dancing
clothing festival
dai zu Dai ethnic minority group
general situation of Dai people
the current population of Dai people is 1.25 million. Dai people mainly live in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, dehong autonomous prefecture and Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County, Menglian Dai and Lahu Wa Autonomous County, and a few are scattered in other nearby counties. Dai language belongs to the Zhuang and 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 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 ancient Indian letters. The Dai people believe in Hinayana Buddhism.
the Dai people are a minority with a long history. Since ancient times, the ancestors of the Dai people have lived in the southwest of China. In the 1st century A.D., the ancestors of the Dai people were recorded in Chinese historical books, calling them "Yunnan and Vietnam", "Shan or Good at it" and "Liao or Kuliao". During the Tang and Song Dynasties, they were called "Golden Teeth", "Hei Chi", "Huaman" and "White Dress". During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, they were called "Bai Yi", "Bai Yi" and "Bo Yi". Dai people used to call themselves "Dai Na", "Dai Ya" and "Dai Zhan", but after the founding of New China, they were renamed Dai according to the wishes of the Dai people.
in 19 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. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Dai nationality areas gradually came under the direct rule of the imperial court after the policy of abolishing hereditary chieftain and being ruled by temporary officials (that is, floating officials) was implemented. During the Republic of China, counties and bureaus were established in Dai areas.
the Dai people have more than a thousand years' old Dai literature, and there are ancient Bayeux scriptures. Dai people have their own unique calendar. The difference between Dai calendar and Gregorian calendar is 638 years, that is, 639 years of Gregorian calendar is the first year of Dai calendar. The year of Dai calendar is solar year, but the month is lunar month. The Dai calendar is divided into three seasons, with the cold season from January to April, the hot season from May to August and the rainy season from September to December. Dai people love poetry very much, especially long narrative poems. Narrative poems such as Zhao Shutun and Nanmanona, E He and Sang Luo are valuable cultural heritages 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 the imitation of peacock's graceful movements, but also comes from the beautiful and moving legend of Dai people. The famous dancer Dao Meilan is famous at home and abroad for her performance of peacock dance.
Water-splashing Festival is the most ethnic festival of the Dai people. Water-splashing Festival is the New Year of Dai calendar, which lasts from June 6th to July 6th, equivalent to April in Gregorian calendar. On the Water-Splashing Festival, people will worship the Buddha. The girls will wash the dust for the Buddha with fresh water floating with flowers, and then splash water on each other and wish each other well. At first, water was splashed with hands and bowls, and later, with pots and barrels, songs were splashed, and the more intense it was, 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 lights and various song and dance parties will be held.
The bamboo building where the Dai people live is a dry-fence 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 slopes on both sides of the roof are 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 is also a place for threshing rice and weaving. Dai men generally wear collarless double-breasted sleeve shirts and long-sleeved trousers, wrapped in white or blue cloth. Dai women's costumes are quite different from place to place, but basically they are characterized by bunches of hair, skirts and blouses. The skirt reaches the foot, 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 into a fresh bamboo tube, add water and barbecue it on the fire, which tastes fragrant and delicious. Pu 'er tea, a specialty of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, was exported to all parts of China in the Tang Dynasty, Southeast Asia and South Asia in the Qing Dynasty, and now it has entered the markets of Japan, Western Europe and other countries and regions, becoming a famous tea at home and abroad. Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is rich in special products, with more than 11 kinds of fruits alone. There are many kinds of animals and plants here, which are famous as "plant kingdom" and "animal kingdom". In 1991, Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve was officially opened to the outside world, and people can personally visit the treasure house of nature and appreciate the rich subtropical customs.
(the content is from the book "All Nationalities in China") Return to
Dai Dance
peacock dance-Dai language is called "Jialuoyong", "Fanluoyong" or "Jialanluo". This is the most popular dance of the Dai people, and it is popular in Dehong Dai, Jingpo Dai Autonomous Prefecture and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan. The rich and beautiful Dai township is known as the "hometown of peacocks". In the past, peacocks with charming postures danced whenever the morning dawned or the setting sun tilted. Therefore, peacocks are a symbol of auspiciousness, happiness, beauty and kindness in the hearts of Dai people. During festivals, Dai people gather together to watch the peacock dance and the peacock dance performed by folk artists based on folk stories, myths and legends, and Buddhist stories. For example, peacock dance, based on the fairy tale The Devil and the Peacock, has been 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 and a bird's body struggles to shake its beautiful feathers. The gorgeous and brilliant light makes the devil brothers blind and the peacock wins. ?
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 called Ma Su to lead 4, people to seek happiness. When they arrived at the "Little Meng", they heard the sound of fruit falling into the water and the sound of fish eating water, and saw the peacock dance beautifully with this beautiful sound. When they came back, they imitated these sounds and peacock movements. Accompanied by drums and cymbals, peacock dance danced. In some ancient murals and sculptures of Myanmar Temple, we can see many vivid peacock images of human-faced birds, which are very similar to peacock dance wearing a steeple 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 take the eldest and the youngest, and you play the lusheng as peacock dance ...", which shows that peacock dance has a long history. ?
peacock dance is usually performed by one, two or three people. Whenever the dancers jump to be happy, everyone cheers "I-I" and "water-water", and the atmosphere is very warm. Peacock dance has a relatively fixed performance program, which mostly imitates peacocks flying out of their nests, observing sensitively, walking safely, searching for water, drinking water, playing in water, taking a bath, flapping their wings, drying their wings, spreading their wings and flying freely and happily, etc. Peacock dance's movements are extremely rich, and the most common hand gestures are palm gesture, peacock gesture (the thumb is slightly buckled inward, the index finger bends back, and the other three fingers are tilted like a fan) and eye gesture (the index finger is slightly closer to the thumb, and the other three fingers are tilted like a fan). There are steps such as stepping, "ups and downs" (the power leg is driven by the heel and kicked to the hip, and then the whole foot falls to 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 is the male peacock dance. People dance this dance more. Knee ups and downs are firm and tough. The dance has obvious characteristics of "three bends". The second is female peacock dance. In the folk, it is mostly performed by men. Knee ups and downs are flexible and slow, dance beautifully and move delicately, and often arch the chest and shoulders, reflecting its implicit and charming form, and the drums are light and slow. The third is little peacock dance. Often use a quick little quiver and a short step to keep a semi-squat state, the calf is flexible and light, and a continuous little shrug is often used, and the drums are 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 is shaped like an elephant's leg, it is named "elephant foot drum". ?
1. Elephant foot drum dance: It is called "Jiaguang" or "Fanguang" in Dai language (drum is called "light" and dance is called "Jiaguang" in Dai language). "Jiaguang" is the most popular male dance in Dai areas. Whenever the seedlings are planted and the harvest season is over, the elephant foot drum dance is performed to celebrate. The elephant foot drum is not only a prop of folk dance, but also a main instrument to accompany other dances. When the Dai people entertain, there must be a drum when dancing, and there must be a dance when there is a drum. Only with the accompaniment of the elephant foot drum can the dance be colorful and hearty. There are many folk legends about the elephant foot drum and its dance. It is said that in ancient times, there was a couple who took a nap by the pool after work. Suddenly, the wind blew the ripe mango into the water from the tree and made a "bang-bang" sound, which brought them joy. When they got home, they hollowed out the tree according to the elephant's feet and covered it with cowhide to make drums. In the rush, they danced with drums on their backs, and soon the elephant foot drum dance spread. He added: A long time ago, two young men who domesticated elephants made elephant foot drums according to their feet. In the Ming Dynasty's Biography of Baiyi, there is also a record that "the big and small leather drums are pressed by hand".
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, with the right hand beating the drum and the left hand cooperating. Generally, the drumhead is beaten with fists, palms and fingers, and sometimes with elbows, knees, heels and toes. Elephant foot drum dance is vigorous and rough. The ups and downs of the knees are closely coordinated with the drumming action. When the drums are drummed by hand, the knees bend. And when you raise your hand, your knees stand straight. The dance steps are very rich, including "squatting in front", "squatting in the back", "squatting in full step" and "squatting in figure eight", as well as movements with one leg as the main force and the other leg doing postures such as leisurely legs, lifting legs and kicking feet, as well as sucking legs, kicking legs, bouncing legs and jumping across legs. There are three drum shapes: long, medium and small, and there are three different jumping methods according to the shape of the drum. ?
the first kind, long elephant foot drum dance. It is mainly prevalent in Ruili County of dehong autonomous prefecture, Mengding of Gengma, some areas of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and Menglian area. The drum body is about two meters long. Because it is relatively heavy, it is mostly used for dance accompaniment. When dancing, the pace is slow and steady, and the knees are ups and downs. Drums are the most abundant, and have formed a certain drum language, which can express the Dai people's feelings of joy, anger, sadness and joy. ?
second, Chinese elephant foot drum dance. It is mainly prevalent in Luxi County, Yingjiang County, Gengma County, Jinggu County, Mengdong County and some areas of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. The drum is about 1.5 meters long and lighter. Its main feature is to swing the drum tail and throw it up when dancing. Because there are clusters of peacock feathers tied to the tail of the drum, it is very beautiful to swing. Swing the drum is to make the tail of the drum shake left and right, and swing the drum is to press the head of the drum down and swing the tail of the drum up. The 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 drum sound, the quality of timbre and the swing of drum tail. ?
the third kind, little elephant foot drum dance. It is only popular in Xishuangbanna. The drum is less than one meter long, with rich movements, and is often used as the accompaniment of peacock dance. The range of movements is large, including sucking leg jump, bouncing leg jump and lifting leg. ?
2. Accompanied by light: "Accompanied by light" means that everyone dances in circles around the drum. It is the most popular and popular group dance among the Dai people. It is not limited to the place and time. Dozens and hundreds of people can dance clockwise in a circle, and they dance all night during festivals. The dance is simple and enthusiastic, with outstanding characteristics. 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 hands are naturally hand-shaped, and the wrists are alternately wound down or the hands are pulled up from the armpits. Sister-in-law and the elderly dance in the inner circle. The old people's movements are slow, and their knees are obviously undulating. They often express their excitement by leaning forward and backward in a big way. Their movements are free to play, while the young people outside the circle require uniform and neat movements. The drums accompanied by light are very rich. ?
3. Double-sided encouragement: Dai language is called Guangbang, Guangliang, Guangshuangla, Guanghong and Guangmengyang. It is spread in Yingjiang County, Ruili County and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, as well as Mengdu District in Gengma County and Cangyuan County. It is the oldest inspiration of the Dai people. This kind of drum is big at one end and small at the other, and both sides are covered with skin. 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 beats the drum with the palm of your hand and the left hand beats the drum with bamboo pieces. The movements are ups and downs, and squats and other dances are commonly used, and the three-way bending shape is more prominent. Large double-sided drum basket meters, 67 cm in diameter. It takes two people to carry it with bamboo poles, and the dancer swings his mallet with both hands, turns around as a cloud hand, sucks his legs, kneels and squats and drums. Some drums are played on the ground, and the drums are powerful. People form a circle, singing and dancing with flowers or handkerchiefs, which is similar to the performance form of dancing with light.
fish dance-called "jiaba" in Dai language. Mainly spread in Ruili County, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, and gradually spread to other areas after liberation. It is said that when the Dai people discovered fish and learned to fish, they danced to imitate 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, nimble and lively than other Dai folk dances. It is mainly manifested in the ups and downs, gentle knee-bending and half-foot-breaking movements, and the small jump is agile and lively. It shows that when the fish roams in calm water, they often walk with the whole foot or half-foot-bending, without ups and downs, and their hands and upper body only swing left and right. When the fish are playing in the water or fighting against the rapids, they often use jumping movements such as jumping, jumping and turning over, which are vivid and lifelike. Fish dance mostly adopts the fish-shaped hand style (one hand covers the back of the other hand with the palm of the hand and the thumb is extended), or the typical action is to circle the hands outwards and swing the arms behind. The drums of fish dance are slow and light, and the rich drum language is no less than that of peacock dance.
Dapeng Bird Dance-called "Jialun" in Dai language. It is an ancient folk dance that the Dai people dance in grand festivals. Mainly popular in Ruili County, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. Legend has it that the Rain God ran away a long time ago, and it didn't rain in the Dai area, and the land was scorched. Dapeng bird ignored his wife who was holding eggs and launched a desperate 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 express their respect for Dapeng, the Dai people produced Dapeng Bird Dance, which has been passed down to this day. Dapeng bird dance is vigorous, rough and powerful. The dance mainly shows the action of Dapeng bird fighting the rain god and its temperament of not being afraid of violence. The movement 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 shape, which shows the boldness of Dapeng bird's rapid descent from the air. Multi-purpose claw hand (finger Zhang Kaicheng fan) and palm hand, these hands 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, which has fully developed the dance movements. The drums are extremely rich and the drums are deep and powerful.
egret dance-called "Jia Yang" and "Jia Luoyang" in Dai language. It's a collective dance that young people dance on festive occasions. 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 on their shoulders, but now it is rare. Snow-white egrets are common in bamboo forests or paddy fields near Dai villages. There are different folklores about the origin of the crane dance. One tells that there was a very poor young man in ancient times.