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The 100-Family Meal of Dai
The village of Dai is actually a big family--a condition that is
especially evident during the 100-family meal. During important festivals, every
family in Lujiang and Nanhu will contribute one or two dishes for a huge
banquet. Under the big, old banyan tree, a long table is loaded with all kinds
of Dai dishes where villagers gather to enjoy the meal. The scene of great
intimacy was common among tribes of primitive times.
The 100-family meal is held during every important festival in villages
around Jingmai Tea Mountain. Each family brings its best dish and all members
get together to enjoy them. On the day of the Cultural Tourism Festival, the
100-family meal was even more unique. Unlike the traditional feast prepared by
only one village, on that day the meal was done by several villages together.
Food wrapped in palm leaves was different in style, flavor and kind, which made
it very inviting. Records indicate that over 1,000 families provided 1,500 bags
of rice and 3,000 dishes. The 100-family meal, which is like a buffet, became
the 1,000-family meal. It promoted communication and friendship among villagers
who used the occasion to express their common desire to be prosperous.
It is said that the 100-family meal will bless every
family member with prosperity and happiness. The Dai people are of the same ancestry, famous for their pure
and unsophisticated customs.
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