| Conventional Long Name: | State of Lai |
| Common Name: | Lai |
| Government Type: | Monarchy |
| Year Start: | ? |
| Year End: | 567 BC |
| S1: | Qi (state) |
| Event End: | Conquered by Qi |
| Image Map Caption: | Lai is on the tip of the Shandong Peninsula bordering Qi |
| Capital: | Changle (昌樂) Linqu (臨朐) Ni (郳) |
| Common Languages: | Old Chinese |
| Leader1: | Duke Gong of Lai |
| Year Leader1: | ? - 567 BCE |
| Year Leader2: | - |
| Title Leader: | Duke of Lai |
Lai, also known as Láiyí, was an ancient Dongyi state located in what is now eastern Shandong Province, recorded in the Book of Xia. Tang Shanchun believes lái means "mountain" in the ancient Yue language (古越语),[1] while the Yue Jue Shu (Chinese: 越絕書) says lai means "wilderness".[2] [3]
Lai was a traditional enemy of the State of Qi to its west. As soon as Jiang Ziya, the first ruler of Qi, was enfeoffed at Qi, the state of Lai attacked its capital at Yingqiu. In 567 BC, Lai attacked Qi but was decisively defeated by Duke Ling of Qi, and its last ruler Furou, Duke Gong of Lai, was killed.[4] [5] Lai was a large state, and Qi more than doubled in size after annexing Lai.[4] [6] [7] The people (Dongyi) were moved to Laiwu, where Mencius later called them the Qídōng yěrén, the "savages of eastern Qi".