Past and present
The Dai people mainly spread over the Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, the Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in Dehong, the Dai Autonomous County in Gengma, and the Dai and Lahu Autonomous County in Menglian. The Dai language, a Zhunag and Dong branch of Sino-Tibetan language family, has its own characters. The Dai is a minority that has a long history, whose forefathers have lived and procreated in south-west China from time immemorial. The Dia people have a document of over a thousand years, and the ancient Pattra Leaf Canon as well. They are also very fond of poems and especially epics such as: “Zhaoshu Village and Nanma Nuona”, “Ebing and Sangluo”, both of which are valuable heritages of Chinese culture. Popular among the Dai people are various dances—mainly an imitation of animals frequently seen in local areas, whose movement and action are personified accordingly. The popular peacock dance is both a vivid imitation of the graceful bird, and an outcome of a moving legend of the Dai people. The bamboo house of the Dai people is a square building made up of poles and railings, supported with scores of big bamboos, upon which the floor is spread. The roof is covered with grass, and there are big gaps inside the bamboo walls, which are well ventilated and transparent. Special local products in Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna are abundant, with over 100 kinds of fruit, various faunas and flora, which is a famous “Kingdom of Faunas” and “Kingdom of Flora”.
Clothing
Clothing for men of the Dai people is rather plain and simple. They usually put on a collarless jacket or s short-sleeved shirt, with a pair of light-colored trousers, and cover their head with a piece of white or blue cloth. This kind of clothes is quite light and comfortable for them to work out in the fields, and makes them look healthy and handsome while dancing. Clothing for women of the Dai people is quite bright and colorful—a full expansion of their vitality and oomph. They put on various tight underwear covered with a light-colored or narrow-sleeved jacket and a colorful straight skirt decorated with various designs. Women like to put their long hair into a coil and slantingly insert into a comb, hairpins or fresh flowers, together with gold and silver decorations, and a delicate silver belt as well. This type of clothing and decorations helps to make them look sweet, charming and cute, as if they were all turned into beautiful peacocks. The reason why their clothes are so beautiful is closely related to the workmanship of their brocade, which has a long history, with abundant and colorful patterns, and which bears with it a rich color and plain style of life. All of the bags that the Dai youths carry on their back, the family curtains, quilt covers and mattress have various designs upon them, which is definitely an indication of the elegant aesthetic conception of the Dai people.
Wedding
The Dai youths often express their love with songs, this unconventional style makes them fell rather self-conscious, and yet the style of it is quite mild, simple and ingenious. When a couple has pledged enduring love for each other, the boy’s parents will ask a matchmaker to the girl’s family for proposal. The wedding ceremony is very plain, which is customarily held in the bamboo house of the bride’s family.
The ceremony of “Thread Tying” is an important part for a Dai wedding. After the speech of the officiator, both of the groom and bride, will take a handful of sticky rice from a table, dip it in liquor and throw it away in all directions. And then they will make a bow with hands folded to show memorial to their ancestors. And the officiator will pick up a piece of white thread and tie it on the wrists of them—an indication of having bound their heart and soul together, who will love each other and never part.
A man usually stays at his wife’s home for three years after the wedding, and then returns to his own home together with his wife. Three years later they can return to stay at home of the wife’s parents, which is locally called “Three-year here, and Three-year there”. Only after they have built a house and become economically independent, will they part with their parents and set up a small family of their own.
Festivals
Traditional holidays for the Dai people are: the Water-sprinkling Festival, Gate-closing Day, and Gate-opening Day. The Water-sprinkling Festival usually falls on thee 3rd day of their new year (April 15). When this occasion comes, polite youths of the Dai families will fetch some pure water, dip in with tree branches and sprinkle toward each other—to wash away the dust and filth of the past year, and wish for a clean and peaceful new year. Bit now it has already evolved into a popular revelry: people fetch water with their pails and basins, and pour out toward everyone on the way, with water spray flying in the sky—a symbol of being lucky, happy and healthy. People are seen to chase each other for pouring and spraying in the street and at the square. And every place is presented with the baptism of water, blessing of water, and enjoyment of water. the sky is full of water sprays, and the earth is full of songs and laughter, which turns the occasion into a sea of happiness. Recreational activities with national features are also held during this festival, such as cockfights, peacock dances; boys and girls will throw their colorful embroidery pouches, have the Dragon Boat competition, and a show of local lanterns as well.
Gate-closing Day (Birthday of Buddha) falls on September 15 of the Dai calendar (July 15), and Gate-opening Day (Bathing Day of Buddha) on December 15 (October 15). During these two days, the Dai people will hold a solemn practice of “Donation”, offering food, flower and money to Buddhas and their statues.