The Dao rear plenty of pigs and poultry, but mainly use them for rituals and offerings. The houses are built either on stilts, level with the ground or half on stilts and half on beaten earth. Dao men used to wear their hair long tied in a chignon at the nape of the neck or on top of the head. Nowadays, all have their hair cut short. Dao male attire comprises trousers and short vest.
Female attire is more diversified and is decorated with many traditional motifs.
Dao women wear their hair long. At weddings, the bride often wears a hat. Funerals also reflect many ancient customs. In some regions, the dead from 12 years-old upward are cremated. The Dao believe in the existence of souls and demons, so have to hold a number of complicated and expensive rituals every year.