The Water Splashing Festival takes place on the second day of the Dai people’s New Year, which falls about a fortnight after the Han people’s Clear and Bright Festival. The ritual water splashing is the Dai people’s way of bestowing blessing and happiness for the recipient.

This festival has its origin in a beautiful legend. Long, long ago in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, there lived a fierce Demon King. He had tremendous power and brought many people suffering. This king had seven wives who hated him, and they knew that he would die if someone cut into his neck with a hair from his head. So one night when he was fast asleep, his seventh wife plucked a hair on his and used it to cut into his neck. The king’s head fell off and dropped on the ground. Wherever the head rolled, however, fire broke out, so the seven wives had to take turns keeping the head in their arms so that it might not cause fire. While one wife had the head in her arms, the rest splashed water on the head to cool down the temperature. At the same time, they splashed water on their bodies to wash away bloodstains. Their efforts finally turned the head to ashes. Since then, the Water Splashing Festival is held once a year to honor the seven brave women and bless persons who participate in the festival.

This article by Yang Tianqing and Daniel Kister.