The Dai is the biggest ethnic group in Yunnan Province. Legend has that in ancient times, the ancestors of the Dai people tried to find a place to settle down. They walked along rivers, from one place to another. At last, they found an oasis (XishuangBanna) with plenty of rainfall. Since then they have had close relation with water.

The Dai had a fairly well developed agriculture during the past centuries. They used oxen and elephants to till the land, grew lots of rice and had an extensive irrigation system.

The Water-Splashing Festival, which is the most important festival to the Dai people, is in mid-April and lasts three to five days. During the festival, the door of every home is decorated with multicolored paper-cuts. All the villagers dress in their holidays best. The occasion is marked by a variety of entertainment, including singing and dancing, fireworks-displaying and boat-racing. But the most popular event is still water-splashing. Water is the most precious thing to the Dai people. They splash water to each other to wish for good fortune.

When a young couple get married, the old man who presides over the wedding ceremony will sprinkle water on them to wish them a happy time an a good future.

The Dai people are generally followers of Buddhism. There are many Buddhist temples in the countryside. Boys at the age of seven or eight will go to the temples to learn to read, write and chant scriptures.

Some Dai festivals are closely related to religious activities. The "Door-Closing" begins in the hot season with a lot of rain. So, people do little farm work. They stay home to pray or go to temples to pay religious homage to Buddha.