16 Facts About Dai people

Dai people refers to several Tai-speaking ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of China's Yunnan Province.

Dai people are closely related to the Lao and Thai people who form a majority in Laos and Thailand.

Therefore the word Dai people, like with the aforementioned Yao, is a Han Chinese cultural concept which has now been adopted by other languages such as English, French and German.

The Dai people follow their traditional religion as well as Theravada Buddhism and maintain similar customs and festivals to the other Tai-speaking peoples and more broadly, in regards to some cultural aspects, to the unrelated dominant ethnic groups of Myanmar, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.

However, some Dai people communities had their own aspects of class, political structures, and land ownership that differed considerably from other groups.

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Also during the Ming Dynasty, eight Dai people tusi controlled the region with each having their own economic and political power.

Dai people believe that eating sour foods can make their eyes bright, help digestion, and help relieve heat.

The Dai people were animists before Buddhism became popular and their belief in natural spirits continues.

Until very recently, every Dai people village had at least one Buddhist temple while larger villages had two to five temples.

The present Parshi Dai people have a material culture identical to their Buddhist counterparts.

Dai people have historically had a rich array of astronomical and literary works.

The Dai people have their own calendar that begins in the year 638 and have many astronomical books on calculating solar and lunar eclipses.

Traditional Dai people villages are mainly located in bamboo plains near rivers or streams.

Dai people homes are usually built on stilts and some are square in shape.

The Dai people have a highly developed handicraft industry which includes weaving, oil-pressing, winemaking, and bamboo work.

Dai people society has traditionally been patriarchal with women having low status and unable to inherit property.