Culture explored trip-The Dai －Nice people- Supper party - Spring Festival Gala Evening

---

The Dai is one large minority nationality of China. An Ethnic Group Living Harmoniously with Water. They famous festival also concerning of water, the Water-Sprinkling Festival: The Blessing from the Dais
This annual festival is held from April 13th to April 15th, during which people sprinkle water on each other as a blessing. We went to the Dai original village, which close to Lao’s boarder, name “ Man Tan Village“.

People there still live the original live. They keep living at the original Dai house- the Dai Bamboo House on Poles in the Shape of Zhuge Liang’s Cap.
The Dai bamboo house on poles is usually built on a plain or on a small hill near a plain. This two-storied house is built on poles. The first floor has no walls and is used for keeping domestic animals and farming tools while the second floor is used as the dwelling-place. A legend about the shape of the Dai house goes like this: When Zhuge Liang (prime minister of the Shu Kingdom) led his army on the southern expedition; he found the Dais did not know how to build a house. Then Zhuge Liang asked the Dais to build their houses in the shape of his cap, thus the name.

Most of women are wearing traditional Dai cloth; old men are dressed up with tie. And the young are in casual wear like Han.

The village are open for tourist. Only a few visitors, they are still no hotel or shopping places sa far. We slept in our camp and villager’s house. Local villagers are very nice. They show me the really Dai culture. Men drink their Dai’s wine; and Women dance during CNY holiday.

We went to Man Tan village via Meng Kang. It’s taken 4 hours diving. We are a big group, 43 visitors; the village head asked us to join their Spring Festival Gala Evening.

Both of us prepare some programs or shows. We agreed to prepare 8 shows. And those villages said their dancing teams would dances for us. The Dai is famous for dancing.

The villagers were waiting us at their entrance with their traditional warm welcome. It’s very high profile. The village is quiet, mountains and farmland around. A basketball playground and big seesaws front of village. It’s the center of village; their main recreation area.

We arrived at 4pm something; it best time to look around and took some pic before dinner. I walked with my friend. Most of local villages invited us into their house for resting when we passed by. Most of Monitories noted for their hospitality, it’s only suitable for the places far ways from cities.

I went in one village’s home with their warmly invited. The house is very simple and big, a big balcony with nice view. 1 rooster tied at balcony, which is their natural alarm. It’s almost each family tied 1 rooster like that. The rooster sound very morning when sun rising to waked Dai women up to prepare breakfast for their family.

We were called for dinner on the country road near basketball playground. Villagers cooked. I love the fish they cooked; it’s t similar as the fishes I ate in Thailand. Their face and culture are same as Thailand too. Leisure talked with villagers during dinner. They lend us their Dai clothes, and we help them to make up for our party- Spring Festival Gala. Girls were very happy when to know to wear Dai clothes. We went different home to try most beautiful cloth. And we help them making up at village head ‘s home.

To my surprise, they were not only showed us the Dai dance, but also Lao’s dance. As it’s closed to Lao’s border. Their dialect is same as Lao’s Dai. They are lots of migrant women from Lao. Their face is similar as local village. I can’t see the different. We showed them Han’s song in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Han dance.

---

Photos

Shooting - The Dai kids
The kid is 7 years' old, very quiet, skillful with shooting at their chickens.

Ms Dai and Han
Can u see the difference?

Waiting
He is waiting him best friend front of him home