The Water Splashing Festival is an annual Dai minority festival held from April 13 to 15. It is also called “Lenghe Shanghan”, the June New Year or Dai New Year since it is in fact the Dai calendar’s New Year's Day.

The three-day festival has a variety of activities. First day activities include dragon boat races, “rocket” shooting, and art performances. On the second day, water splashing is the major entertainment. On the third day, or New Year's Day, young lads and lasses play the game of “throwing bags” and celebrate for the start of a new year.

At the start of the festivities, the Dai girls splash water with bamboo leaves or branches while saying words of blessing. When the festival reaches its climax, people splash water to each other with bowls, basins, even barrels in the streets, everyone soaking wet, but thrilled. After splashing water, people of different ethnical groups, ages, and occupations dance hand-in-hand in a circle as gongs and elephant-foot drums ring out. Some even drink and dance all night long.