Xishuangbanna Attractions

In the southwest of China and at the southern most tip of Yunnan Province, there is a picturesque, fertile and mysterious land - Xishuangbanan. In the Dai language, "xishuang" is "twelve" and "banna" is "one thousand pieces of land", thus "Xishuangbanna" can be directly translated into "twelve thousand pieces of land". As a matter of fact, it refers to the twelve regions that are under its administration. With Myanmar to the southwest and Laos to the southeast, Xishuangbanna has a boundary line of 1,069 kilometers.

Temples and other sites of interest are plentiful in Xishuangbanna, but it is the people-the diversity of the ethnic groups with their own traditions and ways of life-which distinguish the area and make it such a fascinating place to visit. The Dai people are famous in China for their hospitality and friendliness, and their reception of foreigners reinforces this reputation. Travelers in Jinhong who walk through the Dai section of the town, where houses are built on stilts, are often invited into neighborhood homes. In the evenings, the young people continue the practice of courting by singing to one another. A modern touch has been added with the arrival of flash tights. A boy now indicates his interest in a girl by shining the light in her face. On the outskirts of Jinhong, and in Mcnghai and Mengla, are villages of other minority nationalities. The Mengla district is known for its virgin forests and wildlife.

The capital of Xishuangbanna Prefecture is "Jinghong", which means "the City of Dawn" in the Dai language. It is 692 km from Kunming. There are more than ten nationalities including the Dai, the Hani, the Jinuo and the Bulang, etc in its land. There live over 5,000 species of plants and hundreds kinds of rare and valuable birds and animals in its 20,000 square kilometers tropical virgin forest, thus Xishuangbanna is noted as "the Kingdom of Plants and Animals" and "An Emerald on the Tropic of Cancer".

There are several well-known temples easily reached from Jinghong. The Man Ge Monastery, one of the most famous in Xishuangbanna, is in Jinghong. The Manfeilong Temple, said to be over 700 years old, is in Mengla. Three pagodas, each with three towers, were built as tombs for the hair, bones, and feet of Shixuenani, a Buddhist abbot. The Mengzhe Temple, near Menghai, has a pointed occagonal roof and is one of the best examples of Buddhisf architecture in the area. The 60-ft.-highMenghan Temple, located six miles southeast of Menghai, is also worth visiting.

Xishuangbanna Botanical Research Institute. Located in Jinghong, the research institute specializes in developing and improving strains of rubber trees and other tropical plants. Visits can be a arranged through CITS or the hotel.

Festivals. There are three main festivals every year in Xishuangbanna. The most exciting is the Water Splashing Festival, usually held in the early summer. During the three-day celebration, dragon boat races are held, firecrackers are set off, and everyone pours water on everyone else. This is also the wedding season of the Dai.

The Closing Door Festival takes place around July 15. The period between this date and the Opening Door Festival, which takes place around October 15, is a time of extensive Buddhist activity, during which people are not supposed to travel far or marry. Normal social activities can be carried on in the months after the mid-October celebration.

Travel Jinghong of Yunnan

Travel Menghai of Yunnan

Travel Menglun of Yunnan