Dai Villages at Xishuangbanna

Xishuangbanna (西双版纳) is a minority autonomous prefecture mainly resides with the Dai ethnic group. There are 13 ethnic groups living in the prefecture, the Dai ethnic group occupies most part, and the population spread over 74% of the whole autonomous. The Dais have their own calendar, which started in 638 A.D. 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 Dai historical documents carry a rich variety of literary works covering poetry, legends, stories, fables and children’s tales.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.

Most of the Dais live in the rural areas in Xishuangbanna. Their villages are found on the plains, near rivers or streams, and among clusters of bamboo. When entering the Dai villages you will see many bamboo houses 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. These houses are very suitable the tropical rain forest climate in south Asia.

The Dai villages show the unique culture, art, and colorful ethnic customs. If you want to visit the Dai villages, you are adviced to select the special festival time, such as the Water-splashing Festival in mid April. You can enjoy many interesting traditional activities, singing and dancing. Also, you may understand some simple Dai characters (the Dai people have their own writing system) by attending the activities. Just try to get to the venue early if you decide to join the Water-splashing Festival, the more water you get, the more lucky you will be.