Beijing, April 8 (Youth.cn) - On April 7, 2025, in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, visitors from across China gathered at the Dai Ethnic Garden to engage in jubilant water battles, dousing one another with blessing-filled droplets to usher in the imminent Dai Water-Splashing Festival.

A cornerstone of ethnic traditions among the Dai, De’ang, Bulang, and Achang peoples, this festival - one of China’s first National Intangible Cultural Heritages - epitomizes Yunnan’s multicultural tapestry. Rooted in profound cultural symbolism, the celebration blends sacred rituals with communal joy: devotees offer prayers at Buddhist shrines, race dragon boats across glistening waters, launch firework rockets (“fanggaosheng”), and release sky lanterns inscribed with hopes into the twilight. Photo/CFP