Dai Water-Splashing Festival

Songkran in Thailand, Thingyan in Myanmar and the Dai new year in Xishuangbanna are the same festival, marking the turn of the year in mid-April. It begins with temple ceremonies in which Buddha images are washed with scented water, a blessing, and the gesture extends outward: people sprinkle water on each other for good fortune, and over three days that becomes an unrestrained street-wide soaking with basins, hoses and water guns. Dragon boat racing on the Lancang, sky lantern releases, market fairs and Dai dancing fill the same days, and towns across the prefecture hold their own versions.

What you actually see

• The Buddha washing - the temple ceremony that opens the festival.
• The street soaking - three days of water thrown by everyone at everyone.
• The dragon boats - racing on the Lancang river at Jinghong.
• The lanterns and fairs - sky lanterns, markets and Dai dancing.

When to go

Mid-April, usually around the thirteenth to fifteenth; dates shift slightly by year and town. Accommodation books out well ahead. Xishuangbanna is hot and humid at that season.

Honest expectations

Nobody stays dry, and anything not waterproofed will be ruined. Crowds are dense and streets closed. Accommodation prices rise sharply during the festival.

Nearby

Wild Elephant Valley lies north; Menglun is east.