Dai ethnic group

Dai ethnic group (Romanized: Dai ), also known as the Thai people (Thai: Thai , Roman alphabet: Thai )、Shan people (Romanized: Shan ), etc., whose ethnic language is Dai (Thai), belonging to the Tai branch of the Kra-Dai family within the Sino-Tibetan language family.

The Dai people regard the peacock and the elephant as their auspicious symbols, and their folktales are rich and vibrant. Traditionally, the Dai people prefer to live near water, valuing cleanliness above all—often taking baths and even enjoying regular hair washing. This deep connection to water has earned them the beautiful nickname "the Water People." Historically, the Dai widely practiced Theravada Buddhism of the Southern Transmission, alongside their indigenous spiritual beliefs.

The Dai people are distributed across several countries, including China, India, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In 2000, the Dai population within China totaled 1.159 million. They are primarily concentrated in Yunnan Province's Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, as well as the two autonomous counties of Gengma and Menglian. Smaller groups of Dai live scattered across more than 30 other counties, such as Jingdong, Jinggu, Pu'er, Lancang, Xinping, Yuanjiang, and Jinping. The Dai-inhabited regions along China's borders share borders with Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.