The Peacock dance is a common dance routine among the Dai Nationality. The dance mimics the movements of a peacock fluttering down the mountains, wandering around the forest, drinking water from the lakes, as well as opening its feathers. The Dai nationality regards the peacock as a symbol of luck, beauty and kindness.

The Dai nationality believes in Hinayana Buddhism, in which peacocks are considered to be the sacred animal of the Buddha. Eventually, the peacock also became a sacred animal among the Dai people. The primitive tropical forests of Yunnan Province is also a habitat for these sacred birds. It is said that the peacock dance was created by a young villager of the Dai Nationality a thousand years ago, when he noticed a peacock gracefully dancing by the riverside and attempted imitating their movements, later combining these movements into a dance.

The Peacock dance has a long history, and has been documented in ancient literature. In the New History of Tang Dynasty, finished during the Northern Song Dynasty era, it contains a record of a group of Dai nationality dancers who travelled far from Biaoguo to the capital of the Tang Dynasty, Chang An, where they performed the Peacock dance to foster diplomatic relations between the Tang Palace and Biaoguo.

The dance is performed at festivals or celebrations, including the Water Festival held on the 24th to 26th day of the sixth month in the Dai calendar.

Both males and females can perform the dance. Traditionally, dancers wear a golden mask, crown, and a costume that resembles the wings and feathers of the peacock in the dance. Instruments used in the performance include the elephant-foot Drums and gong. All the dance movements, including hand gestures, resemble the agility and actions of the peacock.