When is the Xishuangbanna Water Festival?

The Xishuangbanna Water Splashing Festival is on April 13, 2023.

The Water Splashing Festival is a New Year's festival of the Dai, Achang, Brown, Wa, De'ang and other ethnic minorities in China and certain ethnic groups in the Central and Southern Peninsula. It is the grandest traditional festival of the year for the Dai people.

Chinese Dai festival in the Dai calendar in June and July (about ten days after the Qingming Festival). Now fixed in the calendar April 13 to 15, 2023 Water Festival is April 13, during the festival, people splash water on each other to bless, and hold worship Buddha, dragon boat racing, put high up, light Kongming lanterns and other activities.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), new elements such as parades, cultural performances, movie evenings, exhibitions and material exchanges were added. Thailand, Myanmar and Laos celebrate the festival in mid-April on the Gregorian calendar.

The Role of the Water Festival

The Water Festival is a comprehensive stage to show the traditional culture of Dai water culture, music and dance culture, food and drink culture, dress culture and folk veneration, and it is an important window to study the history of Dai, with high academic value.

Artistic performances such as Zhangha and White Elephant Dance displayed at the Water Splashing Festival help to understand the national characteristics of the Dai people, such as their understanding of nature, love of water and respect for Buddha, and their gentle and quiet nature.

At the same time, the Water Splashing Festival is also an important link to strengthen the unity of the people of all ethnic groups in Xishuangbanna, which plays a positive role in promoting the social, economic and cultural development of Xishuangbanna and Southeast Asian countries through friendly cooperation and exchanges.