Dai Water Cultural Studies

Dai is an ethnic group which lives near water. They like water, love water, worship water. They crated unique water culture in long period with environment which they live. Water culture is an important part of Dai culture, so Dai is called a "group of water". This paper is a specialized research of Dai water culture.Through field work and ascertaining documents, the author explored the origin of Dai water culture, argued material and spiritual factors of Dai water culture, inquired into symbolism of water in Dai people's eyes, and reached a tentative view that the Dai water culture is an original culture of Dai, then probed into the prospects of Dai water culture in the development of modernization. The author hopes to get involved the relationship between traditional culture and modernization, and try to put forward her own opinions.This paper is composed of five parts after preface.The author explored the origin of Dai water culture in the first part. The author argued the origin of Dai water culture had three aspects: First, it is the reason of history. Dai originated from Bai Yue ethnic group, which is generally acknowledged by academic circle. Through the recording of ancient documents, we can understand the ancient Bai Yue lived in regions of rivers and lakes. So they produced some cultural elements be closely related with water. Second, it is the integration of culture. The core of Dai water culture is the cultural elements were closely related with water in BaiYue culture. And then, during the long history, she continuously assimilated elements be related with water in other cultures, and integrated the Dai water culture at present. So we can see the influence on Dai water culture by central Chinese culture, Indian culture, Bai Pu culture and Buddhist culture. Third, it is the environment of Dai live: Dai mainly lives near the rivers. The author briefly introduced the rivers of Dai regions are distributed.In the second part, the author argued relationship between water and Dai's life and subsistence. The author introduced Dai's main subsistence, rice planting, by the view of ecological anthropology. Irrigation is the key factor to restrict rice planting, and because of the requirement of irrigation, it played vital role on forming primitive commune of Dai society, and also influence on other characters of Dai culture. These cultural factors, construction and dress, are exterior cultural factors of national culture, are influenced by environment deeply. So the author briefly introduced them and emphatically explored the meanings that implied in them, and revealed the thought of Dais from them.In the third part, the author introduced the cultural factors of spirit of Dai water culture. The author roughly sketched the relationship between water and spiritual mode of Dai, and used this to show the unique outlook on life and nature of Dai that relate with water through describing the world view, ecological view, ethnic nature, the works of literature and arts that relate to water of Dai.In the fourth part, the author concentrated on the symbolism of water in the mind of Dai. Through arguing the effect of water on religious belief,sorcery, birth and old age, sickness and death, wedding and funeral, festivals and celebration, myth and legend, and so on, the author analyzed and tried to explain water, the one of core elements of Dai culture has what symbolism in thought of Das, and further to understand Dai's thought by the explanation on the symbolism of water.The fifth part is divided into two levels. On the first level, the author reached a tentative view that water culture was original culture of Dai according to the former four parts. In the old age, water culture should be occupied the main part of Dais culture. With the lapse of time, Dai water culture was not on this so striking position, but she didn't retired, and still keeps in Dais culture, still is alive in Dai culture, becoming a striking character of Dai culture. On the second part, how to develop Dai water culture i...