Inscribing Buddhist sutras, as well as folklores, medical science and history, on the leaves of palm trees is a long tradition in the areas inhabited by the Dai ethnic group in southwest China. This effective method originated in India was introduced to the Dai ethnic groups more than 1,000 years ago, thus the palm-leaf manuscripts are called the "Encyclopedia of the Dai Ethnicity". According to 2004 figures, there are 577 Buddhist temples in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, where more than 50,000 copies of Palm-Leaf sutras are stored.

An old man of the Dai ethnic group writes on dried palm leaves at a Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 20, 2006.

A monk reads sutras written on dried palm leaves at a Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 20, 2006.

Photo taken on March 20, 2006, shows the manuscripts on dried palm leaves displayed at a Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province.