2025 Water Splashing Festival Parade, XiShuangBanNa, YunNan, China

Dai Calendar 1387 New Year Festival Parade
JingHong, XiShuangBanNa, YunNan, China
2025 April
4K UHD 60FPS

The Water Splashing Festival, also known as the Buddha Bathing Festival, is called "Sangkan Bimai" in Dai language, which means the New Year of the Dai calendar. The festival celebrations are mainly concentrated in the Dai settlements in various cities and counties in Yunnan Province, and have a history of more than 1,000 years. The Water Splashing Festival is a comprehensive stage that showcases the Dai people's water culture, music and dance culture, food culture, clothing culture, and traditional culture such as advocating nature. It is the Dai people's grandest festival of the year and carries a profound historical and cultural heritage.

The Water Splashing Festival is usually held from April 13th to 16th, corresponding to the sixth month of the Dai calendar, during the farming intermission period, the climate is hot, and water splashing has both cooling and blessing. In Dai folk tales, it is said that in ancient times, demons were rampant, and the people used water to extinguish their evil fire and eventually defeated the demons. Therefore, water splashing symbolizes exorcising evil and welcoming auspiciousness.

Main customs and activities
1. Water splashing carnival: People splash each other with clean water, and the water represents blessings and cleanliness. Young people often play with water guns and buckets, while they sprinkle water on the elders with flower branches to show respect.
2. Bathing the Buddha: Believers bathe the Buddha statues in the temple and pray for peace.
3. Building sand towers: Building towers with sand by the river, inserting colorful flags and offerings to express awe of nature.
4. Dragon Boat Race: Fierce dragon boat races are held on the Lancang River.
5. Setting off high-rise fireworks: Homemade bamboo fireworks "high-rise" are shot into the sky, implying a good harvest.
6. Market fair: The market gathers all kinds of Dai specialties, snacks and various commodities.
7. Setting off Kongming lanterns and water lanterns: praying for blessings and eliminating disasters and conveying thoughts.

Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (abbreviated as "Xishuangbanna") is a tropical area at the southernmost tip of Yunnan Province, China, bordering Laos and Myanmar. It is famous for its unique tropical rainforest scenery and colorful ethnic minority culture. Xishuangbanna is mainly populated by the Dai people, and there are 13 other ethnic groups including the Han, Hani, Jinuo, Lahu, and Bulang. All Dai people believe in Southern Buddhism, and there are Buddhist temples in every village. Festivals are closely linked to Buddhist culture (such as the Water Splashing Festival, the Closing Festival, and the Opening Festival).

The Xishuangbanna Dai New Year Festival National Folk Culture Parade is held during the Water Splashing Festival in April every year. It is one of the most representative mass cultural activities of the Xishuangbanna Water Splashing Festival. The 2025 parade consists of 8 square formations and 53 performance teams. Nearly 3,500 people dressed in ethnic costumes gathered on the streets of Jinghong City to show the unique ethnic folk culture of Xishuangbanna through singing and dancing, intangible cultural heritage, floats, and creative performances.

01:22 Nationalities performance teams by Manting Park
04:04 Jinuo drum performance team
05:01 Dai traditional peacock performance team
08:46 Zongfo Temple performance team
10:20 Mengbala Naxi performance team
12:14 Jinglan Cultural Tourism Float Team
13:23 Dai performance team
20:42 Hani performance team
22:55 Lahu performance team
22:27 Jinuo performance team
23:58 Huayao Dai performance team
24:35 Lahu performance team
26:01 Yao performance team
27:00 Yinhu Grand Theater performance team
28:42 Mengle Cultural Tourism Area performance team
30:10 Bulang performance team
33:48 Dai intangible cultural heritage square
45:15 Peacock Princess Live Performance Team
47:17 Twelve themed floats parade

Watch more:
'Select' of 2025(Dai Calendar 1387): https://youtu.be/p38VxnKfFCc
2024(Dai Calendar 1386): https://youtu.be/YgyVRw3RndE
2023(Dai Calendar 1385): https://youtu.be/Urx623F4b9E

YunNan, China - Chao's Travel Log / 中国云南 - 超思旅行日志
Chao' Studio 超思工作室 / Contact: chao@chaostu.cc