Dai people

Dai, a branch of Thai ethnic groups, is the name of an ethnic group living in southern Yunnan Province of China and Laos (called Lue or Thai Lue), Dai form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.

The Dai language and its scripts are closely related to Thai and Lao, or a Dialect of Thai language, the Dai maintain similar customs and festivals to these cousins.

Dais are typically farmers, growing a variety of tropical crops such as pineapples, in addition to the staple crop of rice. Many Dai people live near the Mekong, as it meanders through the far south of Yunnan.

The capital of China's Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is Jinghong, which is situated on the southern side of the Mekong and is increasingly becoming a tourist mecca. The region's fame is partly due to its impressive flora and fauna, which includes wild asian elephants.