Abstract:
Based on field research among Pu’er Dai people in Jinping county of Yunnan Province, this study describes the absence of ancestor worship, the lack of descent concept in terms of marriage and family, and the consciousness of “otherness” regarding their ethnic identity. This study argues that the diversity within Dai Nationality should not be ignored or even denied due to the deliberately emphasized sameness of Dai people. The differences between Pu’er Dai people and Bai Dai people as demonstrated in aspects including ancestor worship, marriage and family, and ethnic identity are the best examples of cultural diversity within a nationality.