Author: M_ Mengchu
Tell us about this trip
Xishuangbanna is an unexpectedly charming place, with golden-roofed buildings, lush vegetation, and Dai style.
The same as Sanya, is a place with clear skies in all seasons, although there is no beach, but it has an exotic style that Sanya cannot reach; and compared with most places in the country, more standardized tourism management, no matter whether it is eating, drinking and having fun, it is super cost-effective! In short, it is right to be crazy to plant grass, and want to give the world Amway Xishuangbanna!
This is probably the most like an outbound travel experience during the period when you can't leave the country...
Trip planning
This time Xishuangbanna was actually included in my one-month trip to Yunnan.
Before Banna, I stayed in Dali for a week, but I caught up with the rainy season in Dali, and it actually rained for a whole week in a row, directly drenching me... (Refer to the travelogue "Dali in the rainy season, there is no wind and snow, but it still amazes the time" http://travel.qunar.com/travelbook/note/7658204)
After Banna, I went to Tengchong for a week, although the latitude was similar, the temperature was lower than 10 ° C, so that the little girl had a cold and low fever the next day, so we only went to Atami, Heshun Ancient Town and Ginkgo Village. Tengchong in fact, is quite good, the quality of natural hot springs in the country is absolutely top-notch, but the experience of Ginkgo Village is really poor, the popularity is too fast to keep up with various facilities and scenic norms, I hope it will become better ~
Sure enough, half a month in Banna is the most nostalgic time. Every day when you open your eyes, it is the blue sky and white clouds, the rain on a cloudy day is just a matter of the wind, wearing short sleeves is just right, the dense vegetation everywhere, the clean and tidy cityscape, it is difficult not to fall in love with the city.
Xishuangbanna's most comprehensive strategy! Eat, live and play and avoid pits~
Xishuangbanna was called "Meng Barala Naxi" in ancient times, which means "an ideal and magical paradise", which is probably every tourist's vision of Xishuangbanna, and it is also the perfect impression left by Xishuangbanna to every passerby.
The capital of Xishuangbanna is Jinghong City, which is the most prosperous and lively place in the whole state, especially the Xishuangjing of Jiezhuang, which is comparable to the first-line cities in the United States. Most of Banna's attractions are scattered in the jinghong urban area and suburbs, and there are many distant attractions, such as the single-tree forest scenic spot at the Ta Lo port on the border with Myanmar, and the Wangtianshu scenic spot in Mengla, which borders Laos, which takes 2-3 hours to drive each way. Therefore, if you want to play Xishuangbanna, this most comprehensive guide must be put away!
ps: During the play in Banna, I suffered a lot from scenic battery cars. Sometimes the scenic spot looks very large, in fact, walking around all the way will soon be finished; sometimes the scenic spot is really too big, or there is not much scenery between the attractions, taking a battery car can help the elderly and children save a lot of physical strength. Therefore, this guide will talk about whether it is necessary to buy a battery car after the introduction of the attractions, hoping to help everyone.
Xishuangbanna Main Attractions:
Jinghong In and around Jinghong City
A Lancang River divides Jinghong into two parts, north and south, and the west double view of Jinghong in the north of the river is the most lively place in Jinghong; the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Xingguang Night Market are all in The Village, which is very lively and lively and very suitable for playing at night; south of the Lancang River, there is the adjacent Manting Park and the General Buddha Temple, and further south is the Mengli Great Buddha Temple; the scenic spots in the urban area are not large, and if you are a little compact, it is not a big problem to finish playing in a day. In fact, the tropical flower garden in the city is also very beautiful, but because it is not very famous, there are not many tourists.
The primitive forest park and the Mekong River Bottom World, Kino Cottage, Wild Elephant Valley, and Manpao Village are all in the north of the city, which is a relatively large scenic spot, and it is not realistic to play in one day. Because the original forest park is very close to the city, you can play with the attractions in the city; the remaining three attractions can be trade-offs, the Wild Elephant Valley is highly recommended, Keno Cottage is not cost-effective, I personally prefer Man palm village more.
Dai Nationality Garden and Manfeilong White Pagoda in the south of Jinghong City, Dai Nationality Garden in addition to the Songkran Festival is nothing special, the so-called free performance is also relatively rough; although the Manfeilong White Pagoda is a veritable nearly a thousand-year-old ancient pagoda, but now it has been basically abandoned, and the road is very difficult to walk, it is not recommended to go.
Jinghong Shwedagon Pagoda Temple Recommended Index: ★★★★
Although it was built for just over a decade, the Shwedagon Pagoda is the most spectacular of all the pagodas in Xishuangbanna. If you are not a believer in Theravada Buddhism, you don't have to go inside to visit, just go around the tower once. Because the Starlight Night Market is located below the Golden Pagoda, most tourists will choose to play with the Starlight Night Market at night.
Starlight Night Market Recommendation Index: ★★★★★
In fact, Xingguang Night Market is the general name of the entire Jiezhuang Night Market, which is composed of a continuous Xingguang Night Market, a Rushing Night Market and a Six Kingdoms Floating Market. This is definitely the best part of Xishuangbanna's nightlife! Not only is it oversized, it's also very clean and tidy, with everything you need to eat, drink and have fun! The cool night breeze is so refreshing!
Man Ting Park Recommended Index: ★★★★
This is the former Dai Wang Royal Garden and the oldest park in Banna. Although there are lakes and bridges in the park, the scenery is beautiful, but overall it is still relatively small, and there are not too many highlights. In the evening, there are performances of "Lancang • Mekong Night" and bonfire evenings, and most tour groups will go to see the performances in the evening.
*There are electric cars in the park, but the park is not large and is not recommended.
Xishuangbanna Total Buddhist Temple Recommended Index: ★★★★
This temple is connected to the back door of Manting Park, the area is not large, even the entrance fee is not charged, but its Buddhist status is the highest in the whole of Xishuangbanna, and the incense is naturally very exuberant, and the overall shopping time is enough for half an hour.
Mengli Great Buddha Temple Recommended Index: ★★★★★
Although the Great Buddha Temple is an ancient temple, it was rebuilt in recent years after the destruction, and it is very new overall, but the craftsmanship is a bit heavy. It is undeniable that it is worth a visit, whether it is in terms of the overall size of the temple, the status of Buddhism, or the view from the top of the mountain overlooking the downtown area of Banna. And here you can also experience the Songkran festival and peacock release, which is very comprehensive.
* There are battery cars in the scenic area, in fact, walking is not much, but the whole process is to climb up and down the stairs, if you take the elderly and children are recommended to take.
Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower Garden Recommended Index: ★★★★
This is a spot I like very much, there are very few tours, there are a lot of colorful flowers, and it is very pleasant to stroll in the shade. The overall area here is not large, there is no need to punch the card, there is no need to take a battery car, and it is very comfortable to walk around casually.
Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park Recommended Index: ★★★★
This is the closest primeval forest to downtown Jinghong, featuring rainforest scenery, villages and peacocks, as well as a small Songkran festival. In terms of rainforest scenery alone, it is no different from other forest parks, and the peacock flying here is really spectacular, so don't miss it!
*The forest park is a winding mountain road, climbing is more laborious; and there is not much scenery between small attractions, it is recommended to take a battery car.
Mekong River Bottom World Recommended Index: ★★★
Xishuangbanna The underwater world at the entrance of the primitive forest park is dominated by mekong river animals and tropical rainforest ecology, and the newly built venue is still good, but the river animals themselves are not as beautiful as the colorful animals under the sea, but the various performances in the venues are still quite wonderful. If you take the little ones, you can visit it!
Wild Elephant Valley Recommended Index: ★★★★★
Wild Elephant Valley is my favorite place in Banna! Although it is expensive, it must go to The Elephant, which is definitely a wonderful experience that you can't get anywhere in the country! If you don't go to the elephant, it is not recommended to go specially, if the elephant performance, one is that many places can be seen, and the other is not recommended for the position of protecting animals; the chance of seeing wild elephants on the wooden boardwalk is similar to buying lottery tickets, in addition to the scenic spot there is no other feature.
* Never go to the cable car! It takes more than half an hour one way, there is no special scenery on it, and you have to go up the same way back! So bored that we all fell asleep on the cable car...
Man palm village recommended index: ★★★★
Man Palm Village is a small village that I particularly like, exquisite and quiet, where you can experience a variety of traditional Dai crafts. The people in the village are very simple, no one solicits customers, more is the meaning of the willing, providing experience is to earn a material fee. You can catch fresh fish in the small river at the head of the village and grill it, especially suitable for taking children to play.
Keno Cottage Recommended Index: ★
The reason why I gave a star is because this is the only scenic spot in xishuangbanna in the special period, and the 160 ticket is 100 yuan more expensive than the Forbidden City! The key is that the scenic spot is known as the main kino style, in fact, there is nothing, that is, a few local houses and a few old people wearing national costumes, and then two performances, after the performance is the link of selling calligraphy and paintings, it is really a bit of a pit.
Xishuangbanna Dai Nationality Garden Recommended Index: ★★★
Dai Nationality Garden is the same as the Kino Cottage, it is said that it was contracted by the same performing arts company, and even the routine of selling calligraphy and paintings after the performance is the same, but at least the scenic ticket is half price. It is commendable that the Songkran festival here is quite large, and there are some ancient temples and pagoda trees to admire.
* It is recommended to buy a battery car, the individual attractions are far apart, and there is no scenery on the road, I fell here, and then decided to add whether to take the battery car in the guide!
Menghai County
Menghai is located west of Jinghong, and the Talor port borders Myanmar. There are not many scenic spots in Menghai, and they are basically concentrated in Daluo, including the scenic spot of single-tree forest, the port of Daluo, and the scenic spot of Mengjinglai. However, due to the fact that it is difficult to go to the border during special periods, self-parade is not allowed, it is recommended to choose a day trip with the group; if it is self-parade, you can also spend money at the border checkpoint to hire a professional tour guide to accompany the whole process. However, the policy is subject to change, so it is recommended to consult your local travel agent in detail. Menghai itinerary from Jinghong a day round trip is just right, in fact, in Menghai County there is a very famous attraction - Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion, but almost abandoned, and there are no other attractions around, the special trip used to take 3-4 hours, the road is not good, not recommended to go.
A Tree Alone Recommended Index: ★★★★★
A thousand-year-old banyan tree forms a forest, and the overall look is still very spectacular! There are other trees in the scenic area and some scattered small attractions, such as the No. 220 Boundary Monument, the Octagonal Pavilion during the Kangxi Dynasty, the Monument to the Unknown Hero, etc., and you can also overlook the China-Myanmar Friendship Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar, which is still very playable in general.
* The scenic area is relatively large, and there is a distance between the attractions, it is recommended to buy a battery car.
Daluo Port Recommended Index: ★★★
It is an ordinary style border building, which cannot be visited or approached during special periods, and can only be photographed far under the four words of "Daluo Port".
Mengjinglai Scenic Spot Recommended Index: ★★★★
It is a typical traditional Dai village, and it is also the filming location of "Where Daddy Goes 3", where you can admire the Dai family architecture, experience traditional handicrafts, feel the atmosphere of ethnic minorities, and punch in the No. 229 boundary monument. However, during the special period, the village is relatively depressed, and it is not as popular as the Manzhao Village next to Jinghong.
* The village is not too big, and there is not much need to take a battery car.
Mengla County
Meng la is located in the southeast of Jinghong, and is bordered by Myanmar and Laos, of which the Mohan Port is a first-class port with Laos. The attractions in Mengla are scattered and difficult to arrange to visit in one day. Although the Wangtianshu Scenic Area is very close to the Mohan Port, but the special period of mohan is not open to tourists as a scenic spot, so at present it is basically only a one-day group to look at the Tianshu; the rainforest scenery of Mengyuan Wonderland is not special, the difference is that there is a cave landscape, but because the distance is more awkward, so there are very few groups will go, and there are very few tourists who go specially; although the Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is in Mengla, it is very close to Jinghong, and it can be arranged to visit with the Wild Elephant Valley or the Dai Nationality Garden for a day.
Chinese Academy of Sciences Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Recommended Index: ★★★★★
In addition to the tropical rainforest scenery, there are many exotic flowers and plants in the botanical garden, and the signs are very clear. If you only go to a tropical rainforest park in Banna, then the first place to recommend this. The Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is very large, divided into two districts: the eastern area is more wild and more suitable for outdoor enthusiasts; the western area is more perfectly developed, and the playability is relatively high, and the group tour is generally only played in the western area.
* The park is very large, although you can play more carefully without buying a tour bus, but it is really the extent to which you have to walk with a broken leg.
Wangtianshu Scenic Area Recommended Index: ★★★★★
In addition to enjoying the various wonders of the tropical rainforest, you can also see the towering trees of more than 20 floors high, and you can also experience the aerial corridor built on the canopy of tens of meters high, which is definitely a unique rainforest landscape in China!
*Walking at high altitude and riding a speedboat are not very friendly to the elderly and children, it is recommended to consider the physical condition of the family before deciding whether to go.
Transport recommended
Xishuangbanna There are too many interesting places, if there is enough time, it is definitely a free trip to play more thoroughly, even if you go to the local newspaper every day for a day group can have a very comfortable time.
If there is a condition or a large number of people, it is recommended to rent a car or charter a car, most of the roads leading to the scenic spot are in good condition, the drive is within 2 hours, and the scenic parking lot is almost free, which is really very nice.
It doesn't matter if you don't rent a car, Jinghong City has a traffic through train to various attractions and a one-day group, and the value for money is also very high. When I want to go to the Tianshu Scenic Area, I feel that I am too tired to drive for 6-7 hours, so the whole family reported a one-day group trip, and the overall calculation is not too expensive to drive with myself, and I am not tired!
Jinghong Public transportation in the city is not too convenient, but there are many online ride-hailing cars, except for a little difficulty from the Xingguang Night Market at night, it is very convenient on weekdays.
Food recommendations
Having eaten all over the world, I have to say that the Dai dishes in Xishuangbanna are very few that I don't think are very tasty...
Dai cuisine is mainly based on grilled and fried, dipped in sour and spicy appetizers of mummy, very unfriendly to children; in fact, there is no problem with the cooking method, and the mummy sauce is also very delicious, but probably because of the humidity of the region, whether fried or grilled are particularly dry, eating a little choking. There is also raw meat chopping city skimming is also sour and bitter, which is also difficult to accept. However, Banna still has some very good specialties, as well as a variety of delicious mushrooms and sweet tropical fruits, be sure to try it!
Scoop: In Jingpo, there is a saying that "the barrel does not sound, the meal is not fragrant". A variety of cooked meats and seafood, accompanied by fresh fruits and vegetables and rich spices, are prepared with a wooden hammer in a bamboo tube, which is soft and rotten, sour and delicious, and is especially suitable for serving wine.
Bun roast: This is also a special cooking method of the Dai people, wrapping the food with banana leaves and roasting it with charcoal, vegetables, mushrooms, river fresh, meat can be cooked in this way. The food, moisture and nutrients are not easy to lose, and with the fragrance of banana leaves, it is very delicious.
Grilled fish with lemongrass: It is made by baling the fish with local lemongrass. Grilled fish, rich in flavor, spicy and delicious, tender meat, is an indispensable dish in Dai flavor.
Mushroom hot pot: When you arrive in Yunnan, how can you not eat mushrooms? Is there anything more suitable than boiling hot pot?! It's delicious to take a sip of the mushroom soup pot bottom that has freshly lost eyebrows, and then sprinkle it with black chicken slices and various mushrooms!
Pineapple rice: Probably no one would refuse sweet and sticky pineapple rice! Half a pineapple is filled with soft and smooth sticky rice, and it is also dotted with a lot of ingredients, including the sticky rice and the sweet and sour fruit, which is super delicious.
Bamboo rice: Put the glutinous rice in the bamboo tube and bake it over the fire to cook, with the aroma of bamboo, the taste is delicate, and the aroma is sprayed. The same method is also used to cook vegetables, meat, river fresh and other dishes, and even bamboo tubes can be used to make soup!
Laos Iced Coffee: What could be more enjoyable than carrying a bag of iced coffee and drinking it while walking around the Starlight Night Market? Laos Iced coffee is perfect for girls, a sweet and sweet taste, for heavy caffeine lovers is a bit not strong enough.
Most of the special Dai rice can be tasted in the Dai family village, in Jinghong City, you can go to the Red Tooth Elephant Dai Food Garden to taste, not only good taste, the environment is also very good, close to the small courtyard of the tributary of the Lancang River, take care of a different atmosphere. Man Fei Long Roast Chicken is a well-known local Internet celebrity shop, and the chain has opened several, but the service and dishes are really not worthy of the name. I would also recommend a Laos iced coffee shop called Wantai, this shop fire score shop is opened to Beijing Sanlitun, Laos iced coffee is good, but I prefer perfume coconut smoothie, not only super high value, but also coconut flavor is also very strong, and crispy coconut jerky super refreshing! Girls can't refuse!
Accomodation recommended
Playing in Xishuangbanna, it is natural to live in Jinghong City is the most convenient, and in Jinghong, of course, it is the best to live in Xishuangjing! Who would say that the downstairs is a bustling night market? And all kinds of one-day tours will pick up tourists at the village, and it is usually the last stop!
If the play time is relatively long, it is recommended to rent a homestay in the west of The Village, because there are many vacation rooms that are vacant for rent on weekdays, and the cost performance is very high! A large family of us rented more than 100 square meters of small three-bedroom rooms in Jingzhen Village, only more than 200 a day, and it was really quite comfortable to live!
If you like high-end and stylish niche resort hotels, you should push Xishuangbanna Bodu Sen Oxygen Villa Panoramic Holiday Inn, in the high part of the rainforest Lanshan Mountain on the outskirts of Jinghong, whether it is the environment, room, service is the ceiling of the domestic high-end homestay, the beautiful sisters in "Wife's Romantic Trip" are also living here!
If you like the magnificent Grand Hotel, don't miss the Mekong Grand View Hotel! There are not only luxurious suites, high-end restaurants, tens of thousands of square meters of sky water garden, but even an art gallery in the hotel! Hotels that have built themselves into city landmarks are also among the few in China!
For hoteliers, Anatara is an irresistible hotel brand. Xishuangbanna Anantara Resort Hotel is a little farther away, more than 60 kilometers away from the city, but it is only separated from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden by a Rosso River, the environment is naturally good, needless to say, but also a fusion of Anatara quality and Banna's unique style, very quiet and comfortable.
1st day 2020.10.25
Flying from Dali to Banna, I finally saw the long-lost sunshine, full of green eyes, and even the mood became particularly happy.
Directly from the airport, we went to the Boduson Oxygen Villa Panorama Holiday Inn, the "Hermès" of this homestay is built in a villa area on the mountain, overlooking the whole of Banna. There is no rush to play, we just want to waste time in such a beautiful scenery.
2nd day 2020.10.26
Awakened by the chirping of birds, the sun shines indoors, and the breeze plays with the white drapery, a beautiful day in Banna begins
The driver of the homestay uncle was kind enough to ask if he wanted to take us to a nearby attraction to play, but for the japanese long, for the little girl, exploring the hotel seems to be a more interesting thing, the peacock who met unexpectedly was chased around by her, or soaked in the pool and refused to come out, such a day seems to be more happy ~
Xishuangbanna Bodu Sen Oxy Villa Panoramic Holiday Inn
Not belonging to any hotel group's high-end homestay Bodu series, a total of 4 hotels are in Yunnan, each of which is very well located. And this Bodu in Xishuangbanna is even more popular because of "Wife's Romantic Trip", after all, it is a treasure hotel that makes wives all over the world marvel!
Xishuangbanna Bodu Sen oxygen Villa Panoramic Holiday Inn is located in the suburbs of Jinghong, built on the high side of the Lanshan Rainforest, facing the rubber forest, overlooking the Dai Palace, enjoying the 360-degree panoramic tropical rainforest. Escape from the reinforced concrete jungle and truly immerse yourself in a breathing forest, surrounded by pleasant scenery, dense forests, clouds and mist, like a fairyland on earth. The hotel is very naturally integrated into this scenery, enjoying the charm of nature without a trace and the purity, beauty and comfort.
Each Bodu hotel has its own auspicious logo, and unlike the galloping horses of Tengchong Bodu, the mascot of Banna Bodu is an elephant. Elephants are pronounced "auspicious" in the local Dai language, and as a symbol of Xishuangbanna, they have a beautiful meaning. The design style is full of ethnic minority flavors; peacocks, elephants, bamboo weaving, teak, old elm wood used as decorations, and the bricks and stones commonly used in local villages are taken from Banna, swimming or resting in the infinity pool, facing a large rubber forest, surrounded by greenery, and the scenery is beautiful at any time.
Above and next to the infinity pool are large and small glass observation decks, each with its own excitement. Stretching into the natural observation deck in the rainforest, as if slowly walking into the tropical rainforest surrounded by clouds and mist; the hotel is also equipped with restaurants, coffee, bars, book bars, tea rooms, infinity pools, children's playgrounds and other different functional areas, no need to worry about taking children will have nowhere to play, whether it is in the pool to play happily, or spend reading time in the book bar, or in the children's park, if you happen to encounter a peacock can also chase it around to explore, Casually all day long slipped away from between his fingers in a leisurely way.
Xishuangbanna Bodu consists of 3 independent villas with only 20 rooms, but each one is very exquisite! The room is very large, the decoration is simple but not simple, lingering with the fragrance of orange blossoms, refreshing; the room hardware configuration is directly comparable to the super five-star hotel, smart toilet, electric curtains, Marshall audio, Dyson hair dryer, in the berth are standard! With the slow opening of the smart curtains, a large area of floor-to-ceiling windows brings the entire forest to the eyes; the green field is in full view, the distant mountains are hazy, and the tip of the nose is haunted by the breath of the forest trees, as if living in the natural "forest oxygen bar". Each room is equipped with a private hot spring bath, surrounded by a veil that fully guarantees privacy; soaking in the hot spring pool, accompanied by mountain music, feeling breathing with a whole mountain forest; when night falls, nestled in the lazy sofa, as if within reach of the stars; the land in the clouds, watching the beauty of nature.........
There is also the super intimate service of the personal butler, from the successful booking to the check-in, the whole process of telephone or WeChat communication, meticulous. Free pick-up, premium soft drinks, welcome fruit plate, goodnight soup, floral snacks, every little detail of the hotel's hospitality. The breakfast is also rich and exquisite, so don't miss the local Dai family rice noodles!
Even if I didn't leave the hotel for two days, I was in love when I left, and I didn't want to check-out at all. It is no wonder that the star wives in "The Wife's Romantic Trip" have also been planted by this treasure homestay!
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Jinghong Mannong Fengmeng Yunnan Yulin Lanshan Building 51-53
Room rate: 1500 yuan + / night
3rd day 2020.10.27
Although there is a homestay in Banna, when you meet the hotel of your choice, you always want to experience it. In particular, Xishuangbanna Anantara Resort.
Perhaps too confident in my travel experience, I made a fatal mistake ,—— didn't confirm the hotel location in advance! I thought that Banna was not big, and the hotel would not be very far even in the suburbs, but I didn't expect that there were more than 60 kilometers from the city, and there was almost no public transportation! Well, a taxi is more than 200 yuan...
So I rented a car in a hurry, the road is quite easy to walk, driving the highway for an hour to arrive, it is also an unexpected episode ~
Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort
Is there a hotel that you can book for the sake of its brand? For me, Anantara Anatara is the most irresistible hotel brand.
Facing the meandering Luosuo River and close to the lush Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa is surrounded by primeval forests and has become xishuangbanna's premier boutique resort with its colorful cultural elements, natural scenery and architectural design.
Xishuangbanna Anantara's architectural design is more in line with the local Dai Thai style, but also a fusion of local ethnic minority culture and traditions including kino and Hani ethnic groups; and as a niche luxury resort hotel brand that started from Thailand, the design still continues the brand characteristics, many places in the hotel have a doll holding a drum in hand, which is the most noble welcome ceremony in Thailand, in the hearts of Thai people, water has a supreme position, if someone passes through the door, You should be very friendly and offer him a sip of water.
Surrounded by verdant beauty, this Anantara is a tranquil and elegant garden, with exquisite style and refreshing natural scenery, a pure land where people can indulge in intoxication and forget the world.
The hotel's 103 guest rooms, including 23 pool villas, are designed to be quaint and inspired by the lush forest, surrounded by greenery and a terrace that feels like you're in the rainforest.
This time, our family chose a one-bedroom pool villa to stay, with a large indoor area of 140 square meters, ingenious wood carving artwork and Dali stone floor highlighting the luxury in the low key; the 70 square meters outdoor garden became the venue for the little girl to hide the cat and cat; and the oversized private pool, the constant temperature design allows the little girl to play from day to night. Such a beautiful hotel, let people just want to hide in the comfort of the inside and not go anywhere!
The hotel is also very well equipped. With a number of dining facilities such as lobby lounges, poolside bars, Chinese and Western restaurants, including the tastes of Asia and the rest of the world, you can enjoy a trip worth remembering. Offering a wide range of drinks, refreshments and beverages, the hospitable Dai Family Court welcomes guests with a traditional Dai welcome ceremony and a relaxing afternoon with a tranquil view of the breeze blowing across the pool and the Rosso River while sipping your favourite cup of coffee prepared by the barista. Named after the "Mekong" restaurant that flows through the Six Kingdoms of the Mekong River, the restaurant offers the ultimate in Dai, Thai and Chinese cuisine, and enjoys a delicious meal overlooking the Rosso River, with an exotic boat atmosphere.
Of course, Anantara is also indispensable to the most famous spa, from the facilities to the treatment are integrated into this verdant mountain; the hotel's infinity pool is "seamlessly connected" with the Rosso River, allowing you to listen to the singing of the river in the breeze, as well as the well-equipped fitness center, fresh and elegant library, colorful children's club, etc., which is definitely the best choice for the whole family vacation
Tips
Address: Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, Mengla County, Menglun Town
Room rate: 1500 yuan + / night
4th day 2020.10.28
The location of Anantara, although it is extremely far from the city, is only separated from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences by a Luosuo River, and it is quite convenient to arrange it on a day.
It just so happened that a friend happened to be working at the Tropical Botanical Garden, so I asked her to accompany me on the tour. Unexpectedly, she turned out to be the "third generation of the garden" here, born and raised in the botanical garden and worked here, the corners and corners of the park have her childhood memories, flowers and plants are all precious to her, and even tell us exactly which tree jackfruit is particularly delicious. Such a life is also an enviable one.
Thanks to her company, I had a happy day, and because of her story, I also left unforgettable memories of this magical park.
Where life does not meet, look forward to seeing each other again
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, is located more than 60 kilometers from Jinghong City, on a gourd-shaped peninsula surrounded by the Luosuo River. In Xishuangbanna, which has dense vegetation, as a forest park, it is not the largest one; but as a botanical garden, there are more than 12,000 kinds of living plants, 38 plant special areas, and a primitive tropical rainforest with an area of about 250 hectares, which is definitely the largest botanical garden in China, the richest collection of species, and the largest number of plant parks, and is also a comprehensive research institution and scenic spot integrating scientific research, species conservation and science education.
The Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is divided into two areas, the western area is mainly a botanical garden forest, there are more than 30 classified gardens; the total area of the eastern area is much larger, there is a tropical primeval rainforest of more than 800 hectares, at present only open to the outside world gully rainforest and greenstone forest Two major areas, after going in need to climb the mountains and mountains, both areas have shuttle sightseeing cars to and from between small scenic spots. Because the West End is more well developed and more ornamental, most tourists only choose to play in the West End.
Itinerary: Take the tour bus from outside the park, the first stop is the Aquatic Botanical Garden and the Yinsheng Botanical Garden, then walk all the way through the National Botanical Garden (Museum), Palm Garden, Banyan Tree Garden and Exotic Flowers garden, then take a car to visit the Hundred Gardens, Passion Garden and Nan YaoYuan, get off the bus and walk to visit the Famous Tree Garden and the National Tree Garden, and finally drive to Fujimoto Garden. After the tour, you can choose to take a bus from the transfer station to exit the park through Baizhu Garden, or transfer to the East District Greenstone Forest.
In the Aquatic Botanical Garden, lotus leaves cover most of the pond. The leaf-sized Wang Lotus lies firmly on the surface of the water, and it is said that it can load a child during the blooming period; the water lilies are relatively small, the lotus leaves float lazily on the surface of the water, and the water lilies that close the petals on time every day bloom just right, and under the background of the stone bridge, the light and shadow are dappled, and the beauty can be painted, like Monet's "Water Lilies".
In the Shade Botanical Garden, the quiet and winding stone paths, the variety of shade-loving plants, and the huge trees that shade them together constitute a magical scenery in the rainforest;
【Palm Garden】Collects nearly 500 kinds of palm plants, thick trunks, lush foliage, tall and low, shading the sky, curved bridges and trails connect the pavilions and pavilions, there is a different tropical style;
In the Banyan Garden, various banyan trees unscrupulously expand their territory, and unique phenomena such as "plate roots", "hanging" and "single trees" abound, showing the cruel laws of nature by natural selection.
【Exotic Flowers and Exotic Flowers】There are all kinds of unheard of magical tropical plants, "dancing grass" that smells and dances, "mimosa grass" that touches and fits together, and "mysterious fruit" that changes the sense of taste, bringing many surprises to the little girl.
【Hundred Gardens】 planted in more than 500 kinds of flowers, mostly bougainvillea, usually see the red face of the bougainvillea, and the bougainvillea here has a variety of colors, pink and tender especially cute; can predict the rain of the wind and rain flowers bloom warmly, sure enough soon there was a rapid rain; there are leaves such as petals of jade leaf golden flowers, here set pink, white and red three colors, is also a rare sight ...
【Celebrity Tree Garden】There are trees planted by foreign guests, and there are stone sculptures commemorating the founder Professor Cai Xitao - "Tree Sea Trip". There are acacia bean trees, you can try your luck to pick a few sea red beans under the trees, as well as the dragon's blood tree and the Wangtian tree, and we are lucky enough to encounter the rare "iron tree blossoming" wonder.
【National Tree National Garden】Introduced and cultivated the national flowers and fruit trees of many countries in the world, you can enjoy the interesting scenes of various national trees and national flowers competing here without leaving the country. The most memorable thing is the beautiful kapok in full bloom, which looks like a pink cloud from a distance, and is as beautiful as a dream.
【Fujimotoen】 was rebuilt from the former staff dormitory, and the vines in the park are flying, and there are various climbing methods such as winding, tendrils, and adsorption, so that the remaining walls give birth to several different kinds of beauty.
One day of playing in the Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, not only have you seen so many beautiful or rare plants, but also often encounter a variety of cute insects and animals, and it is also a very lucky thing to be able to photograph the dragonflies at close range! And the little girl's pleasure is to chase the peacock around in the jungle, to meet a snail, carefully take care of it all the way, until it is time to leave, and then reluctantly put it back into the grass.
Tips
Address: Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Mengla County Menglun Town Huludao
Transportation: Go by car or with a group; or buy a bus ticket to the Botanical Garden at Banna Bus Terminal (No. 3 Civil Aviation Road), take the bus to Menglun and Mengla, and get off at Menglun.
Tickets: 80 yuan; children aged 6-18, seniors over 60 years old, students with valid documents can enjoy half a ticket; children aged 6 or under 1.2 meters, senior citizens over 70 years old and special groups can enjoy free tickets
Tour bus: East Park, West Park 50 yuan / person, the whole park 100 yuan / person
5th day 2020.10.29
Because yesterday I drove 60 kilometers back from the Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, I only walked around the city today.
Manting Park and the Total Buddhist Temple are connected together, from the back door of Manting Park you can enter the Main Buddhist Temple, and the total Buddhist temple area is not large, so when visiting Manting Park, it is actually the best choice to take a look around the Main Buddhist Temple.
Inexperienced, we first went to the Main Buddhist Temple, and then went to Manting Park, fortunately, there are exclusive parking lots in both places, which is still convenient. The main Buddhist temple is very small, no entrance fee, only half an hour to finish; Manting Park is not too big, in fact, there is no need to take a tour bus, just walk around. There were parrot shows and elephant shows in the park, both free of charge; and while I had always resisted such shows, I couldn't resist my family asking to see them. Remember to pay attention to the performance time in advance, otherwise you will have to wait a long time to miss one
Xishuangbanna General Buddhist Temple
Xishuangbanna The fame of the General Buddhist Temple is far less than that of the Mengli Great Buddha Temple. Probably because of the small size of the area, or because there is no ticket, it is not profitable for the tour group, in short, it is a very easy to miss attraction.
However, "the mountain is not high, but the immortal is named"; the reason why it is called the general Buddhist temple, a "total" word indicates its supreme status. This small, little-known monastery is not only the center of Worship for Buddhist believers in Xishuangbanna, but also the highest-ranking Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna.
The main Buddhist temple, which has undergone five reconstructions, looks golden and brilliant, but in fact, it has a history of more than 1,000 years, and it is said that two southern Buddhist monks from Burma came to promote the Dharma in the middle of the seventh century AD. There have been many senior monks throughout the ages, but all the more solemn ceremonies or festivals in Xishuangbanna will be held here; it is well known among Theravada Buddhists throughout Southeast Asia, and this temple is regarded as a holy place to worship the Buddha, and pilgrims continue to worship pilgrims.
The architecture of the temple is typical of the Hinayana Buddhist Dai style building, with a majestic atmosphere and exquisite carvings. It is composed of a main hall, a monk's house, a drum room, etc., and the central Buddhist temple is accompanied by a precept hall, a sutra building, and a stupa. In front of the north wall of the current courtyard building, there are altars for several Buddha statues, and the walls are painted with the Buddha Bunsheng Sutra.
Although not a believer, it is also a spiritual journey to see the splendid Buddhist temple architecture, admire the beautiful carved beams and pillars, and feel the pious power of those Buddhists from the heart.
Tips
Address: Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Baji Road No. 18
Transportation: by car or with a group; Jinghong City, take the No. 3 bus to the Customs Garden and walk for about 1.6 kilometers, or take the No. 4 bus to the National Shopping Plaza Station and walk for 1.5 kilometers.
Tickets: Free and open
Mann Listen Park
Located in the downtown area, Manting Park is the oldest park in Xishuangbanna, with a history of more than 1,300 years. In the past, it was the royal garden of the Dai king in Xishuangbanna, and in the history of the Dai people, it was a place for the Dai kings and toastmasters to enjoy the flowers. According to legend, when Princess Dai visited the garden, the beautiful scenery attracted the soul of the princess, so it was named Chunhuan Park, which means "garden of souls".
Manting Park has beautiful scenery, not only the natural landscape of the land, but also the artificial cultivation of exotic flowers and garden architecture, as well as more than 500 well-preserved ancient iron knife trees and vegetation, the combination of natural and artificial clever combination, is a natural village-style park with strong national characteristics. There are 8 areas in the park, including ethnic culture square, vine plant area, tropical orchid garden, peacock garden, Buddhist culture area, tree planting memorial area, etc., which epitomize the three theme characteristics of "Dai royal family culture, Buddhist culture and Dai folk culture".
Further inside, there is a very Dai-style octagonal covered bridge, the lake is covered with lotus leaves, and the lotus flowers are beautiful like a picture scroll, which makes people return to the intimacy of nature.
There is also a white pagoda here, because the tower body is white, the spire is very much like breaking out of the earth out of the jade shoots, so the Dai people also call it "bamboo shoot tower", although after the sun and rain, but still beautiful and holy.
The release lake is the most beautiful scenery in Manting Park, you can release animals, you can feed bait, you can also take a boat cruise in the lake, but it is quite a bit of "royal garden" taste. Perhaps there are too many tourists who have released too many animals, and feeding fish here is definitely a rare "big" scene,—— hundreds of catfish with thick arms gathered in an instant, with their bearded mouths competing for bait, stirring the water surface into a crackling sound, even the overlord swans in the water are far away, afraid of being stirred into this muddy water. The little girl was quite happy to feed, and I was worried about it, afraid that she would accidentally fall down and be "nibbled" by catfish.
There are also parrot shows and elephant shows in Man Ting Park, three times a day; the reason why they are free is that the performances are just for shows, and the main purpose is to charge for photos with animals. I have always resisted all forms of animal performances, but I can't stand my family to watch it, and it is really pitiful to watch those parrots and elephants performing hard. In addition to animal performances, there are also song and dance performances, the story of Zanha's "Spring Festival", and two release and blessing ceremonies every Saturday and Sunday. Although all activities are free, if you want to experience them all, you must remember to arrange a good time in advance: parrot performance, 9:50/12:00/15:40 three times a day, about 10 minutes; Imperial Elephant Show, 10:30/14:50/16:30 three times a day, about half an hour; the story of Zanha's "Spring Joy", 11:00-11:30 every day; and the release prayer ceremony, every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00/14:00. By the way, the park is not too big, and there is no need to take a tour bus if you are not in a hurry.
In addition, the evening "Lancang • Mekong Night" theatrical performance and bonfire party are also in Manting Park, so the park is sold separately during the day and night. Visitors who are not interested in the various performances during the day can enter the park early in the evening and go to see the performances after a short stroll. However, the tickets for the show are not cheap, so let's do what we can
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Manting Road No. 35
Transportation: by car or group; Jinghong can be reached by Bus No. 3 in Jinghong
Tickets: 20 yuan; children under 1.4 meters, the elderly over 70 years old, with a valid CERTIFICATE half ticket; children under 1.1 meters, the elderly over 80 years old, with a valid certificate free ticket; "Lancang • Mekong Night" performance tickets, from 280 yuan.
6th day 2020.10.30
What a disaster day...
Because yesterday I went to Manting Park and found that there was no need to take a tour bus, and today when I arrived at the Dai Nationality Park, the two elderly people refused to let me buy a tour bus, afraid that I would waste money in vain. As a result, I didn't expect ah... Dai Nationality Park is not a park at all, but is composed of multiple Dai villages, and the roads are in all directions! So we walked along the side of the road in the scorching sun, and it was almost 1 kilometer between each station, not only did we have no dense vegetation for shade, but there were still roaring cars on our side, which was a pit!
And because I was distracted by the mobile phone navigation to find the way, I did not pay attention to the bumpy road surface, and I stepped on the air and directly "pounced on the street"... But as a dedicated photographer, although I couldn't find the north when I fell, the first thing I did when I sat on the ground was to check if the camera had broken. However, not only did the camera go wrong, but there were multiple bruises on the arms and legs, which was so frustrating! Fortunately, I have always had the habit of adding a hood to the lens, but I accidentally saved the lens's life, but the hood was stuck.
Later, after limping in the Dai Nationality Garden to continue the trek, I was determined to write a guide after I went back, and I must summarize which scenic spots in Banna are suitable for taking a tour bus, so as not to repeat my mistakes with more friends.
Minor injuries can not get into the line of fire, I still did not miss the night market in Banna at night, and the newly opened Dai Li Lantern Exhibition. The lively atmosphere can make people forget all unhappiness!
Xishuangbanna Dai Nationality Park
Locals often say that Xishuangbanna is a beautiful green peacock, the peacock's tail is in the olive dam, and the Dai Garden is the most beautiful feather on the peacock's tail.
Located in the southeast of Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Dai Nationality Garden is composed of five best-preserved Dai natural villages: Manjiang, Manchunman, Manting, Mancha and Mangga. The scenery here is beautiful, the folk customs are simple, full of poetry; the exquisite and unique Dai family bamboo towers and buddhist temple ancient pagodas are hidden in the green trees, revealing a kind of nature, simplicity and tranquility; tall and tall coconut trees, bay leaf palm and pavilions of betel nut trees, the Dai family bamboo building is particularly charming; so the Dai Nationality Garden is known as the "green peacock feather feather".
Xishuangbanna The most grand festival of the Dai family is the Songkran Festival, which is held in june (April 13-18) of the Dai calendar, and the songkran festival can be felt every day in the Crowdsplace Plaza of the Dai Nationality Garden. There are two water splashes in the Dai Garden every day: the first 13:30, the second 15:30; not only the Dai dance and auspicious elephant opening, but also the local Dai villagers can share the joy of water splashing carnival, just change into local costumes and take a small basin to join the splashing liveliness, like to splash whoever you like, accept the good wishes of the locals, "splash the whole body, happiness for life".
Not far from splashing water square, in the Meng Bara Naxi Song and Dance Theater, you can enjoy large-scale Dai family song and dance performances, peacock dance, wax strip dance, long armor dance, etc., with unique ethnic customs. The song and dance performance is held twice a day, at 10:30 and 14:30; although the cost is included in the ticket, it is really not good-looking, the commercial atmosphere is far greater than the artistic atmosphere, not only can only consume to sit in the nearer area, but also after a short performance, the calligraphy and painting peddling link began. It's really boring, don't look at it.
In contrast, it is still the ancient temple that is more attractive. Manchunman Ancient Buddhist Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Xishuangbanna, with a history of more than 1400 years, and legend has it that it was the first Buddhist temple built after the introduction of Buddhism to Xishuangbanna. Manchunman Buddhist Temple is famous in Southeast Asia, and every year during major Buddhist events, monks and religious people from neighboring countries gather here to hold worship and chanting activities. Therefore, the incense here is exuberant, and the ethereal incense and the chanting of the little monk add a touch of serenity and mystery. There is also a Buddha statue where you can throw coins, and the little girl is super lucky and is actually throwing into the mouth of the dragon.
The 1,400-year-old Manting Pagoda is somewhat depressed, but the Tabao tree here is an extremely rare natural wonder. Probably a bird's trouble! It stole the seeds of the Bodhi tree, which was regarded as a sacred tree by the Dai family, and discharged the undigested feces to the top of the tower, because the weather in Banna was wet and rainy, suitable for seed germination, and the Bodhi tree, as a kind of banyan tree, had a more developed root system, so it spread from the inside to the outside. There are two pagoda trees at the entrance of the temple, and the largest one is next to the princess well in the backyard of the temple; perhaps tourists only look at the pagoda tree at the entrance, the inaccessible backyard floor is covered with soft lichens, the decadent desolation and the exuberant vitality of the trees, but it is reminiscent of the large banyan trees of Siem Reap Tabrung Temple, full of mystery and awe. The only regret is that there are too many mosquitoes here, only a few hurried photos or several large bags have been bitten.
If you are not in a hurry, you can also find a Dai family homestay in the Dai Garden to live in, experience the hospitality etiquette of the Dai family, drink slowly, taste carefully, and the scenery and charm of the Dai family will be integrated into this taste of one meal and one night.
Dai Nationality Garden is the soul of Xishuangbanna. Gardeners say that the Dai Garden is a model of courtyard gardens; historians say that the Dai Garden is a living national history museum; botanists say that the Dai Garden is the gene bank of the plant kingdom; literary scholars say that the Dai Garden is a fairyland on earth, a paradise far away from the city, a rare paradise...
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Olive Dam Dai Nationality Park
Transportation: self-driving or with a group; you can also take a bus from Banna Bus Station, take a long-distance bus from Jinghong to Menghan, get off at Olive Dam in the middle of the way, roll out throughout the day, the fare is 10 yuan / person; or take a cruise ship down the river at the Riverside Wharf in Jinghong City, which takes 2-3 hours one way
Admission: 45 yuan; students, children over 1.2 meters old, and the elderly over 60 years old, with valid documents, half tickets; children under 1.2 meters are free of charge
Starlight Night Market
The night market is the most charming and charming place in Xishuangbanna. Walk under the rows of beautiful oil-paper umbrellas, pass by a variety of cute stalls, pass by aromatic exotic cuisine, sip on Laos iced coffee, blow the gentle evening breeze of the Mekong River, but the food and night market can not be disappointed.
Although I have been to many cities in the country and even in the world, the scale of xishuangbanna night market still shocked me, so much so that I doubt that all Banna citizens will set up stalls at night, otherwise how can there be so many stalls! Perhaps only a place like Xishuangbanna, where the four seasons are like summer, can give birth to such an amazing night market culture!
At night, the market has completely changed its appearance, and the Starlight Night Market, the Chao Swing Night Market and the Six Kingdoms Floating Market on the banks of the Mekong River form the largest and most distinctive night market in the Golden Triangle region. Each street has its own unique style, some are brilliant lanterns, some are beautiful arches, some are rows of oil-paper umbrellas, small stalls are neatly arranged together, standing at the Shwedagon Pagoda looking down, it is like a vast ocean of stars! At that time, Xishuangbanna was like a green peacock with an open screen, showing her style in the flying streamers, and her charm was not only in the mountains and mountains, not only in the mountain forests, but also in the starry night market.
The Starlight Night Market brings together creative vendors from Yunnan, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and other places in the mainland, where you can truly feel the rushing culture of the Mekong River Basin. Traditional ethnic costumes with regional characteristics, ingenious creative folk crafts, and authentic local products from the origin, there are 100 reasons to chop hands here!
A street food mix of Southeast Asian specialties is definitely a must-see part of the night market. Laos iced coffee everywhere, the aroma of coffee with just the right sweetness, almost a must-drink drink to the night market, with plastic bags of coffee inserted in the straw while walking and drinking, thus starting the most comfortable night market taste journey. Dai barbecue everywhere, marinated meat skewers sprinkled with local spices, unique local flavor; wrapped in fish and shredded vegetables, with a little rice noodles, squeezed with a little bit of lime juice, which makes people feel endlessly evocative; steaming Vietnamese small rolls of flour, thin powder skin, rich filling, and then drizzled with special dipping water, the entrance is sour and refreshing, appetizing; eggs from Thailand Barada, spread into a large egg cake, rolled into salty and sweet fillings, bite a soft glutinous elastic. My favorite is dai flavor chicken feet, not necessarily cooked chicken feet, but also chicken breast, palm treasure or beef jerky, with onions, coriander, millet spicy, carrots, peanuts and other fresh ingredients, put into the stone mortar mixed and mashed, and then with rice noodles or rice noodles, sour and spicy, just look at the saliva.
At the Six Kingdoms Floating Market, you can also take a boat boat on the river, get close to the Lancang River, which has the reputation of the Danube River in the East, taste the beauty of southeast Asia's art of living, and feel the strong exotic style without leaving the country.
If you can catch the Xishuangbanna Water Lantern Festival, the scenery will be doubly wonderful, accompanied by the performance of the gong and elephant foot drum, the Mekong River is full of water lamps, and the Dai family uses water as a medium to make a wish for peace and joy. In the flickering lights, a couple loves each other, adding a lot of romance to the Festival.
Tips
Address: Jinghong Downtown In the west double scenic area of Zhizhuang, near the Shwedagon Pagoda
Business hours: 18:30-23:00 (there are fewer people before 20:00, and the stalls will be closed after 22:00)
Dai Li Lantern Exhibition
Although the annual Water Lantern Festival in Xishuangbanna lasts only three days and ends, the "Xishuangbanna Dai Lantern Exhibition", which combines traditional lanterns and Dai cultural elements, will continue until May 2021.
Dai Lantern Exhibition and Water Lantern Festival kicked off at the same time, lively float parades, song and dance performances and other activities showed the charm of Dai culture, a group of colorful lanterns full of imagination and creativity, integrated into the Dai culture in the Songkran Festival, Water Lantern Festival and other festivals, rich in Southeast Asian style, to create a colorful and beautiful picture.
The light exhibition includes 35 groups of large-scale theme light exhibitions such as white elephant haunting, red lotus blooming, peacock dance, luminous pagoda, giant mushroom, 15-meter big fish, 20-meter giant Nagarjun, 18-meter luminous white tower lamp, etc., with a total of 4 major areas. In the space of about 36,000 square meters of Binjiang Avenue - Rama Island - Peacock Theater in The West Shuangjing Riverside Avenue, the classic lanterns are ingenious and unique in the charm of light and shadow, creating a dreamlike fairy tale world, and every adult and child is immersed in this unique beauty.
The first light, the trees are overgrown, and white elephants are infested. The green and straight trees and the white elephant complement each other, and the gentle and thick elephant has large white jade teeth, and the big nose is thick and long, which is very cute. It is worth mentioning the legend of the Dai people about the Mekong River, in the ancient legend, the Mekong River is caused by the dragon "Naga", which is known as the guardian deity of the Mekong River, so there is a magnificent scene of 20 meters of Naga Dragon creeping on the ground on the lantern exhibition, and the three dragon heads are raised high.
The second lamp, the sacred and solemn luminous stupa. The luminous stupa emits a yellowish light standing in the water, surrounded by many pink lotus water lamps illuminating the water surface. The pagoda can protect people and make their wishes come true, so come and make blessings here!
The third lamp, the portrait lamp. Portraits of various shapes, wearing local ethnic costumes, or singing and dancing, or hard work, here you can learn about the diversity of Xishuangbanna's national culture.
The fourth lamp, the flower lamp. Flower lanterns to entertain gods, not only have the function of "playing tricks" to reward gods, but also have the value of entertaining people, is an important entertainment culture of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, such interesting flower lanterns must not fall.
In addition to appreciating the beauty of the light show, I have to admire the infinite wisdom of the light show designers; all kinds of flower lanterns, from geographical landscape to cultural traceability, from Dai rural life to myths and legends, the flower lanterns that stretch for several kilometers are instantly lit up at the same time in the village, as if shuttling through the stars of the universe, taking you to appreciate the most romantic moments of the night on the banks of the Lancang River
7th day 2020.10.31
Speaking of elephants, it's actually the most painful part of me in Xishuangbanna.
Elephant shows are indispensable to almost every major attraction, and shows are usually free of charge, so where does the cost come from? Nature comes from riding an elephant, or even riding an elephant's nose, and so on. And how are these elephants used for performances treated? The narrow and dirty elephant trough, overloaded performances, and the inability to get timely help when I am sick, I can't bear to look at the elephant's sad eyes every time I see it. In fact, each of us should refuse to watch the elephant show, but what about the facts? I can't even say to my own parents, in their fixed minds, the elephant show is included in the ticket, and since the money is spent, why not watch it? Fortunately, under my persuasion, they did not ride the elephant, avoiding further physical harm to the elephant.
In fact, I have doubts about the scenic spot of the Wild Elephant Valley, because the scenic spot is declaring "saving wild elephants", so why let the elephants perform and be ridden by tourists? In fact, the most core project of wild elephant valley is one is rainforest pastoral elephant and the other is rainforest riding elephant. The hurt of riding elephants is naturally needless to say, and the herding elephants are much milder, just following the elephants closely and interacting with them when they walk each day; if you want to get close to the elephants, this is probably the best way.
Wild Elephant Valley
In 2021, a group of "wild elephant tours" attracted everyone's attention, and after a group of elephants who traveled north for a while, they found that it was still the best in their hometown, so they went all the way south back to their habitat. So let's take a look at the home of this group of wild elephants! ——Wild Elephant Valley Tropical Rainforest Scenic Area.
Xishuangbanna Wild Elephant Valley, located in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Mengyangzi Conservation Area, "UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve", 22 kilometers away from Jinghong City, is China's first national park with animal protection and environmental protection as the theme. The scenic area is surrounded by river valleys, dense forests, and a tropical rainforest scenery, inhabited by rare animals such as Asian wild elephants, bison, green peacocks, and macaques.
Since the Wild Elephant Valley is located at the junction of the east and west areas of the Mengyang Nature Reserve, it naturally becomes a passage for various animals, and it is also the place where wild elephant activities are most concentrated and frequent. Through a number of projects, such as the High-Altitude Elephant Trail, the Rainforest Sightseeing Ropeway, the Asian Elephant Museum, the Asian Elephant Breeding Base, and the Asian Elephant Performance School, the scenic spot can safely observe the Asian wild elephants and their living environment without interfering with the lives of the Asian elephants, becoming the only place in China where asian wild elephants can communicate closely, and is known as "a bridge between human beings and Asian wild elephants."
Although I came to the Wild Elephant Valley to see wild elephants, the chance of actually seeing wild elephants is probably similar to buying lottery tickets. There are about 50 groups of more than 300 elephants living in the reserve, and on average 4.4 days there is a group of wild elephants that haunt, stroll, bathe and play, but the main activity time of wild elephants is evening, night and early morning, so observing wild elephants is a rare thing. To try your luck, you have to walk the 4,000-meter-long elephant boardwalk, which is fortunately a pleasant walking trail in the tropical rainforest, not only to see many rare animal and plant populations, but also to see the footprints, feces and other traces left by wild elephants. Of course, there are also "clever" ways,—— take a rainforest sightseeing ropeway to find the traces of elephants from the air. This two-kilometer ropeway is not too long and the ticket price is not too expensive, but the problem is that it is particularly slow! It took nearly 40 minutes to reach the top of the mountain, and the key is to sit for another 40 minutes on the return trip! As for the scenery, it is the same emerald green, where are the wild elephants? inexistent! Our family of three was so bored that they all fell asleep on the cable car, just taking selfies to pass the time.
While it is a blessing for tourists to encounter wild elephants, it is a disaster for nearby villagers. In the process of communicating with the locals, they learned that they have always smelled discolored, because there are many wild elephants breaking into the village to destroy farmland and harm humans, and because of their huge destructive power and amazing speed, it is almost impossible to escape safely from the wild elephants, so not meeting the wild elephants is their biggest hope.
Wild elephants are rare to see, but elephant performances at elephant schools are staged at regular intervals every day. Compared to the "Horror" wild elephants, being able to get up close and personal with well-trained elephants is safe and fun, and it is a good experience for most tourists. There are 16 elephants (including performing elephants) domesticated in the scenic spot, which is the first elephant training school in the mainland, and the elephants interact with the staff, bow to tourists, show welcome, will make upside downs on the ground and feet facing the sky, dance with the melody of music, can cross the canoe bridge, and will use elephant trunks as a "kicking" ball performance... Although the audience applauded, I really couldn't see these animals so driven to please humans by performing performances that went against their nature. What's more, those group photos riding on the back of the elephant or sitting on the trunk of the elephant, instead of praising the spirituality and well-behavedness of the elephant, it is better to lament that they have been strangled by human nature to this point.
Rainforest herding is probably the most respectful way of interacting with elephants, and although expensive and dangerous, it can see the most authentic side of elephant life. The domesticated elephants in the scenic area go out for a walk every day, and all we do is follow them. We followed an 18-year-old female elephant "RanRan" and its 3-year-old son "Little Seven", ran ran 3 years old because of stepping on the poacher's iron clip and caused serious injury to the left hind leg, is the first Chinese successfully captured from the wild shelter and rescue of wild elephants, the shepherds said that after Ranran's recovery they once wanted her to return to the wild life, but found that Ranran had adapted to human domestication and did not want to leave, so they have been living in the wild elephant valley. Perhaps because of being a mother, she took great care of my 5-year-old little girl, and when we took a picture with her, she swayed and danced happily, and when the little girl stood next to her and was ready to touch her rough skin, she stopped shaking, afraid of scaring or accidentally hurting the child, quietly waiting for touch. Compared with the empathy of the elephant mother, the 3-year-old little seven can be much more naughty, and the shepherd has repeatedly warned us to beware of the baby elephant, because she is still young, so she is particularly lively; don't look at the 3-year-old hair has not yet grown, and the size is not as tall as an adult, but the destructive power should not be underestimated. But just in case, I didn't expect That Little Seven actually stared at our camera bag! When taking a photo with the elephant mother for our mother and daughter, Dad put the round camera bag on the ground, and Xiao Qi, who was playing with the baby elephant of the same age "Little Eight" on the side, suddenly his eyes lit up, and he rushed to his father in a daze, and then kicked the camera bag away, and then chased it up to continue to kick the "ball", the scene was very chaotic, until the shepherd snatched our camera bag back from Xiao Qi's feet, and Xiao Qi's eyes still did not give up "coveting" our camera bag. After the end of the herding elephants, you can also feed the elephants to add food to them, naughty and greedy little seven naturally indispensable "weird", stretching out his nose around from the bamboo basket to grab food to eat, really angry and funny.
In addition to the elephant school and the elephant walkway, the scenic spot also has asian elephant museums, floating restaurants, tree hotels and other related facilities, as well as a water lily pond full of purple water lilies, a lizard garden inhabited by a variety of cold-blooded amphibians, an orchid garden planted with a variety of rare flowers, of course, the most popular butterfly is the butterfly garden, all kinds of butterflies flying among the flowers, or resting quietly among the leaves, and the colorful colors make the little girl look very fascinated.
In fact, for children, wild elephant valley is really a great place! About the story of Xiao Qi's camera bag as a "ball", the little girl chattered for a long time
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Mengyang Town 213 National Highway
Transportation: self-driving or with a group; you can also take a shuttle bus at the bus terminals in Jinghong City, about half an hour, the fare is 15-20 yuan; there are also tourist buses that can arrive, the fare is 15 yuan
Tickets: 65 yuan; students, children over 1.2 meters old, and the elderly aged 60-70 years old, with a valid certificate, half the ticket; children aged 6 or under 1.2 meters, the elderly over 70 years old, military personnel and disabled people with valid documents are free of charge
Other expenses: ropeway opening hours 8:30-15:00, one-way 50 yuan / person, round-trip 70 yuan / person; shepherd elephants 6 times a day, need to book in advance, play time of about 30 minutes, 198 yuan / person, 1.2 meters or less children half price (2 large and 1 small free child, 1 large and 1 small child half price, 2 large and 2 small of which 1 child half price)
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00 (last admission 16:30, last admission 16:30), elephant show time is 10:00, 11:40, 14:30, 16:30, each half hour.
Jinghong Shwedagon Pagoda Temple
Perhaps because of living in the West Double View of The Village, the Shwedagon Pagoda is at the foot of the open window every day, and every time I visit the night market, I always pass by, but I lose some of the interest of going to the special place.
The West Shuangjing of Jiezhuang is not a scenic spot, but a prosperous "Jinghong City in the City" created by the developer, and it is also a city of tourism, leisure, cultural experience, life and vacation rooted in the Dai Thai culture of the Mekong River Basin. There are three avenues in the west of The Village, namely Vientiane Avenue, Bodhi Avenue and Peacock Avenue, and you can walk straight from the main entrance to the landmark building, Jinghong Shwedagon Pagoda.
This pagoda, which has only been built for more than ten years, is very spectacular, consisting of a stupa, a Buddha foot stone, a wishing platform and so on. The height of the Shwedagon Pagoda is 66.6 meters high, which means one river and six countries, of which four small pagodas are solid pagodas, and the large pagoda is the Baye sutra museum, with a total of two floors of space for use, with four entrances in the east, west, south and north, and the central pagoda pillar is dedicated to the Zhou Buddha for tourists to pray for blessings. At the time of the full moon, looking down, above the angle of those cornices, dark clouds cover the moon, inexplicably more longitude and latitude.
Compared with the blessing, the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Starry Sky Night Market at its feet appear more in the photos of tourists. The girls dressed in Dai costumes and the photographers also became a scene of the double scenery of The West, especially on the platform to the Shwedagon Pagoda, almost crowded with models, photographers, makeup artists, and at least a dozen groups of people shooting, and the star-like umbrella cover was also spectacular. Fortunately, the Shwedagon Pagoda explicitly forbade the shooting of photographs, and finally this solemn place can still be found to be a little pure.
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Yun Jinghong Street Zhuang Xishuangjing
Admission: Free
Opening hours: All day
8th day 2020.11.1
The borderline is one of Banna's most unique charms. Located in the southernmost part of Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is connected to Laos in the southeast, Myanmar in the south and southwest, and thailand and Vietnam, with a border length of 966.3 kilometers, which is about 1/4 of the total length of the border line of Yunnan Province.
Although I often wander outside the country, I have never had a good tour of the border city, so this trip to the Talo Port is a destination I have been looking forward to for a long time. Even the circle of friends copywriter I thought about: "This is probably the closest time to leave the country since the epidemic!" "However, it turned out that I was still too naïve and lacked a basic understanding of border cities.
When we drove two hours from Jinghong to the border of Menghai County, lianren with the car was stopped aside. JC Shu asked, "What are you here for?" Is there an approval? Now the border does not allow free travel, don't you know? Candy and I were confused on the spot, and asked with two simple faces: "Why do you need to approve the tour?" JC Replied tactfully, "What if you go where you shouldn't go?!" Although we didn't even know where we shouldn't go, we could only prepare to go back home in frustration. Fortunately, there is still room for return, JC Shu Huang probably saw that we were carrying a baby and a good look, so he suggested that we hire a local tour guide to follow the whole process, and you can form a group on the spot. It may be more appropriate to say that it is a tour guide, but it is actually to monitor us the whole time.
Fortunately, with the guidance and explanation of the little brother of the tour guide, we not only took a lot of unjust roads, but also learned a lot of interesting knowledge about the border, and the 200 tour guide fee was not in vain. Also because of the epidemic control and other reasons, in the past, the tourist-bustling Taluo port could hardly see tourists, and for the first time we felt the happiness of contracting the entire scenic spot.
The point is that the precious punch card photos left at the Taluo port can be regarded as not taking this trip in vain
A forest of solitary trees
A single tree becomes a forest, as it literally means, a tree becomes a forest. As the saying goes, "a single tree does not become a forest", and only banyan trees in nature can "become a forest alone", and there are many such banyan trees in Xishuangbanna, which is not only a unique landscape here, but also contains a deep ecological view of Dai folk culture, Buddhist culture and Dai family harmony and nature.
This thousand-year-old banyan tree is located next to the Manzhao Village in the border trade area of Daluo Town, Xishuangbanna. The tree is 30 meters high, the tree area is 120 square meters, and on the main branches on the left and right sides of the tree, there are 36 air roots of different sizes, which go down the tree, intertwine with each other, coil at the roots, and plunge into the soil, forming a cluster of pillar roots connected by roots, creating a strange scenery of multiple trunks of a tree. Like a fence, like a natural screen, more like a line of soldiers guarding the border of the motherland, it is a strange landscape in the tropical rainforest and the artistic charm of nature's magic. This tree is also a sacred tree and a tree of love in the hearts of the local Dai people, and whenever there is a major festival, the people of the village will tie the thread under the tree, light incense, and place sacrifice offerings, praying for the sacred tree to bless life with happiness, love and a good harvest in the coming year.
A single tree can not only become a forest, but also a scenic spot. Because this tree is located in the development zone of Daluo Town, it is only about 1 kilometer away from the 219 and 218 boundary piles on the China-Myanmar border, and it is only more than 3 kilometers away from Mengla, the fourth special district of Myanmar. Therefore, after opening up here as a scenic spot, it attracts many domestic and foreign tourists to watch and take photos every day, becoming one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ta Lo Town.
In the scenic spot of the single tree forest, you can revel in the rain forest picture scroll created by nature's miraculous craftsmanship, feel the mysterious tribal folklore of the border, and taste the original Dai family style. There is a Buddhist building built in the Kangxi period, the Octagonal Pavilion, because it takes too long to climb the hill, we gave up with the little girl; there are mysterious cottages big ear and long neck people, border campgrounds and Meilongka Grand Theater, but during the epidemic period, it is also impossible to see, even the Sanxiang Square, which has always been popular, has been chartered by us.
However, you can still stand on the high ground and look at the Shwedagon Pagoda of Sino-Burmese Friendship, an imposing golden pagoda built in Myanmar to commemorate the peace and prosperity of shan state and Xishuangbanna, the fourth special district, and jointly financed by the two countries. The Shwedagon Pagoda seems to be within reach, but it is another territory, and it is a very magical thing to think.
In the scenic area, you can also find the No. 220 boundary monument, one side Chinese the other side of the Burmese language, and the fence of the scenic spot is also wrapped with a steel wire mesh with blades, all because the other side is the Territory of Myanmar. Only here is a bit of a sense of reality standing on the border. There is also a monument to the unknown hero in the scenic area, as well as the site of the Anti-Japanese Combat of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, which records the tragic and great history of the Chinese Expeditionary Force going to support Burma during World War II.
There are also many elements related to the Dai family culture in the scenic spot, the dragon ladder of the seven-headed dragon represents the 7 hardships and 7 hardships of the Buddha and the 7 hardships and 7 difficulties that must be experienced in life, after walking these 63 steps of the dragon ladder, you can overcome all difficulties and life is smooth; and the Guangming Buddha Temple, which has a history of more than 600 years, is the soul habitat of the Dai people, which is built on the border line and crosses two countries, symbolizing the essence of the Buddhist family: peace and tranquility, friendship from generation to generation.
Tropical rainforest style is also a major hot spot in the scenic spot, in addition to the wonders of a single tree into a forest, there are reunion trees, Thousand Hands Guanyin and other different forms of large banyan trees, standing under the husband and wife tree, naturally it is inevitable to take a group photo
Tips
Address: Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Menghai County Daluo Town Zhongma Street
Transportation: by car or group, parking is free and there are plenty of parking spaces
Admission: 30 yuan; students, 1.2 meters - 1.4 meters of children, 60 years old and older, with a valid certificate of preferential tickets; children under 1.2 meters, 70 years old and older, military and disabled people with valid documents free of charge; battery car round-trip 40 yuan / person, working hours 8:30-17:00
Mengjing to scenic spots
Mengjinglai is a typical traditional Dai village located in the Border Region between China and Myanmar, which is in contrast to the capital of Shan State and the famous tourist city of Xiaomengla, the fourth special district of Myanmar. This was once the religious and cultural center of the Sino-Burmese border, the clear Ta Luo River flows through the west side of the village, forming a natural national border, the other side of the river is Myanmar, the local Dai people and burma Shan border people frequent exchanges, intermarriage with each other, the formation of a rare phenomenon of Mixed Dai Shan, so it is called "the first village in China and Myanmar".
But what is more famous than the "First Village of China and Myanmar" is that as the filming location of "Where Did Daddy Go 3", the "temple meditation", "water carnival", "heavy taste food" in the variety show, and the "Dai family homestay" where the star fathers stay have become popular games that tourists talk about.
Mengjinglai as a scenic spot, covers an area of 5.6 square kilometers, set ethnic minority folk culture, religious culture, farming culture and border exploration culture as a whole, in which there are 100 acres of paddy fields, fish ponds, trees and fruits, a fresh and natural pastoral scenery. The Buddhist temples, Tallinns, sacred trees and ancient springs at the mouth of the village have a long history, and when it comes to the festival, many believers will come here to pray for the Sutras, and everywhere exudes a strong southern Theravada Buddhist cultural characteristics.
Walking into Mengjing, the village is simple and elegant, exquisite small buildings and pagodas, the fragrance of flowers and fruits wafting in the air, the soft Dai words lingering in the ears and the gentle cry of the spirit birds, everything is as beautiful and harmonious as a paradise. There are 114 Dai villagers living in the village, who are hospitable, but still continue and retain the traditional form of residence and way of life, the ancestors handed down the ancient method of sugar pressing, slow wheel pottery, Dai brocade making, Dai paper making, traditional winemaking, blacksmithing, Dai dance and other traditional skills, is a living Dai folk handicraft.
Leisurely strolling around in the Dai village, admiring the "dry column" Dai buildings, as well as a variety of murals full of Dai style, the sun is very good, there are not many tourists, and the little girl picks up a flower from the ground and pins it on the hat, which is an unforgettable good time. Of course, don't forget to punch a card at Monument 229, and then overlook the scenery on the other side of the boundary river, the same green mountains and rivers, but it is already the land of other countries. The border is really a wonderful place
Tips
Address: Xishuangbanna Prefecture Menghai County Daluo Town Mengjinglai
Transportation: by car or group, parking is free and there are plenty of parking spaces
Admission: 50 yuan; students, teenagers under 18 years old, and the elderly over 60 years old have half a ticket with a valid CERTIFICATE; children under 1.2 meters or under 6 years old, the elderly over 70 years old, military personnel and disabled people can get free of charge with a valid CERTIFICATE
9th day 2020.11.2
A day in Manzhang Village was the most leisurely day I had in Xishuangbanna.
There is no early departure and late return, no long-distance driving; no excessive commercialization, no endless tourists, no merchants who peddle and solicit customers, everything has a little more of a willing person's own meaning; this small village, quiet, simple, can be slowly shaken in a hammock for a noon, you can go into the water to touch the fish and directly sprinkle some salt to grill and eat, you can also make some handicrafts as a souvenir, listen to the stories of the Dai people and fall in love with the unique Dai culture.
The sun was just right, the breeze was just right, and everything was just right.
Manju Village
Manzhao Village is a small village with a history of more than 500 years, not too far from Jinghong City, but it is extremely rare not to be contaminated with too much commercial atmosphere, and still maintains the most simple living state of the Dai village intact.
Manzhang Village is not large, but it is very beautiful. The village is full of flowers and grasses, changing scenery step by step, and the eyes are full of vitality. The villagers here still live in the wooden stilt houses that have been handed down for generations, the first floor is elevated, and the pillars used for support are square to prevent snakes and insects from winding up, and the second floor is the room where the Dai family lives, the villagers' life is simple and simple, there is a Bodhi tree at the entrance of the village, where some vegetables and fruits sold by themselves are placed; the school playground is drying grain, and a fierce cockfighting performance is staged in the simple fenced field. Cockfighting performances are very intense, there is a strong ornamentality, cockfighting and the owner will often establish a tacit understanding of the feelings. In addition to cockfighting, almost every household in Manpao Village has a short-legged chicken as a pet, which has short legs, bright voice and bright coat color, so it is also regarded by locals as an auspicious thing and hung in the cage at the door.
Traditional skills have also been well preserved here, such as Dai brocade weaving, slow wheel pottery, Bayeux sutra production, elephant foot drum making, traditional handmade papermaking, etc., and about 20 intangible cultural heritages have been handed down to this day. Every family is leisurely doing its own thing, whether it is rice wine making or Dai brocade, not a "deliberate" existence to attract tourists, but the daily life of the local people to support their families. Experience these traditional projects in Manpao Village, most of which is 10 yuan / time, compared with some other over-commercialized villages, this price is simply touching!
At lunch, I chose one of the most well-known restaurants in the village, Haha House, and became the most popular homestay in the village because of the filming of the variety show "Haha Farmer"! Located at the head of the village haha house is very distinctive, built on the pond above the stilt house quite a bit of mood, although because of the accent reasons with the locals is not very smooth communication, but still can feel their enthusiasm, when ordering food the boss has always emphasized that his family dishes are very large, afraid that we ordered too much. Real farmhouse dishes, there is not much preparation, usually what is at home to give guests what, but Dai family rice noodles are a must! With a variety of spices, a big meal, it is so fragrant, 18 pieces of a big bowl is enough for our family to fill the stomach! When waiting for dinner, you can also lie on the hammock by the pond and slowly shake it, which is really a very pleasant lunch time
On the small pier next to the Haha House, you can also take a bamboo raft down the river, the simple locals support the bamboo poles, the bamboo raft on the water steadily skimmed, slowly and leisurely squandering time. We were originally worried about whether the bamboo basket would be empty, but the owner of the pond vowed that he would catch it! So the little girl took off the Dai patriarch's skirt, wore small shorts, took the fishing net in her hand and followed her grandfather into the water, crept around, and took great pains to catch it. The boss will specially put a few fish into the pond for tourists to net, and will also carefully guide you on the side, and will never let you go home empty-handed. Net to live fresh fish, the boss immediately began to process the barbecue on the side, there are lemon, lemongrass two flavors, the aroma of grilled fish hooked people water to flow out. Under the big tree is the restaurant, the natural scenery as the background, the bamboo pieces of bamboo as the table stool, the plantain green leaves are the dishes, such a simple happiness, is my best memory of Man palm village.
Manzhang Village is a small village suitable for slow taste, which is more literary and slow than other Dai villages. You may wish to live for a day or two, feel the slow life of the Dai family, and discover the different beauty of the four o'clock a day.
Tips
Address: Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Mengyang Manzhao Village
Transportation: self-driving or with the group to go; or take the shuttle bus from Jinghong City to Mengyang Town, 15 yuan / person, after getting off at the Mengyang Bus Station, you can take the motorcycle to go, about 40 yuan one way.
Admission: Free; experience various projects in the village for 10 yuan / person
Opening hours: All day
10th day 2020.11.3
In Xishuangbanna, I have seen more tropical rainforests and lost some interest in the original park, and for xishuangbanna, such a veteran tourist attraction as the primitive forest park, it is even more difficult to lift.
Accompanied by her parents and little girl to see, but unexpectedly felt good. Although the rainforest scenery is basically the same, the peacock flying here is really spectacular and unforgettable, so that when you see the photos, you always feel that you have to be afraid.
The newly built Mekong River Underwater World is also quite interesting, especially the mermaid performance is very amazing, which makes the little girl really happy. Sure enough, the old attractions also have their classics!
Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park
Xishuangbanna, as the only tropical rainforest in China recognized by the world, is probably the most important thing to do is a variety of primary forests. The reason why the old scenic spot Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park is still crowded with tourists today is not only because of its superior geographical location, but also because it integrates the magical natural scenery and rich folk customs of the original forest, highlighting the three theme characteristics of "tropical valley rainforest", "peacock culture-based wildlife display", "Hani-Aini people-based folk customs display".
Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park, located east of Jinghong, north of the Lancang River, only 8 kilometers from the city, is the closest primeval forest in Jeonju to Jinghong City. The scenic spot is based on about 30,000 acres of tropical ravine rainforest, and the forest coverage rate in the park is 98.6%, which is the best preserved primary forest south of the Tropic of Cancer.
It's a natural oxygen bar, strolling through the rainforest of the valley, breathing in the warm and humid air, and the greenery in front of you. Thousands of years of ancient trees cover the sky, trees are lush and lush, vines are intertwined, there are more than a million years of "living fossil" plants such as heavenly material wood, alder tree, chicken feather pine, as well as the forest giant wangtian tree, the root king si xue wood, etc., and the eight wonders of the rainforest - hanging, plate roots, vines and roses, single trees, hanging gardens, old stems and flowers, old stem fruits, dripping leaf tips and other natural phenomena can also be seen everywhere.
This tropical jungle is also inhabited by many rare animals and exotic animals, such as Asian elephants, hornbills, peacocks, black-crowned gibbons, etc., and birds and insects can be heard from time to time, and an old monkey will be stopped in the middle of the trail. The streams at your feet are turbulent, the winding paths between the mountains, the sunlight through the dense branches, the water waves refract the clear daylight, here away from the hustle and bustle of the city, three points lush, seven points comfortable, have a leisurely fun; you can also leap on the canopy of more than 20 meters high, accept the challenge of "trapeze artist", and appreciate the thrill and excitement.
There are also many scenic spots such as the Kowloon Flying Waterfall and the Manshuanglong White Pagoda, and a good ethnic minority village is preserved - Ai Ling Zhai. The Hani indigenous people here have moved out, but the bamboo buildings where they once lived have been well preserved, which can be learned from the way of life of the Hani ethnic minority in Xishuangbanna. The Ai Li people are a branch of the Hani people, mostly living in the lofty mountains, and are the only ethnic group in Xishuangbanna that has retained the custom of "snatching relatives"; although they have no writing, they have a very rich oral literature, and they are a people who love to sing, and singing is everywhere in life; the houses of the Ai Dai people are "dry fence" buildings, divided into two floors, the upper floor lives in people, and the lower level is used to pile up debris and keep livestock in captivity. The ailing people believe in primitive religion, they believe that all things have spirits, home gods, village gods, so there is a wishing tree in the village, hanging full of wishing signs and tied red ribbons, carrying many wishes of tourists.
In the park, you can also watch folk song and dance performances, and you can also participate in a small Songkran festival, which is very ethnic. But the most unmissable project is the "Peacock Southeast Fly"! The dancers danced like a dragon above the Golden Lake, interpreting the romantic love story of the Peacock Princess and the Prince of Zhaoshutun, although the performance time was not long, but under the blessing of the fog and water curtain, it was dreamlike and intoxicating. After the performance, it is the time for the peacocks to fly! Although it is not unusual to see peacocks in Banna, it is difficult not to marvel at the spectacular scene of hundreds of peacocks coming out in pairs, gracefully crossing the forest, skimming the sparkling lake, and spreading their wings to fly in front of them. Of course, you can also feed the peacocks and take photos with them, the initial painting style is still relatively normal, and the little girl is also happy to enjoy the intimate interaction with the peacock, but when the peacock is more and more dense, so many that she is surrounded, although the peacocks do not care at all about a human cub in the picture, but across the screen can feel the panic of the little girl. This picture also became one of her most memorable impressions of Xishuangbanna.
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is 8 kilometers away from the outskirts of Jinghong
Transportation: self-driving or with a group, plenty of parking spaces, parking is free; or take the Z21 bus to the "Forest Park" station to get off, the fare is 5 yuan / person.
Tickets: 45 yuan; students, minors under 18 years old, with a valid CERTIFICATE half ticket; children under 1.2 meters or 6 years old, the elderly over 70 years old, soldiers and disabled people, with valid documents free of charge; scenic spot battery car, one-way 40 yuan / person, the whole journey 60 yuan / person, along the way stop in the Middle Garden (peacock flying) - Kowloon Flying Waterfall (Ai Ling Cottage) - Rainforest Cultural Square (national song and dance performance) three stops.
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00; Peacock release, 7 times a day, each about 10 minutes, time is 8:40, 10:00, 12:00, 13:20, 14:40, 15:30, 17:00, cancelled in rainy days; folk song and dance performances, from 11:20 to 11:50; Songkran festival is 4 long every day, each session is about half an hour, the time is 13:40, 14:30, 15:20, 16:10, to participate in the water splashing activities need to rent national costumes.
Mekong Bottom World
For the newly completed Mekong river bottom world, I actually have hesitations. After all, compared with the colorful world under the sea, the fish under the river are somewhat "gray-headed", which is not good-looking. But thinking about it, although I have punched dozens of aquariums at home and abroad with my little girl, this freshwater aquarium has really never set foot in, so you may wish to go and see what is different.
Mekong River Bottom World is a virtual panoramic immersive aquarium built with mekong river animals and tropical rainforest as the core, the star species of the underwater world is composed of Chinese sturgeon, jellyfish, otters, giant catfish, brown folded tree frogs, Siamese giant carp composed of "blueberry six cute groups", although there is no bright and dazzling color, but the huge Chinese sturgeon is one of the oldest vertebrates of the same era as dinosaurs, known as "giant pandas in aquatic organisms", in the underwater tunnel built by acrylic glass, can be 270 ° lancang Enjoy a panoramic view of the various quirky elven fish landscapes at the bottom of the River-Mekong River, and feel a magical journey of the Mekong Elven Dream Kingdom.
In addition to fish, there are also a variety of "unpopular" magical animals, such as large and medium-sized plateau ecological fish bred in the upper reaches of the Lancang River in Tanggula Mountain, as well as various amphibians in the tropical rainforest, as well as naughty and cute freshwater rays
In addition to a variety of fish and animals, the interactions of the Mekong River Bottom World are also designed with care. There is a flying panoramic immersive 7D dynamic cinema, dazzling scenes, large screens, realistic pictures, take you sometimes flying into the sky, sometimes swooping down the river, crossing the exotic characteristics of six countries in a river, restoring a thrilling fantasy journey. There are also beautiful colorful kong ming lantern spaces, fantastic net red jellyfish viewing areas, and clown performances that are popular with children.
Of course, the most amazing thing is the "Mermaid Show"! In the clear and transparent water, the underwater elves launched a mermaid performance with Xishuangbanna style, combining the elegance of ballet with the tranquility of the underwater world to show the most beautiful dance posture. The little girl watched two games before she was willing to leave, and then rushed to this performance, and this trip to the underwater world was worth the ticket price!
Tickets: 180 yuan, children under 1.2 meters free of charge, local residents have preferential prices; you can buy a joint ticket with Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park, the price is more favorable
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00, mermaid show, 6 times a day, each 10 minutes, time is 10:40, 11:50, 12:50, 14:00, 15:00, 16:20
11th day 2020.11.4
Because most of the trips in the next few days were in Jinghong City or reported local small groups, I returned the rented car last night and opened the mode of walking + taxi + public transportation.
Inconvenient to travel, I went to the tropical flower garden in the city, but unexpectedly received a surprise. Probably because the attractions are older, there are not many tours, and the huge garden allows us to hang out. Encountering a rocky beach, it seems that the water is very shallow, so he allowed the little girl to play with the water under the bare feet, and the water flowed under the green shade, which was a particularly pleasant time. Catching a sudden rainstorm, the rain was so dense that the pavilion full of vines could not be covered, and the little girl stepped on the rain to find a roof that could shelter from the rain, and then bored to wait for the rain to stop. After a burst of clouds, the washed sky was as blue as ever, and it was also a rather wonderful day.
Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower Garden
Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower Garden is located in the urban area of Jinghong City, Yunnan Provincial Institute of Tropical Crop Sciences, the park preserves more than 100 species of tropical flowers more than 300 varieties, as well as thousands of tropical economic plants, through unique creativity and novel garden layout, unveiling the mystery of these tropical flowers, tropical fruit trees, southern medicine and other plants that are closely related to human life, and enjoying the beautiful tropical scenery and Banna style.
Taking the naturally formed water system as the main axis of the tour, the Hundred Gardens, the Hanging Garden, the Palm Area, the Savanna Lawn Area, the Bonsai Area, the Foliage Plant Area, the Tropical Fruit Tree Area and other scenic spots are unfolded in turn, and walking in it, what unfolds in front of you is a world of exotic flowers and colorful plants.
The bougainvillea in the tropical flower garden bloomed very well, a large piece of red luster, winding out a whole fence arch, bringing a touch of shade in the scorching sun; the egg garden was planted with a considerable number of varieties, presumably in its heyday, it must be extremely beautiful, but unfortunately just after the flowering period, there were only a few lonely flowers left on the bare trunk, and the little girl collected a large bunch of colorful plumeria under the tree, with a rich aroma inserted in her straw hat, a simple green time, but left a very good memory.
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Xuanwei Avenue No. 99
Transportation: By car or group, or take bus No. 1 to "Gasa" station / bus No. 2 to "Gadong" station and get off.
Tickets: 40 yuan; students, minors under 18 years old, and the elderly over 60 years old, with a valid certificate of half a ticket; children under 1.2 meters, the elderly over 70 years old, soldiers and disabled people, with a valid certificate free ticket; the park battery car 40 yuan / person, can be used in the scenic spot
12th day 2020.11.5
In fact, there is not much interest in the Mengli Great Buddha Temple, whether from the perspective of architectural history or natural ecology, there is no attraction. Nevertheless, among the many attractions in Banna, the popularity here has always been in the top three, probably a must-visit punch point for tour groups.
Holding the mood to see it to hit a card ~ Here is more like a newly built temple to attract tourists, only the Buddha statue is built high enough, the Songkran festival is not as big as the Dai Garden, the peacock flying is not as good as the primitive forest park, the only advantage is probably that it is close to the city
Mengli Great Buddha Temple
Located on the outskirts of Jinghong on Nanlian Mountain, the Mengli Great Buddha Temple was the royal temple of the Dai Dynasty in the Ming Dynasty, named "Jingpiao Buddha Temple", which was built by a Dai king named Dialing Dragon to commemorate the death of Princess Nansha Weibian. Later destroyed by the historical war, in 2005 on the original site restored and rebuilt, the Buddhist temple is built on the mountain, the drop of 122.8 meters, in the shape of a seated Buddha; its architectural style is similar to the Thai style, covering an area of 400 acres, is the largest temple in Southeast Asia, the status is also supreme, is the sacred place in the hearts of the Dai family.
The whole Mengli Great Buddha Temple is mainly red and yellow, and it looks golden and brilliant from a distance, which is also the standard building of southern Buddhism. From the Mountain Gate to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, the entire Buddhist temple takes the life of Buddha Shakyamuni and the activities of the Buddhist temple as the main line, and is skillfully integrated into the landscape and architectural groups, each building, each decoration, each group of steps has a story, everywhere highlights the historical and traditional cultural colors of southern Buddhism; there are also several small temples built next to the steps, showing the ethnic and religious characteristics of Southeast Asian countries.
The tallest bronze statue of the auspicious Buddha Shakyamuni in the temple is the most eye-catching statue in the whole temple, and the tallest giant Buddha in Southeast Asia, with a height of 49 meters and a weight of 400 tons, with a tall and beautiful appearance. From the square in front of the Ten Thousand Pagodas overlooking the Jinghong city, the beautiful tropical scenery and unique Dai ethnic architecture can be seen. Since the princess believed in Buddhism all her life, every festival, The Dai King would personally visit the temple and hold a large festival to commemorate the concubine and promote the Dharma; you can carry out Buddhist activities in the temple and feel the Buddhist culture.
In addition, Mengli Giant Buddha Temple is also a comprehensive scenic spot integrating southern culture, royal garden, Dai customs, Banna architecture, Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, Hilltop Park, auspicious Big Buddha, Splashing Water Square, and Peacock Cultural Park.
In order to let visitors feel the atmosphere of the traditional festival in Xishuangbanna, the temple organizes two small "Buddha bathing" activities every afternoon, that is, the "Songkran Festival" of the Dai New Year in mid-April every year,—— the locals get up in the morning to bathe in the Buddha, and then sprinkle pure water on each other to pray to wash away the bad luck of the past year. This activity is particularly favored by children, changing into Dai ethnic costumes, holding colorful water basins, and joyfully splashing water and playing in front of the Buddha, which is the rhythm of midsummer.
In addition, the peacock release is also worth seeing, and there are performances at different times of the day. Hundreds of peacocks fly down from the top of the mountain where the Big Buddha is located, and if you want to get up close and personal with the peacocks, you can also spend money to buy feed to feed. However, in terms of the number and beauty of peacocks, they are not as good as the primitive forest park, probably to prevent peacocks from flying away, the peacocks here have been plucked off their tail feathers, looking at the bare butts are a little pitiful
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Bodhi Avenue lower section
Transportation: By car or group, or by bus 2
Tickets: 120 yuan; 60-69 years old, tourists holding college, middle and primary school student cards, military disability certificates, journalist cards, with valid documents, preferential ticket prices of 80 yuan; children under 1.2 meters, 70 years old and older, with valid documents free of charge; battery cars in the park 40 yuan / person
13th day 2020.11.6
The reason why Wangtianshu Scenic Area chose to go with the group is mainly because it is too far from Jinghong, it will take nearly 3 hours to drive one way, and there will be a winding mountain road, if it is not two people to change the driving will have some hardships; and because of the close distance to the border, there will be some inconvenience for individuals to play.
Overall, the cost of a group tour is basically the same as that of a free trip, and at some times it is a more economical choice to go with a group
Wangtianshu Scenic Area
Wangtianshu Scenic Area is actually part of Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest National Park, and this oasis of 21 degrees north latitude is the core of Xishuangbanna's tropical rainforest. It is only 60 kilometers from the Mohan Port and 120 kilometers from the provincial capital of Nantha in Laos, and even closer than to The City of Jinghong.
As the name suggests, in the Wangtianshu Scenic Area, you can see towering trees more than 20 stories high, and even experience the aerial corridor built on the canopy of tens of meters; in addition, you can also appreciate the various wonders of the tropical rainforest, visit the ecological wonders of the Nanla River, and walk into the original natural village to experience the original ethnic minority customs, which is the only good place in China to experience the rainforest from water, land and air.
The Nanla River, known as the Amazon of the East, is the first stop to explore the Tianshu Tropical Rainforest. This beautiful river is the last tributary of the Lancang River that flows into the mainland (after flowing out of the country, it is the famous Mekong River), in the Dai language, "south" is water, "la" is tea, so this river is also known as "the river of tea water", is the "tea town" Mengla's mother river. Take a speedboat ride from the Mussel Rainforest Pier to the Wangtianshu Rainforest Pier, the winding banks of the Nanla River, the cascading dense tropical rainforest and the strange rainforest vegetation growing in the water together constitute a beautiful picture of the scenery, accompanied by cool water vapor to open an unforgettable rainforest trip.
The first place to greet visitors is the beautiful Tropical Flower Avenue. This rainforest flower path, with its traveler's banana flowers and plants, vines and climbing plants, tropical orchid landscapes, and old stems and flowers, shows a colorful and seasonal tropical rainforest flower world.
Walking through the Flower Avenue, the towering trees of the sky come into view. Wangtian tree is the tallest tree species in China, generally up to about 60 meters, some even as high as 80 meters, equivalent to the height of 20 floors; this broad-leaved tree grows extremely fast, a 70-year-old Wangtian tree can be as high as more than 50 meters. Its trunk is tall and majestic, majestic, and the crown is above the trees, looking down on the earth like the ruler of the tropical rainforest, but people cannot look up at the top of its canopy, so it is called "Looking at the Heavenly Tree"; and because of its tree shape like an umbrella, the local Dai people used to call it "umbrella tree".
If you just look at the trees, it is not unusual, the most attractive thing is the aerial corridor built in the canopy, with the help of dozens of tree trunks of the sky trees, to build a suspension bridge about 34 meters high and about 500 meters long. Originally built for scientific research purposes, the sky corridor was built by connecting thick iron cables between tall trees, suspended with steel ropes, nylon ropes and nets as guardrails, and aluminum alloy ladders as pedals, each section connected to a wooden platform repaired on the trunk. This thrilling and thrilling cloud walk, each step accompanied by the tremor of the iron cable, the distant view is an endless dense rainforest, and the close view of the various tree crowns is full of life, and the kudzu, orchid, and bromeliad plants are scrambling to climb, which is an unforgettable scene. Unexpectedly, the 5-year-old girl actually overcame her fear and walked the whole way by herself, which is really great! If you're afraid of heights, you can also snake along the path in the trees and explore the mysteries of the rainforest at zero distance.
At the end of the sky corridor is a natural swimming pool formed by the pool of spring water, and the "Philip Trail" and "Cai Xi Tao Trail" named in honor of Prince Philip and Professor Cai Xitao, who have made great contributions to this rainforest. These two rainforest trails are a condensed version of the essence of the tropical rainforest landscape in the entire Wangtianshu Scenic Area, with birds singing frogs, babbling streams, and the five wonders of the tropical rainforest - slab roots, strangulation, parasitic epiphytes, dripping leaf tips, and old stems huaichun.
If you see five towering trees tied with red ropes, don't forget to make a wish, it is said that the "Five Fingers of the Sky" is the guardian deity here, which together hold up this blue sky and this forest.
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Mengla County Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest National Park
Transportation: self-driving or with the group; every day at 8:00 from Jinghong there is a special line of tourist through the car; every day 9:50 a.m. \ 16:30 p.m. from Banna Bus Station to Mengban, to Wangtianshu Scenic Area can be dropped off
Tickets: 75 yuan for scenic spots; 198 yuan for connecting discount tickets (sightseeing ticket + one-way Nanla River sightseeing cruise + canopy corridor or glass covered bridge); half ticket for school students, minors under 18 years old, and seniors over 60 years old with valid documents; children under 1.2 meters or 6 years old, elderly people over 70 years old, military personnel and disabled people with valid documents
14th day 2020.11.7
Tired of seeing plants in Banna, I couldn't help but want to see the animals.
Xishuangbanna Tropical Zoo, which sounds like a big look, is actually the size of a children's playground, not so much built to attract tourists, but rather for local children. There are not many kinds of animals, only more than 30 kinds, and most of the garden houses are a bit dirty, and the elephants here are almost the worst I have seen in all the scenic spots in Banna. The only thing to commend is that almost every cage has a special feeding channel for animals, which can make children feel the pleasure of "feeding", although the animals' rations are not cheap. If you don't bring a baby, you really don't recommend it, the tickets are not cheap, and the price-performance ratio is too low.
After feeding the animals at the zoo, the next task is to feed yourself. In fact, in the past two weeks in Banna, we have eaten very little outside, one is that most of the meals here are spicy, and there are more barbecues, and many children can't eat; second, parents still feel that they are more comfortable eating, and it is very comfortable to eat a little white porridge and cook a vegetarian noodle. This red tooth elephant. Dai flavor food garden, is a Dai restaurant that has been open for more than 20 years, next to the tributaries of the Lancang River, Dai architecture and lush plants are very stylish, whether it is the restaurant environment or the production of dishes are very good, barbecue platter is a must,Try passionflower boiled fish, sweet and sour slightly spicy is a wonderful taste, pineapple rice is the signature of the red tooth elephant, must not be missed, especially favored by children ~
15th day 2020.11.8
On the last day of Banna, it happened to be the birthday of the little girl, and Banna had almost visited everywhere, so there was no special activity arranged. According to her wishes, she plans to go to the water park to play with the water, and go to eat and eat buffets by the way.
The only thing about Banna that is inferior to Sanya is probably that there are no beaches and water parks everywhere! However, as a new landmark, the Mekong River Jinglan Hotel not only has a large water park, but also a hot spring area, and the price of self-service is also quite suitable, even if you do not stay, you may wish to visit it.
Mekong River View Lan Hotel
There are not many hotels that can become a landmark of the city, and the Mekong River View Lan Hotel is one of them! When I first saw this hotel from afar, I thought it was a tourist attraction, and its grandeur was not much compared to the Shwedagon Pagoda not far away. Later, I learned that this magnificent building located in Xishuangjing is the most luxurious five-star hotel in Xishuangbanna!
The overall architecture of the hotel is full of Dai Thai romance, with white as the main color, with peacock elements as embellishments, looking like a palatial peacock palace. The interior of the hotel is based on dai Thai cultural elements in the style of the royal court, and the lobby is decorated with elephants that imply auspiciousness. The overall area of the hotel is 220,000 square meters, which integrates eating, living, traveling, traveling, entertainment and shopping, and the area of the sky garden and water area alone is tens of thousands of square meters! On the second floor of the hotel, there is actually a Jinglan Art Museum, which exhibits many exquisite and gorgeous Dai costumes, unique Dai ancient musical instruments, and you can also experience the Dai folk customs here.
Although there is no sea in Xishuangbanna, you can feel the most joyful water atmosphere at this water resort! The air water park has a wealth of water amusement facilities, not only a large water slide and a children's splash area, which allows children to release the power of the flood, but also 16 massage bubble pools and health bubble pools, swimming pools, viewing platforms, spa clubs and other supporting facilities.
The hotel has also designed a variety of special room types, unlike other hotels' scattered parent-child suites, the entire seven floors of Mekong River View Lan Hotel are exclusive floors for children belonging to parent-child families. In the luxurious parent-child room full of childlike fun and joy, there are children's exclusive washstands, small toilets, shower showers, and super fun slide beds, children can explore the secrets of the forest and the ocean without leaving the room, and enjoy intimate and happy parent-child time. The public areas on the floor also have a special entertainment area for children, which is very suitable for young babies.
At the Mekong Grand Lan Hotel, enjoying a meal is something you don't need to worry about. Not to mention that the hotel is close to the Starlight Night Market and the Six Kingdoms Floating Market, there is also a luxurious Western restaurant on the roof of the building and a panoramic viewing lounge overlooking the Village, as well as a buffet restaurant that can accommodate 500 people at the same time , Paya Restaurant. The environment of the restaurant is very good, the decoration is also very Southeast Asian style, and there are special children's dining areas and children's play areas for parent-child families, which is really very intimate! There are also dazzling varieties of meals, not only Japanese ingredients such as sashimi and sushi, but also a variety of seafood that can be cooked in small hot pots, Western food such as steak, pizza, burgers, etc., Chinese stir-fried dishes also have a variety of choices, as well as Dai characteristics of grilled chicken grilled fish and various platters. Desserts and ice cream are not only varied, but also very exquisite, worthy of the ceiling of the Xishuangbanna buffet!
Tips
Address: Yunnan Province Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong City Bodhi Avenue To Zhuang Xishuangjing
23th day 2020.11.9
When I left Banna, I was quite infatuated. Although it is also in Yunnan, the climate of Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Tengchong is not as comfortable as that of Banna. In the summer, you may not be aware of it, but in the winter, you will obviously feel the gap between the tropics and the subtropics.
I even considered whether to invest in a vacation house in Banna, in fact, it is really suitable for the elderly, but in the end it is still considering the problem of the length of stay. But no matter what, it can't affect my good feelings for Banna, although this time I have played the city and its surroundings almost over and over again, but I believe that in the near future, I will still go to this magical and ideal paradise again and again!
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