Dai people originated from Ailao people in the middle and upper reaches of Nujiang River and Lancang River. Ailao people are one of the ancient humans in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Around the fifth century BC, Ailao people founded Daguang and other tribal alliance countries in the middle and upper reaches of Lancang River and Nujiang River. At the end of the second century BC, the kingdom of Daguang began to contact with the Han Dynasty. Because the King of Daguang at that time was called "Ailao", the Han Dynasty began to call the kingdom of Daguang "Ailao Country".

Before this, because the people who mourn for prisoners are good at riding elephants and their living environment is similar to that of the Vietnamese in the south of the Han Dynasty, they were mistaken by the Han Dynasty as a branch of the Vietnamese, and the Daguang Kingdom was called "Yunnan and Vietnam ride elephants".

since the first century ad, the kingdom of Dian, which is located in the east of Daguang Kingdom, has been in constant conflict with its suzerain country (Han Dynasty), and a large number of Dian people (also called "Dian Yue people" because of their absorption of Yue culture) have poured into Ailao territory. After the Ailao people absorbed and merged the Dian people, the embryonic form of modern Dai people was initially formed.

Extended information

Dai festival customs

1. Water-splashing Festival

The Dai calendar year-Water-splashing Festival is a traditional festival of the Dai people. Dai language is called "Sangkan Bimai" or "Lenghe Sangkan", which means June New Year. The time is in late June or early July of Dai calendar (mid-April of Gregorian calendar). It is held on the 1th day after the Qingming Festival, which symbolizes "the best day".

the festival usually lasts for 3 days. The first two days are to send the old and the last day is to welcome the new. In the early morning of the festival, men, women and children in Dai villages bathed in costumes and went to the Buddhist temple to worship Buddha, and built 4 or 5 towers in the temple. Everyone sat around the tower and listened to the Buddha chanting. After that, the women each picked a handful of water to "wash the dust" for the Buddha statue.

After the ceremony in the Buddhist temple, young men and women quit and poured water on each other to bless them. Then they marched around in groups and splashed pedestrians to show their blessings. Every year during the Songkran Festival in Xishuangbanna, the Dai people hold a huge dragon boat race in Lancang River. After the race, they disassemble the dragon boat and put it in the bamboo building of the Buddhist temple for safekeeping. Before the Songkran Festival comes the next year, they assemble the disassembled dragon boat again, which is called "drought black".

2. Huajie Festival

The most solemn festival of Huayao Dai is the Huajie Festival on the 13th day of the first lunar month. On this day, thousands of young men and women gathered in Huajie from the surrounding villages. The flower street of the festival is very lively, and little girls (girls) dressed in costumes line up and walk slowly through the flower street, competing for beauty and infinite amorous feelings; The boys are looking for the right person with wide eyes.

If they hit it off, they met in the lychee bushes under the phoenix bamboo. The girl untied the rice from her waist and uncovered the green banana leaves. I saw that the fragrant glutinous rice was dyed half golden and half bright red with flower juice, and the banana leaves were filled with pork loin, fried dried eel, salted duck eggs and other delicacies layer by layer. Two people eating together, talking about sweet nothings. After eating the rice, the event of proposing marriage was decided.

3. Closing Day and Opening Day

On these two festivals, men, women and children from all villages will go to the Buddhist temple to hold a grand Buddha-worship activity, offering food, flowers and coins to the Buddha, chanting scriptures and dripping water in front of the Buddha, so as to pray for Buddha's blessing. During the three months from Closing Day to Opening Day, it is the time to "close the door" and the most frequent period of religious activities in a year.

Pay homage to the Buddha, and listen to the Buddha's lecture for 7 days. In the evening, there will be fireworks, firecrackers, Gao Sheng (Kongming Lantern) and a "catch-up". During the closing period, young men and women can fall in love, but they can't get married or go out; You can get married and go out after you open the door.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Dai people.