Water-SplashingFestivalOfTheDais

　　TheDaiisthebiggestethnicgroupinYunnanProvince,whichishometoabouthalfofChina's55minoritynationalities.Legendgoesthatinancienttimes,theancestorsoftheDaipeopletriedtofindaplacetosettledown.Theywalkedalongrivers,fromonplacetoanother.Atleast,theyfoundanoasisontheTropicofCancer.Sincethentheyhavehadcloserelationwithwater.

　　ThatoasistodayisknownasXishuangBanna,abeautifulplaceinthesouthernpartofYunnanProvince.Theareaissubtropical,withplentyofrainfall.AccordingtoChinesedocumentsoftheninthcentury,theDaihadafairlywelldevelopedagriculture.Theyusedoxenandelephantstotilltheland,grewlotsofriceandhadanextensiveirrigationsystem.ButwhenreferringtotheDainationality,peoplethinkaboutwater.Thecustomofwater-splashingisanunforgettableexperiencetomanytourists.AnAmericantourist,whohadnoideaaboutthecustomuntilhevisitedaDaivillage,describeshisexperiencethisway:

　　"IwasintriguedbytheDaipeople'scustomofsplashingwaterononeanother.Whenalovely,youngDaigirlapproachedmewithapailofwater,atfirstshedunkedasmallbranchofleavesinthewater,thentouchedmegentlywiththewetleaves.Butshortlyafterward,thefunbegan.Atleastforher!SheandotherDailadiesthrewentirebucketsofwateronunsuspectingmeandeveryoneelsewhohappenedtobeenjoyingthislittleritual."Thewater-splashingreachesaclimaxintheWater-SplashingFestival,bywhichtheDaipeopleringouttheoldandbringinthenew,asthefestivalmarksthebeginningofanewyearintheDaicalendar.

　　Therearealotoffolktalesabouttheoriginofthefestival.Hereisone.Longlongago,therelivedatyrantintheDaivillage.Hestoppedatnoevil.Heburned,killedandlootedwhereverhewent.Noonecouldgetridofhim,becausehewasverypowerful.Hewasafraidofneitherwaternorfire.Oneday,hecameacrossabeautifulDaigirl.Healreadyhadsixwivesandhewantedthatgirlashisseventh.Sohemarriedher.Hiswives,allkind-heartedwomen,utterlydetestedthebarbarousactsofthetyrantanddecidedtokillhiminordertoprotecttheinnocentpeople.However,theyweretooweaktochallengehim.Theyhadtowait.Oneday,thetyrantcamebackwithlotsoftrophies.Thatnight,hegotdrunk.Theseventhwife,hisfavorite,thoughtitwastherighttimetoact."YourMajesty,"shesaidtothetyrant,"You'rethestrongestpersonintheworld.So,youcanliveaslongasyouwant."Thetyrantwasoverjoyed.Beingdrunk,hewasnotascautiousasusual."Mydear,"hesaid,"Ihaveafatalweakness.Ifmyhairtwistsaroundmyneck,I'lldie."Hiswifememorizedthosewords.Whenthetyrantfellasleep,thewomenbegantoact.Theytwistedhishairaroundhisneck,andthetyrantdied.Butassoonashisheadfeelontotheground,abigfirebegan.Thewomenhadnochoicebuttoholdhisheadwiththeirhands,doingitinturns,oneforayear.Eachtimeonewifefinishedherturnandpassedonthehead,theotherswouldsplashwateronhertowashawaybloodstains.Andsplashingwaterononeanotherbecameawaytovanquishthedevilandsymbolicallyexpressthewishforbettertimesahead.Watersplashingbecameasymbolofgoodluck,awaytowishgoodfortunetostrangers,friendsandfamilyalike.

　　TheWater-SplashingFestivalisinmid-Aprilandlaststhreetofivedays.Duringthefestival,thedoorofeveryhomeisdecoratedwithmult