city of Jinghong (西双版纳景洪市曼飞龙村)Ticket Price: 5 CNYOpening Time: 8:30 to 18:00How to get there: Travelers can take a bus from Jinghong City to Damenglong. Buses run every 30 minutes with a fare of 10 Yuan.We can tailor-make a Xishuangbanna trip for you based on your requirements.Create My TripNeed Help?Request a custom itinerary today and get one step closer to your personalized tripCreate Your Trip CHINA TRAVELChina Travel is one of China’s leading touring specialists. We base in Guilin, with over 20 years of different styles of travel and tour service experience. More...86-773-286-5632 (Intl rates apply)ABOUT USContact UsAbout UsTerms and ConditionsPrivacyWork for UsFOLLOWS USFacebookTwitterYoutubeFEATURE ON© All Rights Reserved,Chinatravel.com® is a registered tradem

Dai ethnic group | english.scio.gov.cn

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Dai ethnic group

China.org.cn丨Updated: April 17, 2017

People sprinkle water to each other to pray for good fortune during the traditional water-sprinkling festival, which is also the New Year festival of the Dai ethnic group. [Photo/Xinhua]Population: 1,158,989 Dai ethnic groupMajor area of distributi on: YunnanLanguage: DaiReligion: BuddhismThe Dai ethnic group (云南傣族) lives in the southern part of Yunnan Province, mainly in the Xishuangbanna region. The area is subtropical, with plentiful rainfall and fertile land.Local products include rice, sugar cane, coffee, hemp, rubber, camphor and a wide variety of fruits. Xishuangbanna is the home of China's famous Pu'er tea. The dense forests produce large amounts of teak, sandalwood and medicinal plants, and are home to wild animals including elephants, tigers and peacocks.The Dai language belongs to the Chinese-Tibetan language family and has three major dialects. It is written in an alphabetic script.Customs and habitsThe marriage of the Dais was characterized by intermarriage on strictly equal social and economic status. Polygamy was common among chieftains, who also humiliated the wives and daughters of peasants at will. The patriarchal monogamous nuclear family was the common form among peasants. Pre-marital social contact between young men and women was quite free, especially during festivals. It was common for the groom to move into the bride's home after the wedding.The graveyards of aristocrats and poor people were strictly separated. When a monk or a Buddhist leader died, he was cremated and his ashes placed in a pottery urn to be buried behind a temple.Men wore collarless tight-sleeved short jackets, with the opening at the front or along the right side, and long baggy trousers. In winter they drape a blanket over their shoulders. They wore black or hite turbans. Tattooing was common. When a boy reached the age of 11 or 12, a tattoo artist was invited to tattoo his body and limbs with designs of animals, flowers, geometric patterns or the Dai written script. Traditionally, women wore tight-sleeved short dresses and sarongs.Rice is the staple food. The Dais in Dehong prefer dry rice, while those in Xishuangbanna like sticky rice. All love sour and hot flavors. In addition to beef, chicken and duck, they enjoy fish and shrimp. Cabbages, carrots, bamboo shoots and beans are among the popular vegetables. The Dais also love wine, liquor, and betel nuts.The villages of the Dais in Dehong and Xishuangbanna are found on the plains, near rivers or streams, and among clusters of bamboo. The buildings generally are built on stilts. Some of the houses are square, with two stories. The upper story serves as the living place, while the lower space, without walls, is used as a storehouse and for keeping livestock.Dai festivals, closely related to religious activities, included the "Door-Closing" festival in mid-June by the lunar calendar, the "Door-Opening" festival in mid-September, and the "Water-Splashing" festival in spring. "Door-Closing" started three months of intensive religious activities. "Door-Opening" marked the beginning of normal life. "Water-Splashing," still held every year, is the most important festival, during which the Dais splash water on one another, and hold dragon boat races in the hope of chasing away all the illnesses and bad fortune of the past year and bringing about good weather and bumper harvests.The Dais have a rich, colorful culture. They have their own calendar, which started in AD 638. There are books in Dai script for calculating solar and lunar eclipses. Dai historical documents carry a rich variety of literary works covering poetry, legends, stories, fables and children's tales. They love to sing and dance, accompanied by their native musical instruments.For a long time the Dais had grown rice as their main crop, and they had developed a rather complete, intensive farming system and gained rich experience in irrigation.ReligionThe religious beliefs of the Dai people were closely related to their economic development. Residents on the borders generally were followers of Hinayana, a sect of Buddhism, while retaining remnants of shamanism. There were many Buddhist temples in the countryside, and it was a common practice, especially in Xishuangbanna, to send young boys to the temples to learn to read and write and chant scriptures, as a form of schooling. Some of them became monks, while most of them returned to secular life. While staying in the temple, the boys had to do all kinds of hard work, and the Dai people had to bear all the financial burden of the temples.HistoryThe history of contact between the Dai and Han peoples dates back to 109 BC, when Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty set up Yizhou Prefecture in southwestern Yi (the name used to signify the minority areas of what are now Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces). The Dais in subsequent years sent tribute to the Han court in Luoyang, and among the emissaries were musicians and acrobats. The Han court gave gold seals to the Dai ambassadors and their chieftain was given the title "Great Captain."According to Chinese documents of the ninth century, the Dais had a fairly well developed agriculture. They used oxen and elephants to till the land, grew large quantities of rice and had built an extensive irrigation system. They used kapok for weaving, panned salt and made weapons of metal. They plated their teeth with gold and silver.In the 12th century, a Dai chieftain named Bazhen unified all the tribes and established the Mengle local regime with Jinghong as the capital, and called it the "Jinglong Golden Hall Kingdom." According to local records, the kingdom had a population of more than one million, and was famous for white elephants and fine-breed horses. It recognized the Chinese imperial court as its sovereign. When Bazhen ascended the throne, he was given a "tiger-head gold seal" by the Emperor, and the title "Lord of the Region." Previously, the Dais in the Dehong region had established the Mengmao Kingdom, with Ruilijiang as the capital.During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the Dai area was subordinate to Yunnan Province and the system of appointing hereditary headmen from among the ethnic minorities was instituted; this system was consolidated during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). 

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Mystical Dai Ethnic Villages

2021-10-09 14:07:00

Source：China Today

Author：ZHAO YANQING

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An aerial view of a traditional Dai ethnic village.

China's Dai ethnic group has lived in the southern part of southwest China’s Yunnan Province for centuries, mainly in the Xishuangbanna region. Hinayana Buddhism, shamanism, and animism find their believers among the Dai people, who have their own written language and a rich culture.

Two Dai women in a Dai ethnic village.

Folk Traditions and Culture

Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture’s Imperial Park in Jinghong City was originally the garden of Dai kings. The first, 700 years ago, was King Payazhen, and the last was King Dao Shixun, who stepped down in 1949 upon New China’s establishment. That an ethnic group living in one region maintained solidarity sufficient to uphold a single political power for more than 700 consecutive years is a rare phenomenon in both Chinese and world history.

Historical records tell of ruthless Mongolian military oppression during the early Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) that compelled people of the feudal Ruili Dai kingdom to migrate to and settle in the valleys and mountainous areas southward. It was there that the first chieftain, or Tusi, built the city of Menglian, which means “the search for an ideal place.” Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) recognized the Tusi, and appointed him imperial official of Menglian. His office was in Nayun Old Town, now the county seat of Menglian Dai, Lahu and Va Autonomous County, which has become the last well-preserved ancient Dai town in China. His domain encompassed many regions including Menglian, Lancang, and Ximeng.

The old village of Manzhang (which means “elephant village”) in the city of Jinghong has a history of around 500 years. Villagers here have always taken great care of their old residences and its environment. In addition to preserving the outward beauty of the old village, local residents have also stayed true to their traditional culture and customs. Consequently Manzhang’s alleys and lanes are permeated with the aroma of glutinous rice wine mixed with mead that the private winery of each home emits. Dai traditional lifestyle and customs also feature bamboo weaving, slow-wheel pottery, Buddhist scriptures carved on palm leaves, papermaking, and Dai ethnic papercuts. Senior Dai women spend much time at their looms weaving geometric patterns in silk.

The Dai people have passed down the art of carving Buddhist scriptures on palm leaves with steel blades for a millennium, so creating the profound “palm-leaf culture.” Palm leaves are revered by the Dai people. Those ancient palm-leaf scriptures have been regarded as auspicious relics bearing their history and culture. Ancient palm-leaf carvings discovered in Xishuangbanna indeed bear records of Hinayana Buddhist classics, legends, historical stories, and poems in the Pali and Dai languages.

The Dai method of papermaking is one of China’s earliest. Its importance to the local Dai culture is attributable to supplanting palm leaves as the medium for copying out the scriptures housed in Buddhist temples. The selection of material and actual manufacture of Dai paper is identical with that of the paper mulberry bark papermaking techniques used by ancient Chinese and recorded in agronomist Jia Sixie’s book Important Arts for the People’s Welfare. Now a “living fossil” of Chinese ancient papermaking, the Dai technique consists in manually beating paper mulberry bark fiber into a pulpy substance resembling rice porridge. Dai paper protects against mosquitoes, and is thick enough to resist tearing, so able to last for centuries. Originally earmarked for the copying out of Buddhist scriptures, it was also used to document the Tusi and magistrates’ official proclamations and announcements. The common people, meanwhile, used Dai paper to make figurines and props for sacrificial ceremonies. As it was a cottage industry, men and women took equal responsibility for the papermaking process. Men usually carried out the washing, boiling and beating of the bark into pulp that women poured into molds to dry.

Dai paper is no longer used for the keeping of historical records, but Dai papermaking workshops still abound in Manzhang Village. Locals transform fresh-made Dai paper into aesthetic decorations. The beauty of their naturalistic depictions on clusters of frangipani flowers in bloom defies description.

Features of Dai ethnic culture include elephant riding, peacock dances, exaltation of cleanliness, and the wearing of tube-like sarongs. Yearly traditional and religious celebrations include the riotously playful water-splashing festival. The middle of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, however, is when locals celebrate the three-month-long Closed-Door Festival. Out of respect for various Buddhist activities at that time, it forbids villagers from travelling or holding wedding ceremonies. Upon its conclusion marked by the Door-Opening Festival, the busy farming season is over, temperatures then fall, and Buddhist activities dwindle. Young Dai folk may go courting to express love for the prospective partners of their choice, and marry. Consequently the Dai people regard the Door-Opening Festival as a time to set off firecrackers, light sky lanterns, and travel to different villages. In short, it is the most joyous time of the year, when every village is illuminated and infused with a festive spirit.

Three Buddhist monks sit in a corner of a Theravada Buddhist temple in Menglian Dai, Lahu, and Wa Autonomous County, Yunnan Province.

Daily Life of the Dai People

The Dai people mainly live in several autonomous prefectures of Yunnan Province, which usually see Dai villages cluster, adjacent to each other surrounded by paddy fields. Dai dwellings usually sit in bamboo courtyards whose floors bulge with the roots of the custard apple, papaya, mango, banana, pineapple, and jack fruit trees growing there. The red, yellow, and green colored leaves of heliconia rostrate plants contrast vividly with the more subtly colored Dendrobium orchids hanging from the second floor of each bamboo building, exuding a gentle fragrance. Amid this exotic scenario, young bamboo-hatted Dai women dressed in traditional colorful short blouses and straight skirts make their way to and from the nearby terraced fields. Meanwhile egrets and magpies fly by as peacocks, geese, and ducks wander about the courtyard.

Each day, as the pink glow of sunset spreads across the western horizon, villagers make their way home on mopeds, motorcycles, farm vehicles, and cars after a long day laboring in the fields. Their families help them unload the baskets filled with treasures from the fields, and children search eagerly for treats. The buzz of the day’s activities soon recedes as the smoke and aroma of supper cooking in the kitchen steal their way into each courtyard. Here and there can be heard the sounds of a rooster crowing, a dog barking, or a child crying. Also the faint yet unmistakable sound of the CCTV evening news broadcast can be heard through open doors and windows.

Dai people live peaceably with one another. Families of three, four, or even five generations often live harmoniously together under one roof. In line with the local culture, the eldest son or daughter lives with the older generation. The relevance of gender equality to the Dai culture is apparent in families endorsing and approving a bride or groom’s choice either to bring their spouse home to live with them after the wedding, or to go and live with their husband or wife’s family.

Theravada Buddhist temples are also part of Dai village life. The temple in Mengsuo Village in Ximeng Va Aconomous County is a showcase of Dai cultural characteristics. Decorated in vibrant colors, the temple houses a golden statue of Buddha standing against a red wall, as well as golden steps and pillars, a golden surrounding wall, and golden decorations, all beneath a red tiled, green edged roof. Two auspicious animal statues decorated in gold and blue guard the entrance.

In a basketball court nearby, I met a local young woman on her way to meet her friends to rehearse a Dai dance performance in a scenic area of the county Ximeng. A few minutes later, I heard their peals of joyous laughter, and then the melodious strains of a Dai folk song as the young women began to dance. Two of them sang while the rest displayed exquisite flexibility in their dance moves to a melody evoking the murmur of pristine water flowing down the mountain.

The Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion, located in a Theravada Buddhist temple, has a history of over 300 years.

Tracing Ancestral Roots along the Lancang River

Jingmai Mountain, located in Lancang Lahu Autonomous County of Yunnan Province, is a beautiful yet mystical region, one of the birthplaces of China tea culture. Several ethnic groups have lived under the protection of the towering mountain for millennia, not least the Dai people, whose ethnic roots go back 2,000 years. According to the legend, about 1,800 years ago the Dai tribal prince Zhaonuola realized that the population of his people was swelling as food resources diminished. He accordingly led several thousands of his people south in search of a new home. Having forged rivers, tramped through forests and valleys, and scaled steep mountains, they finally arrived at the magnificent Lancang River region in the nowaday county of Lancang. At that time, that boundless expanse of primitive forests of towering trees and bamboo was the preserve of millions of elephants and countless other species of free roaming beasts.

Zhaonuola and his people hence settled in the Jingmai Mountain region, cutting bamboo with stone implements, logging wood to build their homes, and relying on wild fruits and freshwater fish for nourishment. Its new denizens enjoyed a comfortable life of ample food and clothing and sturdy shelter. Today, ancient stone tools from the Neolithic period may be seen on decorative display in local village dwellings there.

“Nuogan” means “the place where deer drink water” in the Dai language. The hamlet Nuogan in the Jingmai Mountain region is a well-preserved ancient settlement for Dai people where they live peaceably in stilted gray folk dwellings. The hamlet nestles in a small, flat, peaceful basin ringed with mountains, surrounded by primeval trees and tea trees, with a creek running through it. On the rare occasion outsiders wander into Nuogan, villagers give them a warm welcome, urging them to sit for a while in their homes and enjoy a cup of local Jiangmai tea. Everything about local life here is “ancient”— the village’s history dating back over 1,000 years, its tea culture, way of life, and traditional ways of entertaining guests. The place Nuogan is also famous as home to seniors over 100 years old. The oldest resident there is 128 years old.

Dai people enjoy a peaceful and tranquil life in China’s southwest. While maintaining the ancient customs of their ancestors, they also embrace modern civilization.  

 

ZHAO YANQING is a travel columnist.

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Asia Life

The Packaging of Culture: Dai Along the Lancang

Spread across China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, the Dai are at the crossroads of tradition and the modern world.

By Luc Forsyth and Gareth Bright August 05, 2016

Farmers pack freshly picked beans and peas into sacks for transport to local markets in Manhenuan village, Xishunagbanna, China.

Credit: Gareth Bright

Luc Forsyth and Gareth Bright have set out on a journey to follow the Mekong river from sea to source. The Diplomat will be sharing some of the stories they’ve found along the way. For more about the project, check out the whole series here.

A thick mist settled over the highway as we drove out of Jinghong, and only through short patches in the haze could we see the extent of the vast scenery we were passing. We were headed to the southeastern edge of Xishuangbanna prefecture, just 30 km from the Burmese border, to visit several communities of Dai people.

A road repair worker in Basa village, Xishuangbanna, China. The village is home to the Jinuo ethnic minority. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

An ethnic minority, the Dai people were part of an ancient culture that inhabited what is now China’s Yunnan province until political chaos and wars forced them to disperse south. Now spread across China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand, the roughly 60 million Dai are divided by modern international borders.

Scene from a car on the way to Dai villages in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

As we wound our way along the mountain road that would take us to the Dai villages, we passed through dozens of other small villages, catching fleeting glimpses of people walking through the blanketing fog, heading to their farms or leading their livestock to feed. It wasn’t until we arrived at Olive Dam — so named for its resemblance to an olive from the air, and the word dam meaning “basin” in Mandarin — situated at the bottom of a deep valley, that the sun fully rose to burn off the mist.

A water buffalo watches a Jinuo farmer in Basa village, Xishuangbanna, China. The Jinuo are an ethnic minority found in Western China. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

Packaged Culture

Though we knew the area was advertised heavily as a tourist attraction, the extent of the commercialization of the culture seemed excessive. Gift shops and souvenir stalls lined a large parking lot where tour buses had already gathered, despite the early hour. An information pamphlet welcomed us to the “Dai Minority Park,” and we began to suspect that the day’s cultural experience might be something less than authentic.

Residents and staff at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village take part in a daily water festival, Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

Through our Mandarin speaking friend and travel companion, Yan, we learned that in fact the park was owned by a private real estate developer that had consolidated several Dai villages into a single tourist destination. In exchange, a portion of the income was given back to the Dais in the form of jobs, infrastructure, and possibly cash. While we decided to reserve judgement until we had seen more of what lay inside, we immediately began referring to the area as “the theme park,” and the immaculately paved roads and manicured gardens further bolstered our skepticism.

Dancers perform for tourists at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

As we walked through the community, it was clear that the residents of the minority park were far better off financially than those in the less developed villages we had passed earlier that morning. Most of the houses were new looking and well built with concrete and finished wood, and newish looking cars and motorcycles were parked in front of the majority. Living in the theme park was apparently not without benefits.

A man plays guitar on the roof of a house in Olive Dam Dai cultural village in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

In the distance the thumping bass of loud music drew us deeper into the village until we reached a large open area, packed with people. In the center Dais, dressed in brightly colored silks, splashed in a shallow pool of water encircling a fountain as tourists ringed the outer edges, cameras at the ready. The event was a reenactment of the annual water festival celebrated in April of each year, held here twice a day for the enjoyment of visitors. And while the whole affair was a rehearsed performance, the Dai actors were clearly enjoying themselves as they hurled buckets of water at each other, and occasionally those tourists who ventured too near the water’s edge.

The performance of an April water ritual is is put on twice a day at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

After half an hour of the playful display, the crowd migrated toward a nearby stadium, stopping to buy snacks of fried vegetables or spicy papaya salad. A solitary caged elephant stood by, and some visitors opted to climb a metal staircase onto its back to have their photos taken. Since spending a great deal of time earlier in the journey learning about the precarious relationship between humans and elephants in Laos, we were especially sensitive to the plight of the animals and the sight somewhat dampened our spirits. However we knew there was nothing to be done about it, save staging an ill-advised prison break, so we resigned ourselves to muttering an impotent apology to the animal as we joined the flow of people entering the stadium.

An elephant, with tourists atop, at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

For the next hour the audience was treated to a variety of Dai traditional dances and calligraphy displays. While the dances were impressively choreographed, with dozens of young women in beautiful silken dresses, and the calligrapher mesmerizing to watch as he smoothly painted characters onto large parchments, we knew we were learning about as much about the realities of modern day Dai life as a trip to Disneyland could teach us about film production.

A Chinese calligraphy demonstration for tourists at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

There was nothing inherently wrong with the Dai Minority Village, and obviously it had brought security and prosperity to the communities. Dancing was surely a nicer way to make a living than toiling in the fields, but we wanted to get away from the canned performances to see what normal Dai people did in their everyday lives.

Women at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village hold examples of Chinese calligraphy. Photo by Gareth Bright.

The Opposite Bank

After waiting for the arrival of a small ferry boat to shuttle us across the Lancang to the Dai village of Manhenuan, the difference was immediately obvious. Unlike in the Minority Park with its expansive paved roads, there was only a stone beach with a rutted motorcycle path that led inland. Locals sat along the water’s edge, casting fishing rods into the river and waiting patiently for bites that did not seem to come.

A ferry boat captain shuttles passengers between Olive Dam and Manhenuan villages, in Xishuangbanna prefecture, China. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

“Here we grow many things like bananas, corn, rubber, and beans,” Yu Yinghan said. A young woman in her late 20s, we had found Yu fishing with her husband on the river’s edge and stopped to ask her about the differences between Manhenuan and the nearby cultural park. “We have what we need here, so we don’t want to work full time for a big company. We would rather work for ourselves.”

Residents fish in the Lancang (Mekong) river near Manhenuan village. Photo by Gareth Bright.

Further inland, the rockiness of the Lancang’s banks gave way to bright green expanses of farmland, set against the backdrop of the rolling mountains on the horizon. Moving between neat rows of string beans, we met Yan Wenxiang and decided to switch gears to ask about the role of the Lancang in the daily lives of Manhenuan residents.

Farmers pack freshly picked beans and peas into sacks for transport to local markets in Manhenuan village. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

“I’ve lived here my whole life,” he said. “I water my crops from the river, though it’s too dirty to drink. Usually there is enough [for the crops], but sometimes because of the nearby dams there is not. Yesterday there was enough, but not today.”

Unlike those across the river, the Dais of Manhenuan lived a more traditional lifestyle and relied on the land and its natural resources as their primary source of income, instead of the tourist dollars that supported the Minority Park.

A young girl stands outside her family home in Manhenuan village. Photo by Gareth Bright.

While we watched laborers heft 60 kg sacks of picked beans onto tractors to be sold for 2-3 RMB (roughly $0.50) per kilogram, we chatted with them and reflected on the strange paradox of development. As outside observers, the rural lifestyle of Manhenuan’s farming Dais conjured words like “idyllic” and “natural” in our minds. Friendly and laughing the whole time they worked, it would have been easy to assume that this way of living was inherently better than allowing a real estate company to turn their village into a theme park.

A woman walks past the farmland of Manhenuan village. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

But at the same time, as we watched the workers sweat under the weight of the beans, it was obvious that this was not easy work — either physically or financially. As always, we had to remind ourselves not to judge the quality of the lives of others based on romanticized notions of simpler times.

Farmers pack freshly picked beans and peas into sacks for transport to local markets in Manhenuan village. Photo by Gareth Bright.

Following a dirt road for a few kilometers, we reached the center of Manhenuan town and immediately realized that the community was already on its way to following in the footsteps of the Minority Park. Multiple construction crews and 70-tonne excavators were busily tearing up the small roads and preparing them for paving. Building sites were everywhere, and the extent of the bamboo scaffolding indicated that the new structures would almost certainly dwarf the existing ones.

With the financial success of the nearby Dai minority cultural village at Olive Dam, residents of Manhenuan are trying to open their village up to tourism. as well. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

“Soon a new bridge will be built and it will allow tourists to come here more easily,” Yan Ying said. Fifty-two years old and sporting a magnificent Soviet-style winter hat, Yan explained that Manhenuan was preparing to follow the example of the Dai across the Lancang and convert itself into a tourist attraction. “Many things are changing.”

Rubber tree plantation in Manhenuan village, Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

Currently living in a small makeshift shack with his wife and daughters, Yan had torn down his house in order to build a more modern structure in its place. “I thought about building a traditional style house, but I decided to use bricks so I could rent out the rooms to tourists,” he said.

Yan Ying, 52, stands in front of his home in Manhenuan. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

When we asked him several loaded questions, trying to gauge if he felt any anger about the imminent commercialization of his village, he didn’t express any personal misgivings. “I don’t own any land, and since there is none available to buy, tourists will be the best way for me to earn money to give to my children.”

“Some people are arguing with the company,” he admitted after continued probing. “They think we aren’t being paid enough. But for me it’s good.”

A woman stands in a demolished plot of land in Manhenuan village. Photo by Gareth Bright.

As we left Manhenuan, we couldn’t help but feel saddened by the knowledge that the little village would probably be unrecognizable if we returned in five years. But at the same time, it was more than understandable that Yan preferred the thought of his daughters working in an air-conditioned hotel instead of laboring in a sweltering bean field.

For better or for worse, the modern world would march on. We could only hope that in the process Dai traditions would not become just another packaged culture for the convenient consumption of those who could afford the price of admission.

A monk drives a scooter in the Olive Dam Dai cultural village in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

This piece originally appeared at A River’s Tail.

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Luc Forsyth and Gareth Bright have set out on a journey to follow the Mekong river from sea to source. The Diplomat will be sharing some of the stories they’ve found along the way. For more about the project, check out the whole series here.

A thick mist settled over the highway as we drove out of Jinghong, and only through short patches in the haze could we see the extent of the vast scenery we were passing. We were headed to the southeastern edge of Xishuangbanna prefecture, just 30 km from the Burmese border, to visit several communities of Dai people.

A road repair worker in Basa village, Xishuangbanna, China. The village is home to the Jinuo ethnic minority. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

An ethnic minority, the Dai people were part of an ancient culture that inhabited what is now China’s Yunnan province until political chaos and wars forced them to disperse south. Now spread across China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand, the roughly 60 million Dai are divided by modern international borders.

Scene from a car on the way to Dai villages in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

As we wound our way along the mountain road that would take us to the Dai villages, we passed through dozens of other small villages, catching fleeting glimpses of people walking through the blanketing fog, heading to their farms or leading their livestock to feed. It wasn’t until we arrived at Olive Dam — so named for its resemblance to an olive from the air, and the word dam meaning “basin” in Mandarin — situated at the bottom of a deep valley, that the sun fully rose to burn off the mist.

A water buffalo watches a Jinuo farmer in Basa village, Xishuangbanna, China. The Jinuo are an ethnic minority found in Western China. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

Packaged Culture

Though we knew the area was advertised heavily as a tourist attraction, the extent of the commercialization of the culture seemed excessive. Gift shops and souvenir stalls lined a large parking lot where tour buses had already gathered, despite the early hour. An information pamphlet welcomed us to the “Dai Minority Park,” and we began to suspect that the day’s cultural experience might be something less than authentic.

Residents and staff at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village take part in a daily water festival, Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

Through our Mandarin speaking friend and travel companion, Yan, we learned that in fact the park was owned by a private real estate developer that had consolidated several Dai villages into a single tourist destination. In exchange, a portion of the income was given back to the Dais in the form of jobs, infrastructure, and possibly cash. While we decided to reserve judgement until we had seen more of what lay inside, we immediately began referring to the area as “the theme park,” and the immaculately paved roads and manicured gardens further bolstered our skepticism.

Dancers perform for tourists at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

As we walked through the community, it was clear that the residents of the minority park were far better off financially than those in the less developed villages we had passed earlier that morning. Most of the houses were new looking and well built with concrete and finished wood, and newish looking cars and motorcycles were parked in front of the majority. Living in the theme park was apparently not without benefits.

A man plays guitar on the roof of a house in Olive Dam Dai cultural village in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

In the distance the thumping bass of loud music drew us deeper into the village until we reached a large open area, packed with people. In the center Dais, dressed in brightly colored silks, splashed in a shallow pool of water encircling a fountain as tourists ringed the outer edges, cameras at the ready. The event was a reenactment of the annual water festival celebrated in April of each year, held here twice a day for the enjoyment of visitors. And while the whole affair was a rehearsed performance, the Dai actors were clearly enjoying themselves as they hurled buckets of water at each other, and occasionally those tourists who ventured too near the water’s edge.

The performance of an April water ritual is is put on twice a day at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

After half an hour of the playful display, the crowd migrated toward a nearby stadium, stopping to buy snacks of fried vegetables or spicy papaya salad. A solitary caged elephant stood by, and some visitors opted to climb a metal staircase onto its back to have their photos taken. Since spending a great deal of time earlier in the journey learning about the precarious relationship between humans and elephants in Laos, we were especially sensitive to the plight of the animals and the sight somewhat dampened our spirits. However we knew there was nothing to be done about it, save staging an ill-advised prison break, so we resigned ourselves to muttering an impotent apology to the animal as we joined the flow of people entering the stadium.

An elephant, with tourists atop, at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

For the next hour the audience was treated to a variety of Dai traditional dances and calligraphy displays. While the dances were impressively choreographed, with dozens of young women in beautiful silken dresses, and the calligrapher mesmerizing to watch as he smoothly painted characters onto large parchments, we knew we were learning about as much about the realities of modern day Dai life as a trip to Disneyland could teach us about film production.

A Chinese calligraphy demonstration for tourists at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

There was nothing inherently wrong with the Dai Minority Village, and obviously it had brought security and prosperity to the communities. Dancing was surely a nicer way to make a living than toiling in the fields, but we wanted to get away from the canned performances to see what normal Dai people did in their everyday lives.

Women at the Olive Dam Dai cultural village hold examples of Chinese calligraphy. Photo by Gareth Bright.

The Opposite Bank

After waiting for the arrival of a small ferry boat to shuttle us across the Lancang to the Dai village of Manhenuan, the difference was immediately obvious. Unlike in the Minority Park with its expansive paved roads, there was only a stone beach with a rutted motorcycle path that led inland. Locals sat along the water’s edge, casting fishing rods into the river and waiting patiently for bites that did not seem to come.

A ferry boat captain shuttles passengers between Olive Dam and Manhenuan villages, in Xishuangbanna prefecture, China. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

“Here we grow many things like bananas, corn, rubber, and beans,” Yu Yinghan said. A young woman in her late 20s, we had found Yu fishing with her husband on the river’s edge and stopped to ask her about the differences between Manhenuan and the nearby cultural park. “We have what we need here, so we don’t want to work full time for a big company. We would rather work for ourselves.”

Residents fish in the Lancang (Mekong) river near Manhenuan village. Photo by Gareth Bright.

Further inland, the rockiness of the Lancang’s banks gave way to bright green expanses of farmland, set against the backdrop of the rolling mountains on the horizon. Moving between neat rows of string beans, we met Yan Wenxiang and decided to switch gears to ask about the role of the Lancang in the daily lives of Manhenuan residents.

Farmers pack freshly picked beans and peas into sacks for transport to local markets in Manhenuan village. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

“I’ve lived here my whole life,” he said. “I water my crops from the river, though it’s too dirty to drink. Usually there is enough [for the crops], but sometimes because of the nearby dams there is not. Yesterday there was enough, but not today.”

Unlike those across the river, the Dais of Manhenuan lived a more traditional lifestyle and relied on the land and its natural resources as their primary source of income, instead of the tourist dollars that supported the Minority Park.

A young girl stands outside her family home in Manhenuan village. Photo by Gareth Bright.

While we watched laborers heft 60 kg sacks of picked beans onto tractors to be sold for 2-3 RMB (roughly $0.50) per kilogram, we chatted with them and reflected on the strange paradox of development. As outside observers, the rural lifestyle of Manhenuan’s farming Dais conjured words like “idyllic” and “natural” in our minds. Friendly and laughing the whole time they worked, it would have been easy to assume that this way of living was inherently better than allowing a real estate company to turn their village into a theme park.

A woman walks past the farmland of Manhenuan village. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

But at the same time, as we watched the workers sweat under the weight of the beans, it was obvious that this was not easy work — either physically or financially. As always, we had to remind ourselves not to judge the quality of the lives of others based on romanticized notions of simpler times.

Farmers pack freshly picked beans and peas into sacks for transport to local markets in Manhenuan village. Photo by Gareth Bright.

Following a dirt road for a few kilometers, we reached the center of Manhenuan town and immediately realized that the community was already on its way to following in the footsteps of the Minority Park. Multiple construction crews and 70-tonne excavators were busily tearing up the small roads and preparing them for paving. Building sites were everywhere, and the extent of the bamboo scaffolding indicated that the new structures would almost certainly dwarf the existing ones.

With the financial success of the nearby Dai minority cultural village at Olive Dam, residents of Manhenuan are trying to open their village up to tourism. as well. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

“Soon a new bridge will be built and it will allow tourists to come here more easily,” Yan Ying said. Fifty-two years old and sporting a magnificent Soviet-style winter hat, Yan explained that Manhenuan was preparing to follow the example of the Dai across the Lancang and convert itself into a tourist attraction. “Many things are changing.”

Rubber tree plantation in Manhenuan village, Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Gareth Bright.

Currently living in a small makeshift shack with his wife and daughters, Yan had torn down his house in order to build a more modern structure in its place. “I thought about building a traditional style house, but I decided to use bricks so I could rent out the rooms to tourists,” he said.

Yan Ying, 52, stands in front of his home in Manhenuan. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

When we asked him several loaded questions, trying to gauge if he felt any anger about the imminent commercialization of his village, he didn’t express any personal misgivings. “I don’t own any land, and since there is none available to buy, tourists will be the best way for me to earn money to give to my children.”

“Some people are arguing with the company,” he admitted after continued probing. “They think we aren’t being paid enough. But for me it’s good.”

A woman stands in a demolished plot of land in Manhenuan village. Photo by Gareth Bright.

As we left Manhenuan, we couldn’t help but feel saddened by the knowledge that the little village would probably be unrecognizable if we returned in five years. But at the same time, it was more than understandable that Yan preferred the thought of his daughters working in an air-conditioned hotel instead of laboring in a sweltering bean field.

For better or for worse, the modern world would march on. We could only hope that in the process Dai traditions would not become just another packaged culture for the convenient consumption of those who could afford the price of admission.

A monk drives a scooter in the Olive Dam Dai cultural village in Xishuangbanna, China. Photo by Luc Forsyth.

This piece originally appeared at A River’s Tail.

TagsAsia LifeChinaDai ethnic minorityLancangMekong RiverPhotojournalism

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