Raised communist, young Dai claim to be atheist and only offer lip service to the Buddhist traditions. The older men still bear the spirit-scaring tattoos that they recieved at manhood. Atheist or not, the Dai of southern Yunnan, China still live in fear of spirits and many gods.
A long tradition of education and culture has made them the most advanced minority in Yunnan. Folk literature has been preserved over the years; music and lyrics are important. They are a people given to visiting with friends. The women work from sunrise to sunset, for they can be divorced for laziness.
Population and Location
There are about 1.5 million Dai in China. Most of the Dai live in the Xishuangbanna and Dehong Dai-Jingpo autonomous prefectures in southern Yunnan province of China.
Ethnicity
The Dai are one of the 55 minority people groups of mainland China. The name Dai, meaning "free people," has been officially used since 1953 to replace "Tai" or "Thai." The Dai of China comprise three major subgroups: Dai Lu meaning the "water Dai," Dai Nu meaning the "dryland Dai," and Dai Ja meaning the "belted Dai." The Dai Lu and Dai Na make up more than 90 percent of the Dai population. The Dai are closely related to the Shan, Black Thai and White Thai.
Language
Linguistically, the Dai belong to the Tai branch of the Kam-Tai family. They have their own spoken and written language. There are at least five dialects of Dai in Yunnan. Before 1949 five Dai written languages were in use. The more popular scripts later formed the basis of present-day Dai writing. After 1949 the Chinese developed a new simplified Dai script for use among the Dai of China. Both new and old scripts are taught and used. The Dai of Xishuangbanna use the Southern Shan script and the Dai who live in Dehong use the Northern Shan script.
Culture
Most Dai live in valleys and bambook houses built on stilts. They live on the top floor; the lower floor is for domestic animals, and balconies are used for visiting. Dai kitchens produce plenty of spicy and bitter food.
They are affectionate people who express themselves through dance, drama and poetry. The Dai are very hospitable, especially to foreigners.
The nuclear family is composed of the mother, father and unmarried children. Marriage partners are economically independent social equals, but the wives to most of the physical work. The Dai community is so close knit that traditionally they have not used family names, believing that they are all of the same family.
Livelihood
Originally slash-and-burn farmers, most Dai now farm wet rice. They also raise livestock, tea, tobacco, sugar cane, rubber, fruit, camphor, coffee, sisal hemp and vegetables. Local industry and craftsmanship includes: embroidery, weaving, musical instruments and bambooware. Jade and drugs are traded illegally.
Political
The Dai first appeared in the first century AD, in the Yangtze Valley. Pressure from China forced them south until they were spread throughout the northern part of Southeast Asia. They are now under the Chinese government, but also have a local chain of command. Traditionally, villages were led by a chieftain who virtually owned the villagers and their property. In return for his leadership, the commoners paid a farm rent, household taxes, office provision, other special tributes and military service. The people were free to switch villages until they found a chieftain they liked.
Religion
The Dai religion is Theravada Buddhism. This sect of Buddhism was introduced into the Dai region more than a thousand years ago. The Dai also take part in animistic worship by offering sacrifices to spirits and ancestors. In actuality, the Dai are perhaps more animistic than Buddhist. Dai boys enter the village temple to learn Buddhist canon and doctrine at age 7 or 8. They are called keyongs (novices). Their heads are shaved, and they dress in the burnt orange robes of the monks. After they are well versed in scriptures, rituals, and so on, they formally join the community as panans (child monks). Many return to secular life at 17 or 18 and marry if they wish. As a minority, the Dai are given some freedom to maintain their Buddhist religion. However, the government still controls and surveys any religious activity.
Openness to Christianity
According to estimates, there are about 3-4,000 Dai believers in China, a similar number in Burma and a few hundred believers scattered throughout Laos, Thailand and the USA. Literacy among adults is only 30%. Many Dai people have never heard the gospel or even met a Christian. Recent reports state that the Dai are open to the gospel - especially the young in less hopeful circumstances. These young people also tend to be humanistically inclined.
Missions
Christianity was brought to the Xishuangbanna region in the late 1920s by missionaries from the American Presbyterian mission, and three churches were built. An old script Dai New Testament and hymnal were printed by the Presbyterians. During the Cultural Revolution in the 1950s, the churches were taken over by the communists. In the 1980s Christian meetings were started up again. The Dai New Testament is now in print.