The Dai, also sometimes spelled Tai, are among 55 officially-listed Chinese ethnic minorities in China, a country dominated by the Han. They live primarily in the southwestern part of the country, and have their own distinct customs and language. The Dai ethnic group is made up of several smaller groups who live in Dehong and Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefectures. Both of these Dai prefectures are located in southern Yunnan Province, but small numbers of Dai live outside of them around Yanjiang and Xinping, both cities in the central to northern part of the province. Overall about 1.2 million members of the Dai group live in China, but these people belong to a larger Dai ethnic group that also lives in Laos, Burma, Vietnam and Thailand. Dai cultural differences include an alphabetic writing system separate from the character- based Chinese script. This method of writing has five branches, which are used throughout the Chinese Dai communities. The Dai also have a strong focus on dance, including their famous Peacock Dance, and are Buddhists. History The ancestors of the current Dai minority in China first appeared as a political group during the Qin and Han dynasties, between about 221 BC and 220 AD. The first Dai prefecture was set up by Emperor Wu Di in 109 BC, during the Western Han Dynasty. Located in Southwest China, this special area corresponded to the current Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces. It provided an excellent climate for agriculture, encouraging the Dai to develop new techniques, such as the use of oxen for tilling.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:52:55 +0000