Jinghong

Dai New Year and local narrative traditions give Jinghong different cultural settings. Ritual sequences, singing and everyday food belong to related but distinct practices.

Jinghong

Before and After the Water: Dai New Year

In Xishuangbanna, Sangkhan Bimai unfolds through preparation, water-splashing, Buddhist observance and public celebration.

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Sliced yellow bamboo shoots in a metal bowl.

Sour Bamboo Shoots, Wild Flowers and a Dai Table

A public account of Dai sour bamboo shoots follows the ingredient from fresh strips to a sealed jar and a period of fermentation.

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Two string instruments and a booklet labeled Zhangha opera music displayed in a museum case.

From Dai Long Poems to Zhangha Song

Dai long poems hold stories of origins, history, social criticism and love; Zhangha brings some narratives into song.

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Photo credits and rights

Public water-splashing celebrations in Jinghong marking the Dai New Year.유신예 · 2025-12-15 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo source ↗ Rights information ↗ Resized without cropping or upscaling; converted to WebP.
Sliced sour bamboo shoots, shown as a generic ingredient example. The photographer did not specify the location or a Dai preparation.GTSPACE · 2024-09-06 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo source ↗ Rights information ↗ Resized without cropping or upscaling; converted to WebP.
String instruments and a Zhangha music booklet displayed at Xishuangbanna National Museum.Cangminzho · 2018-03-21 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo source ↗ Rights information ↗ Resized without cropping or upscaling; converted to WebP.