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Dai knowledge
The current population of the Dai nationality is about 1 159322. Dai people mainly live in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Dehong Autonomous Prefecture, Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County and Menglian Dai and Lahu Wa Autonomous County, with a few scattered in other nearby counties. Dai language belongs to Zhuang-Dong language family of Sino-Tibetan language family, including Dehong dialect and Xishuangbanna dialect. Dai people have pinyin characters, and the characters used in different places are slightly different, which can be roughly divided into four types: Dai Nuo (Xishuangbanna Dai), Dai Na (Dehong Dai), Dai Zhan and Jinping Dai (also known as Dai Duan). All four Dai languages are derived from the ancient Indian alphabet. Buddhism believed by the Dai people spread from the south to the throne.

Dai nationality is a minority with a long history. Since ancient times, the ancestors of the Dai people have lived and prospered in the southwest of China. In the 1 century, there were records about Dai ancestors in China history books, which were called "Dian Yue", "Shan Yue" and "Liao or Liao". Tang and Song Dynasties were called "Golden Teeth", "Hei Chi", "Huaman" and "White Skirt". Yuan and Ming dynasties were called "Bai Yi", "Bai Yi" and "Bo Yi". The branches of the Dai nationality are "Dai Na", "Dai Ya" and "Dai Zhan". After the founding of New China, it was renamed Dai according to the wishes of the Dai people.

The ancestors of the Dai nationality were one of the hundreds of ancient Yues, which were called "Dian Yue" and "Shan" in the Han Dynasty. After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there were many nicknames such as "Golden Teeth", "White Dress" and "Vote for Foreigners", but all of them called themselves "Dai", meaning people who love freedom and peace.

In 109 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established Yizhou County, and the Dai area was under the jurisdiction of Yizhou County. In 69 AD, the Dai area belonged to Yongchang County. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, after the policy of abolishing hereditary chieftain and being ruled by temporary officials (that is, floating officials), Dai areas gradually came under the direct rule of the imperial court. During the Republic of China, counties and bureaus were established in Dai areas.

Dai people have more than 1000 years of old Dai language and ancient Bayleaf Scriptures. Dai people have their own unique calendar. The difference between Dai calendar and Gregorian calendar is 638 years, that is, Gregorian calendar is 639 years as the first year of Dai calendar. The year of Dai calendar is solar year, but the month is lunar month. Dai calendar is divided into three seasons, from 1 month to April as the cold season, from May to August as the hot season, and from September to1February as the rainy season. Dai people love poetry very much, especially long narrative poems. Narrative poems such as Zhao Shuli, Nan Manna, He E and luo sang are valuable cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. There are many kinds of Dai dances, and their movements and contents mainly imitate the activities of local common animals, and on this basis, they are personalized. Peacock dance not only comes from imitating the graceful movements of peacocks, but also from the beautiful and moving legends of Dai people. The famous dancer Dao Meilan is famous at home and abroad for her performance in peacock dance.

Songkran Festival is the most national festival of Dai people. Songkran Festival is the New Year of Dai calendar, which lasts from June 6th to July 6th, equivalent to April in Gregorian calendar. At the Water-Splashing Festival, people will worship Buddha. The girls will wash the dust for the Buddha with fresh water floating with flowers, then splash water on each other and bless each other. At first, water was splashed with hands and bowls, and then songs were splashed with pots and barrels. The more intense the splashing, the drums, gongs, water splashing and cheers became one. During the Songkran Festival, traditional entertainment activities such as dragon boat racing, flying high and flying lanterns and various song and dance parties will be held.

The bamboo building where Dai people live is a dry-column building. The bamboo building is approximately square, supported by dozens of large bamboos, and the floor is suspended; The roof is covered with thatched rows, and the bamboo wall has a large gap, which is both ventilated and light-permeable. The slope on both sides of the roof is very large, showing an "A" shape. The bamboo building is divided into two floors, where people live upstairs, livestock are raised downstairs and sundries are piled up. It's also a place for rice and weaving. Dai men usually wear collarless double-breasted shirts and long-sleeved trousers wrapped in white or blue cloth. Dai women's costumes vary greatly from place to place, but they are basically characterized by bunches of hair, skirts and shirts. The skirt is ankle-deep, the clothes are tight and short, the hem only reaches the waist, but the sleeves are long and narrow.

The Dai people take rice as their staple food, and the most distinctive one is bamboo tube rice. The production method is to put rice in a fresh bamboo tube, add water, and barbecue on the fire, which is fragrant and delicious. Pu 'er tea, a specialty of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, was exported to all parts of China in the Tang Dynasty and Southeast Asia and South Asia in the Qing Dynasty. Now it has entered the markets of Japan, Western Europe and other countries and regions and become a famous tea at home and abroad. Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is rich in special products, including 1 10 kinds of fruits alone. There are many kinds of animals and plants here, which are called "plant kingdom" and "animal kingdom". 199 1 year, Xishuangbanna national nature reserve was officially opened to the outside world, and people can visit the treasure house of nature and enjoy the rich subtropical customs.

the dai dance

Peacock dance-Dai language is called "Jialuoyong", "Fanluoyong" or "Jiale Nanluo". This is the most popular dance of Dai people, which is popular in dehong autonomous prefecture and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. The rich and beautiful Dai nationality township is known as the "hometown of peacocks". In the past, peacocks with charming postures danced whenever the morning dawned or the sun set. Therefore, peacock is a symbol of auspiciousness, happiness, beauty and kindness in the hearts of Dai people. During the festival, Dai people gather to watch peacock dance and folk artists perform peacock dance according to folk stories, myths and legends and Buddhist stories. For example, peacock dance, based on the fairy tale The Devil and the Peacock, is widely circulated among the people. The dance shows that the devil wants to occupy the peacock as his wife, and the peacock with a human face is struggling to shake its beautiful feathers. The brilliant light blinded the devil brothers and the peacock won. ?

Some people say that Dai women's clothes are the most beautiful in the world, colorful and beautiful like a proud peacock. As long as people who know the situation feel that this statement is not exaggerated at all. Generally speaking, Dai women are slim, pure and beautiful, and graceful, so they are called "golden peacocks".

There are many touching legends about the origin of peacock dance among the Dai people. According to legend, a long time ago, the leader of the Dai people was called Masu, who led 4000 people to find happiness. When they arrived at the Macey, they heard the sound of fruit falling into the water and the sound of fish eating water, and saw the peacock dancing with this wonderful sound. When they come back, they imitate these sounds and peacock's movements. Peacock dance danced with drums and cymbals. In some ancient murals and sculptures of temples in Myanmar, we can see many vivid images of peacock, which are very similar to peacock dance wearing a pointed helmet, a mask and a peacock suit. There is also a record about peacock dance in Nanzhao unofficial history in the Ming Dynasty: "When you get married, you should take Lusheng as peacock dance ...", which shows that peacock dance has a long history. ?

Peacock dance is usually performed by one person, two or three people. Whenever the dancers dance happily, everyone cheers "I-I" and "water-water", and the atmosphere is very warm. There are relatively fixed performances in peacock dance, which imitate peacocks flying out of their nests, observing sensitively, walking safely, looking for water, drinking water, paddling, bathing, flapping their wings, drying their wings, spreading their wings and flying freely and happily. Peacock dance's movements are extremely rich. The most common gestures are palm gesture, peacock gesture (thumb slightly buckled inward, index finger bent backward, and the other three fingers tilted like a fan) and eye gesture (index finger and thumb slightly close, and the other three fingers tilted like a fan). There are steps, "ups and downs" (the strength leg is driven by the heel to kick to the hip, and then the whole foot touches the ground, and the main leg bends and stretches accordingly). From the style of dance, it can be summarized into the following three categories: The first category is male peacock dance. There are more people dancing this kind of dance. Knees are undulating, firm and tough. Dance has obvious "three bends" characteristics. The second is female peacock dance. In the folk, most of them are performed by men. Knee ups and downs are flexible and slow, with graceful dance and delicate movements, and the chest and shoulders are often arched, reflecting its subtle and charming form, and the drums are light and slow. Third, peacock dance Jr. Always keep a semi-squat state with quick tremors and short steps, keep your calves flexible and light, and often shrug your shoulders continuously, drum fast and light.

Dai drums can be roughly divided into two types: one is a single-sided drum, which is called "Guanglaleng" in Dai language. The other is a double-sided drum, which is called "light and double wax" in Dai language. Because the single-sided drum looks like an elephant leg, it is named "elephant foot drum". ?

1. Elephant foot drum dance: Guang Jia or Fanguang in Dai language (light for drum and Guang Jia for dance). "Guang Jia" is the most popular male dance in Dai areas. Whenever seedlings are sown and the harvest season is over, elephant-foot drums will be performed to celebrate. The elephant foot drum is not only a prop of folk dance, but also a main instrument to accompany other dances. Dai entertainment, dancing must have drums, drums must have dancing. Only with the accompaniment of the elephant foot drum can the dance be colorful and hearty.

? There are many folklore about the elephant foot drum and its dance. It is said that there was a couple in ancient times who took a nap by the pool after work. Suddenly, the wind blew the ripe mango from the tree into the water, making a "pop" sound, which brought them joy. After returning home, they hollowed out the tree according to the elephant's feet and covered it with cowhide to make drums. In a hurry, they danced with drums on their backs, and soon the elephant foot drum dance spread. He added: A long time ago, two young people who domesticated elephants made elephant foot drums based on their feet. There is also a record that "the big and small leather drums were pressed by hand" in the Biography of Hundred Arts in the Ming Dynasty.

During the performance, the dancer carries an elephant foot drum on his left shoulder, with the drum facing forward and the tail of the drum facing down. The right hand plays the drum and the left hand cooperates. Beat the drum surface with fists, palms and fingers, sometimes with elbows, knees, heels and toes. The elephant foot drum dance is vigorous and rough. The ups and downs of the knees are closely coordinated with the drumming action. When you beat the drum with your hands, your knees are bent. When you raise your hand, your knees will stand up straight. There are many dance steps, such as "squatting forward", "squatting backward", "full-step squatting" and "eight-character squatting". There are also moves such as taking one leg as the main force and the other leg doing postures such as walking, lifting and kicking, as well as sucking, kicking, bouncing and jumping across the legs. There are three shapes of drums: long, medium and small. There are three different ways to jump according to the shape of drums. ?

The first kind, long elephant foot drum dance. It is mainly popular in Ruili County, Gengma Mengding, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and Menglian District of Dehong Autonomous Prefecture. The drum is about two meters long. Because it is heavier, it is often used for dance accompaniment. When dancing, the steps are slow and steady, and the knees are undulating. Drum is the most abundant, and a certain drum language has been formed, which can express the feelings of happiness, anger, sadness and joy of the Dai people. ?

Second, China elephant foot drum dance. It is mainly popular in luxi county, Yingjiang, Gengma, Jinggu, Mengdong and some areas of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. The drum length is about1.5m, which is relatively light. Its main feature is to swing the drum tail and throw it up when dancing. Because the tail of the drum is tied with clusters of peacock feathers, it swings very beautifully. Drum-shaking is to let the drum tail shake left and right. Drum-shaking is to press the drum head down and shake the drum tail up. Elephant foot drum dance is not only danced in festivals, but also has a special drum competition day every year. The winning criteria are the length of the drum sound, the quality of the timbre and the swing of the drum tail. ?

Third, the little elephant foot drum dance. It is only popular in Xishuangbanna. The drum is less than one meter long and has rich movements. It is often used as the accompaniment of peacock dance. The action range is large, including sucking leg jump, bouncing leg jump and lifting leg. ?

2. Accompanying light: "Accompanying light" means that everyone dances around the drum. It is the most popular and popular group dance among the Dai people. Unlimited place and time. Dozens or hundreds of people can dance clockwise in a circle and dance all night during the festival. The dance is simple and enthusiastic, with outstanding features. Women's knees vibrate more evenly and dance more smoothly. Generally speaking, the main steps are "staggered step", "undulating step", "point step" and "bow and arrow step". Hand movements are relatively simple. Generally, the hand is a natural hand, and the wrist is alternately wound down or the hand is pulled up from the armpit. Sister-in-law and old man are dancing in the inner circle. Old people move slowly and their knees fluctuate obviously. They often express their excitement by leaning forward and leaning back greatly. Their movements are free to play, while young people outside the circle demand uniformity. Drums accompanied by lights are very rich. ?

3. Double encouragement: In Dai language, it is called "Guangbang", "Liang Guang", "Guangshuangla", "Hong Guang" and "GuangMeng Yang". It is spread in Yingjiang County, Ruili County and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, as well as Mengdu District of Gengma County and Cangyuan County. This is the oldest inspiration of the Dai people. This kind of drum is big at one end and small at the other, with leather on both sides. The small double-sided drum is about one and a half feet long and can be hung horizontally on the body. When dancing, the right hand drums with the palm of your hand and the left hand drums with bamboo pieces. The movements are ups and downs, and dances such as squats are often used, and the three-way bending shape is more prominent. Large double-sided drum basket rice, diameter 67 cm. It takes two people to lift it with bamboo poles, and the dancer swings his mallet with both hands, turns like a cloud hand, sucks his legs, kneels and squats, and drums. Some drums are played on the ground, and the drums are very powerful. People form a circle and sing and dance with flowers or handkerchiefs, which is similar to the performance form of light dance.

Fish dance-called "Jiaba" in Dai language. Mainly spread in Ruili County and dehong autonomous prefecture, and gradually spread to other areas after liberation. It is said that the Dai people discovered fish, learned to fish, and danced like fish. There are only one or two performers in the fish dance, and the dancers dance with fish-shaped props. Fish dance is softer, more delicate, more flexible and more lively than other Dai folk dances. Mainly manifested in ups and downs, gentle knees and half-broken palms, agile and lively small jumps. It shows that when fish swim in calm water, they often walk with their whole feet or half feet bent without ups and downs, and their hands and upper body just swing from side to side. When fish play in the water or fight against the rapids, they often use jumping movements such as jumping, jumping and turning, which are vivid and realistic. Fish dance mostly adopts the fish-shaped hand style (one hand covers the back of the other hand with the palm of his hand, and the thumb is extended), or the typical action is that both hands circle outwards and the arm swings backwards. The drums of fish dance are slow and light, and the richness of drum language is no less than that of peacock dance.

Dapeng Bird Dance is called "Lun Jia" in Dai language. This is an ancient folk dance, and Dai people dance in grand festivals. Mainly popular in Ruili County and dehong autonomous prefecture. Legend has it that the rain god ran away a long time ago, and it didn't rain in Dai areas, and the land was scorched. The Dapeng bird ignored his wife holding the egg and launched a life-and-death struggle with the rain god. A few days later, Dapeng defeated the rain god and made it rain, but Dapeng bird's wife and children had already starved to death. In order to show their respect for Dapeng, the Dai people made Dapeng bird dance, which has been passed down to this day. Dapeng bird dance is vigorous and powerful, rough and powerful. Dance mainly shows the action of Dapeng bird fighting the rain god and its temperament of not being afraid of violence. The action changes quickly and forcefully, and the modeling time is long. The "three bends" dance has prominent edges and corners. For example, the appearance action is generally a big jump followed by a big dance, showing the heroic spirit of Dapeng bird falling rapidly from the air. Claw hand (finger fan) and palm hand are used, which strengthen the action. There are only one or two performers in Dapeng Bird Dance. In the past, we used to wear Dapeng bird props and masks when dancing, but now most of them have been abandoned and dance movements have been fully developed. Drums are extremely rich and deep and powerful.

Crane dance-Dai language is called "Jiayang" and "Jiayang". This is a group dance that young people dance in festivals. It is mainly popular in Ruili and Luxi counties of Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. In the past, dancers had to wear white clothes and dance with two bright red ribbons tied on their shoulders, but now it is rare. Snow-white egrets are common in bamboo forests or rice fields near Dai villages. There are different legends about the origin of crane dance. There is a saying that in ancient times, there was a poor young man who worked hard every day. The crane loves him very much and dances gracefully for him. After that, the young man danced with the crane affectionately. Later, people turned this dance into a duet for young people. He also said: A people named Yang have been to Dehong area, and this kind of dance is to show their working process in the fields. Generally speaking, the crane dance is mainly based on opposition, and the movements are relative. The formation usually appears in two horizontal rows, and after meeting, it becomes two vertical rows, four rows and two circles. A person often directs various movements and graphic transformations. The movements of the crane dance are simple and elegant. The rhythm of dance steps is different from other Dai folk dances. In the weak racket, the knees bend quickly and the strength legs lift up quickly. During the remake, the knees are straight, and the power legs land lightly, vividly imitating the walking movements of cranes. There are special movements such as chest patting and chest arching. These drums are light and simple.

Flower-pulling dance-called "Kadong" in Dai language, is a collective dance of young people. Mainly popular in Dehong Prefecture and parts of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Nowadays, it is only danced on major festivals, which has become an organized dance performance. From a very young age, whenever religious festivals such as the Water-splashing Festival come, boys and girls flock to deep forests and rivers to collect the brightest and most beautiful flowers, and then sing and dance, accompanied by the drums of elephants, send them to Myanmar temples to build flower pavilions ... This ancient custom has been circulating in Dai villages. There is a legend about the origin of the garland dance: once upon a time, a poor young man went to the dam and felt that his clothes were in rags, so he picked many flowers and tied them into garlands. After going down the mountain, he danced with the happy elephant drums ... A girl fell in love with him and sang along with his dance, and the garland dance was born. Garlands are made by tying bright flowers to bamboo fences about two meters long. When dancing, hold both ends of the wreath with both hands, while moving the pace, while focusing on the change of the wreath. And form patterns with national characteristics. When the garland dance jumps to bliss, it is conducted by one person, and the dancers turn from adagio to allegro together, with steps and "wrong jumps".

Annoying-In Dai language, knife dance, stick dance, boxing dance and stick dance are called annoying, stopping and ordering. This is a male dance. Spread in the vast Dai areas, similar to the martial arts of the Han nationality. In the scenic Dai township, Dai men wear refined sharp knives, which symbolize their courage and strength. Knives are also a favorable tool for productive labor. Knife dance is called "Jia La" or "Fan La" in Dai language. Strong and powerful movements such as "stomping feet", "jumping legs", "kicking" and "squatting and sliding" are rare in Dai folk dances. Knife dance has different schools, such as single knife, double knife, short knife, long knife (similar to sword) and local, inland, Myanmar and so on. Each school has its own strict performance procedures and movements. It can be performed by one person to more than a dozen people, without accompaniment, or accompanied by an elephant foot drum. Sticks, sticks and fists are basically similar to knife dancing.

Jiaduo, also called Fanduo, is a prop dance. This kind of dance used to be performed on grand religious festivals, but it was only popular in Mengding and Menglian counties of Gengma County. Duo is a deified animal, which is said to have a lion's head, a dog's mouth, antlers, a long neck and fine hair. This dance is called "Red Deer Dance" in Chinese. Jiaduo is still dancing with props. These roads are ten feet long and eight feet long. They are woven into a circle of 45 cm with bamboo grates, wrapped in cloth, and cut white paper is stuck on it as feathers. Usually two people work together to dress up as a red deer. The dancers in front decorated the red deer's head and front half, and supported her neck with sticks. The dancers at the back grabbed their tails and made quick little jumps, fell down and turned to both sides. The dance steps and drums are similar to those of peacock dance.

1. Ira dances together, also known as "annoying Yihe". Popular in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Every time the Water-splashing Festival, Kaimen Festival or the festive days in the Dai calendar, the Dai people will happily dance this dance, which is named after the lyrics lined with "Yila River". The characteristics of IRAH dance are similar to those of Gabbana dance. ?

2. Butterfly dance is called "Yayao" in Dai language. Popular in Mengding and Ruili counties of Gengma County, Dehong Prefecture. It is said that the butterfly dance is created to create new faces during the competition. During the performance, the dancers tied the props in the shape of butterflies to their bodies, imitating the flying patterns of butterflies, and their movements and drums were similar to those of Little peacock dance.

?

Dai dance is very popular in Jinping County. It's hot and rainy there, and daily life and work can't be separated from hats. That's why there is the hat dance. The actions of the hat include "lifting the hat", "rolling the hat in front", "rolling the shoulder hat" and "throwing the hat". When dancing, the knees are gentle and slightly bent, but not obvious. ?

4. Lahou dance is called "Jia Dian" in Dai language. It is a performance ritual dance, which is mainly popular in Xishuangbanna. The dance is gentle and subtle, and it often adopts actions such as sitting, standing, kneeling, stepping up and down, lifting the front side, bending the legs back, holding the lighted wax bar with both hands, and drawing a circle with your hands out. ?

5. Chicken dance is called "Gai Gai" in Dai language. Popular in children dance of luxi county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. Dance mainly imitates chicken foraging, fighting and other actions, with long jumping time and fast speed as the victory. Children usually count and dance without musical instruments. ?

6. Twelve Horses Dance, called "circus double" in Dai language, is a kind of song and dance performed by twelve people, which is popular in Yingjiang County and luxi county of Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. The performer wears horse-shaped props around his waist, pulls the reins in one hand and holds a fan in the other. The main reason is that he runs halfway, his soles are broken and shaking, changing various formations. Usually he sings about twelve months' labor, and sometimes he performs a story. ?

7. Yan Yan, which means "the dance of the little princess or young lady", used to dance only on religious festivals or when the toast got married and succeeded to the throne, and it was mainly popular in Mengdong area of Cangyuan County. Singing is the main content, including singing about marriage, love and twelve months of productive labor. When dancing, the man punches in front and the woman holds a fan or towel, which is similar to dancing with lights. ?

In addition, there are rowing dances, flower-picking dances, fishing dances and walking dances in Jinping County, which show the working life. Fan dance, which is popular in Jinping County, is said to be a ritual dance when playing ghost. The Dai language of "Elephant Dance" circulating in Mengding area of Gengma County is called "Zhang Jia". Two people tied the props into the shape of an elephant, imitated the elephant to walk and salute, and one person danced with a red handkerchief. The popular "women's dance" in Xishuangbanna is light and soft. The popular "Gallo Circle" in Ruili County is a dance that imitates birds, just like peacock dance Jr.

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Dai people mainly live in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Dehong Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Gengma, Menglian and other places in Yunnan Province, and the rest are scattered in more than 30 counties such as Xinping and Yuanjiang. The population exceeds 1.025 million (the fourth census in 65438 +0.990).

1953 65438+1On October 24th, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture was established. Later, Yunnan Dehong Autonomous Prefecture (1July 24th, 953), Yunnan Menglian Dai Lahu and Wa Autonomous County (1June 6th, 954) and Yunnan Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County (1June 6th, 955) were successively established. Yunnan Yuanjiang Hani Yi and Dai Autonomous County (1980165438+122 October) and Yunnan Xinping Yi and Dai Autonomous County (1980 65438+125 October).

Dai is a nation with a long history. As early as the first century AD, there were records about Dai in China history books. In the Han dynasty, it was called "point moon" and "mountain"; In the Tang and Song Dynasties, it was called "Golden Tooth", "Hei Chi" and "White Dress". It was called "Bai Yi", "Bai Yi" and "Bai Yi" in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. After 1949, it was named "Dai" according to the wishes of the Dai people. Dai people have branches such as Dai Nuo, Dai Ya, Dai Na and Dai Zhan.

Dai people have their own language. Language belongs to Zhuang and Dai branch of Sino-Tibetan language family. Xishuangbanna and Dehong, two popular Dai languages, are pinyin characters, which evolved from Pali in southern India. Dai people can not only sing and dance well, but also create splendid culture, among which Dai calendar, Dai medicine and narrative poems are the most famous. Dai calendar year is solar calendar year, and month is lunar calendar month. A year is divided into three seasons: cold, hot and rainy, and September every three years is a leap month. This calendar is still widely used in Thailand, Myanmar and other places. Dai medicine, together with Mongolian, Tibetan and Uygur medicine, has become the four most famous ethnic medicine systems in China. There are many long narrative poems circulating in Dai areas, such as Zhao Shutun and Nanmu Nannuo, Lanjiaxi River and Ayi's Story. Dai opera has a history of 100 years. Most Dai people believe in Buddhism, which spreads from south to north.

The output of Dai rubber in Xishuangbanna has increased significantly. Pu 'er tea is well-known at home and abroad, and local and township enterprises have developed rapidly, including mining, machinery, electric power, chemistry, ceramics, leather, paper making and other factories and mines.