The 1.15 million Dai live in compact communities in Yunnan Province.

The Dai call themselves Dai Le, Dai Ya or Dai Na. They have a long history, much of which was recorded in Chinese historical accounts from the first century AD.

The Dai language belongs to the Tai-Kadai language family. It’s written using an alphabet based on Sanskrit.

Most of the Dai are Buddhist.

The Dai are mostly farmers, growing paddy using their own particular intensive ploughing techniques.

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