Xishuangbanna Travel Guide

Located in southern Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, is well known for its Peacock Dance, wild elephants, primitive forest, and the Water-Splashing Festival, it's biggest of the year.

Xishuangbanna has been a legendary kingdom in history - it still takes the visitor by its unequaled blend of nature and culture as 14 different ethnic minorities inhabit this tropical region of Yunnan.

Major Attractions

Tropical botanical garden

Xishuangbanna's Tropical Botanical Garden is the biggest tropical botanical garden in China, it is a research belonging to Chinese Academy of Science, about 80 kilometers far from Jinghong.

Garden covers an area of around 900 hectares, more than 3000 kinds of plants growing here, formed a picturesque garden and attracted countless visitors.

Ganlan(oliver ) Sandbar

Ganlanba is about 30 kilometers away from Jinghong City. It is a basin by the Mekong. Here is where you can see the most typical Dai villages and the nicest countryside scenery. Palms, villages, paddy field and mountains at distance formed a gorgeous picture.

Octagonal Pagoda

Under the guise of different names , the Octagonal Pagoda is the most famous architectural site in xishuangbanna . It stands on a man-made hill 14 kilometres ( 8 miles ) west of Menghai , just off the main road , near Jingzhen Village ; it is also known as Jingzhen Pagoda ( Jingzhenta ).

The story of the temple's construction revolves around two pious locals who wanted simultaneously to honor the Buddha and put an end to atyranny of marauding wasps . Between the years 1698-1701 they supervised the construction of wasp-displacing hill , built the temple and encouraged religious gatherings .

How to Get in?

By PLANE

Xishuangbanna airport is only 5 kilometers (about 3.1 miles) to the southwest of Jinghong city.
Built in 1990, Xishuangbanna is the second largest airport in Yunnan. Until now, it has connections with 18 major Chinese cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Kunming, Lijiang and Shangri-la as well as 3 intenational lines including Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang.

By car

From April, 6th, 2006, the express way from Kunming to Xishuangbanna has been opened. It is over 700 kilometers and will cost you 18 hours.

Best Time to Come

It is an all-year-round tourist destination. November to April of the next year is the best season to Xishuangbanna due to the favorable weather.