The Water Splashing Festival is coming soon! This is a festival full of laughter and splashing water. The Dai Water Splashing Festival, also known as Songgan Festival, is a major festival held annually by the Dai people in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. The Water Splashing Festival is held approximately from April 13th to 15th, after the Qingming Festival, and lasts for three days. The Dai Water Splashing Festival originated in India and has a history of hundreds of years. The Charm Water Splashing Festival, a unique Dai ethnic event, is a feast full of joy, harmony, and ethnic characteristics.
1、 The origin and significance of the Water Splashing Festival
The Water Splashing Festival, also known as the “Bathing Buddha Festival”, is a New Year’s festival for ethnic minorities such as the Dai ethnic group, and is also the grandest traditional festival of the Dai ethnic group throughout the year. There are multiple theories about its origin, but it is generally believed that it originated in India and later spread to Southeast Asia and the Dai ethnic region in Yunnan, China with the spread of Hinayana Buddhism. The Water Splashing Festival is not only a festival to celebrate the New Year, but also a comprehensive stage to showcase traditional Dai culture such as water culture, music and dance culture, food culture, and clothing culture. On this day, people pray to wash away the past year’s troubles and bring good luck and auspiciousness to the new year by splashing water on each other.
2、 The main activities of the Water Splashing Festival
Splashing Water: Splashing water is the core activity of the Water Splashing Festival. People hold various containers such as buckets and water guns, splashing water on each other, creating a lively scene. This activity not only enhances friendship between people, but also reflects the Dai people’s love for life and reverence for nature.
Loong Boat Race: Loong Boat Race is one of the important activities during the Water Splashing Festival. The contestants, dressed in festival costumes, launched a fierce Loong Boat race in the Lancang River and other waters. The audience cheered and cheered on the shore, with drums, gongs, and cheers intertwined to create a strong festive atmosphere.
Setting up Gaosheng and Kongming lanterns: Setting up Gaosheng is a type of fireworks made by the Dai people, which uses the thrust generated by the burning of gunpowder to push bamboo into the sky, symbolizing auspiciousness and happiness. At the same time, people also release Kongming lanterns to express their wishes and aspirations for a better life.
Chongpai: Chongpai is a traditional market activity during the Water Splashing Festival. Various goods are dazzling here, and people buy holiday supplies, taste local cuisine, watch performances of folk artists, and enjoy the joyful time of the festival.
3、 The unique experience of Dai family travel
Wearing Dai costumes: Tourists can rent or purchase traditional Dai costumes to experience the unique charm of Dai culture. Wearing colorful Dai costumes and participating in water splashing activities with locals during the Water Splashing Festival will be an unforgettable experience.
Tasting Dai cuisine: Dai cuisine is renowned for its unique sour and spicy flavors and a wide selection of ingredients. Tourists can taste authentic Dai food such as Bamboo tube food, sour bamboo shoot fish, pineapple rice, and feel the unique charm of Dai food culture.
Watching Dai ethnic song and dance: Dai ethnic song and dance is one of the important performance projects during the Water Splashing Festival. Tourists can enjoy beautiful Dai dance performances such as peacock dance and white elephant dance, and feel the enthusiasm and talent of the Dai people.
Charm Water Splashing Festival, a unique Dai ethnic festival. In this joyful and peaceful festival, tourists can not only experience the unique charm of Dai culture, but also spend an unforgettable holiday time with the locals. Let’s step into the world of the Dai people together and feel the purity and beauty that comes from nature.
