Our answer
The Tai people of southern Yunnan 傣族
A Tai-speaking people of Xishuangbanna and Dehong, close kin of the Thai, Lao and Shan
The short answer
The Dai (傣族, Dǎizú) are one of China’s 56 officially recognised ethnic groups, 1,329,985 people in the 2020 census, living mainly in Xishuangbanna and Dehong in Yunnan. A Tai people closely related to the Thai, Lao and Shan, they are known for the Water-Splashing Festival, their New Year in mid-April.
| In Chinese | 傣族 (Dǎizú) |
|---|---|
| Population (2020 census) | 1,329,985 |
| Where they live | Mainly Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan; also Gengma, Menglian and other parts of south-west Yunnan |
| Language | Southwestern Tai languages of the Kra–Dai family, mainly Tai Lü (Xishuangbanna) and Tai Nüa (Dehong) |
| Related to | The Thai, Lao and Shan peoples |
| Main festival | Water-Splashing Festival (泼水节), the Dai New Year, in mid-April; in Xishuangbanna 13–15 April |
| Known for | Stilt houses, sour-flavoured food and pineapple rice, the peacock dance |
Who the Dai are and where they live
The Dai live mainly in two autonomous prefectures of Yunnan: Xishuangbanna (西双版纳傣族自治州) in the far south, on the Mekong, and Dehong (德宏傣族景颇族自治州) in the west, on the border with Myanmar. Smaller communities live elsewhere in south-west Yunnan, for example in Gengma and Menglian. The 2020 census counted 1,329,985 Dai.
The two main Dai groups are the Tai Lü of Xishuangbanna and the Tai Nüa of Dehong; both names mean roughly ‘northern Tai’. The Dai are closely related to the Shan of Myanmar, the Lao and the Thai.
Xishuangbanna, whose seat is Jinghong on the Mekong (called the Lancang, 澜沧江, in Chinese), has a tropical climate and lies lower than most of Yunnan. In the 2000 census the Dai were its largest group, at 29.89% of the population. In Dehong, whose seat is Mangshi, the Dai made up about 28% of residents in 2020; the prefecture calls itself the ‘home of the peafowls’.[1][2][3]
Language and scripts
The Dai speak Southwestern Tai languages of the Kra–Dai family. In Xishuangbanna the language is Tai Lü (Xishuangbanna Dai, 傣仂语), spoken by about 280,000 people in China and written in the Tai Tham alphabet or the New Tai Lue alphabet. In Dehong it is Tai Nüa (德宏傣语, Déhóng Dǎiyǔ), close enough to Shan to be counted as a dialect of it, written in the Tai Le script; about 720,000 speakers have been cited.
Literacy in the Dai script is high among men: the Wikipedia article on the Dai puts it at over 80%.[1][4][5]
The Water-Splashing Festival and other customs
The Water-Splashing Festival is the Dai New Year and the reason many visitors come to Xishuangbanna in April.[1][2][6][7][8]
| Festival or custom | Chinese | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water-Splashing Festival (Dai New Year) | 泼水节 (pōshuǐ jié) | Mid-April, about ten days after Qingming; in Xishuangbanna usually three days, 13–15 April | People splash and sprinkle water on each other as a blessing for good luck and to wash away the old year’s misfortunes; locals fetch water from the Lancang River; there are dragon-boat races and Kongming lanterns. Listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2006 |
| Peacock dance | 孔雀舞 (kǒngquè wǔ) | At festivals, including the Water-Splashing Festival | A Dai dance imitating the peacock, performed in Ruili, Luxi (Mangshi) and other Dai areas, accompanied by elephant-foot drums, gongs and cymbals |
Stilt houses and Dai food
Traditional Dai villages sit on bamboo-covered plains near rivers, and homes are often built on stilts, some with two storeys, the lower one used for storage.
Rice is the staple, and sour flavours are central to Dai cooking. Look for bamboo rice (竹筒饭), sticky rice cooked in a bamboo tube and roasted over coals, sometimes with pork, chicken or pineapple; pineapple rice (菠萝饭, bōluó fàn), sweet glutinous rice with pineapple served in the hollowed-out fruit; ganba, salted dried beef pounded with herbs and chilli; and nanmi, herby dips served with vegetables. Lemongrass, lime, coriander and basil turn up in many dishes.
Xishuangbanna is also tea country: its Six Famous Tea Mountains produce highly regarded pu-erh tea.[1][2][9][10]
Where to see Dai culture
| Place | Where | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Jinghong | Xishuangbanna, Yunnan | The prefecture seat on the Mekong and the centre of the Water-Splashing Festival celebrations; a railway of about 530 km links Xishuangbanna with Vientiane in Laos |
| Ganlanba | Xishuangbanna, Yunnan | A Dai village area listed among Xishuangbanna’s attractions |
| Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden | Xishuangbanna, Yunnan | One of the prefecture’s best-known attractions |
| Mangshi and Ruili | Dehong, Yunnan | Dehong’s main towns, near the Myanmar border, where the peacock dance is performed |
| Gengma | Lincang, Yunnan | A Dai and Va autonomous county that also celebrates the Water-Splashing Festival |
Questions readers ask
Who are the Dai people?
The Dai (傣族) are one of China’s 56 officially recognised ethnic groups, 1,329,985 people in the 2020 census. They live mainly in Xishuangbanna and Dehong in Yunnan and are a Tai people, closely related to the Thai, Lao and Shan.
Are the Dai the same as the Thai?
Not the same, but closely related. The Dai speak Southwestern Tai languages, the same branch as Thai and Lao; Dehong’s Tai Nüa is even close enough to Shan to count as a dialect of it.
When is the Water-Splashing Festival?
In mid-April, about ten days after Qingming. In Xishuangbanna it usually runs for three days, 13–15 April. It is the Dai New Year.
What happens at the Water-Splashing Festival?
People splash water on each other as a blessing and to wash away the old year’s bad luck. There are also dragon-boat races and Kongming lanterns, and the biggest celebrations are in Jinghong, Xishuangbanna.
Where is Xishuangbanna?
In the far south of Yunnan, on the Mekong (Lancang) River near the borders with Laos and Myanmar. Its seat is Jinghong, and a railway links it with Vientiane in Laos.
What food do the Dai eat?
Rice is the staple, with sour, herby flavours. Try bamboo rice cooked in a bamboo tube, pineapple rice served in the fruit, dried beef (ganba) and herb dips (nanmi).
What is the Dai peacock dance?
A traditional Dai dance imitating the peacock, performed at festivals in Dehong and other Dai areas to elephant-foot drums, gongs and cymbals. Dehong calls itself the ‘home of the peafowls’.
What language do the Dai speak?
Tai languages: Tai Lü in Xishuangbanna, written in the Tai Tham or New Tai Lue alphabets, and Tai Nüa in Dehong, written in the Tai Le script.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Dai people · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tai Lue language · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tai Nüa language · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- China Daily, Water splashing festival in Xishuangbanna (19 April 2025) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Xinhua, Water-splashing festival celebrated in China’s Yunnan (15 April 2025) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Peacock dance · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Colorful Yunnan (Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism), Bamboo rice · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Not Quite Nigella, The cuisines of Yunnan: Dai (20 September 2013) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
Update log. 2 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 2 February 2027. Suggest a correction