This study was conducted from June to September 2020 and conducted a population-based study of 2149 Dai residents aged 50 years or above in Xishuangbanna. The definition of hypertension was a systolic pressure >140 mmHg and/or a diastolic blood pressure >90 mmHg, or a current treatment plan with an hypertensive medication. High blood pressure (HBP) included the following subtypes: SDH, ISH and IDH. participants were interviewed, had physical examinations performed, and had blood pressure measurements taken. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to analyse the risk factors for hypertension. prevalence of HBP was 43.2 %. The subtype-specific prevalence of hypertension was 16.5 % for SDH, 24.2 ISH and 2.5 % for IDH. Among hypertensive participants, 38.2 % were SDH, 56.0 % were ISH and 5.8 % IDH. Older age is a risk factor for HBP and ISH. Obesity, smoking, drinking and history of hypertension are factors for HBP and its subtypes including SDH and ISH (OR >1). Among all the hypertensive participants, 25.0 % of the participants were aware of their hypertension while 34.7 % of SDH participants, 20.0 % of participants and 9.3 % of IDH participants knew the individual subtype of hypertension. Among Dai people, prevalence of hypertension is high, while the awareness and the rate of adequate treatment of hypertension low. ISH stood out as the most prevalent type of HBP among the rural elderly. Rising ageing population in China, ISH remains an important public health problem and a challenging management issue in rural China.