Ganlanba, also known as Menghan in Dai language, 26 kilometers down the Mekong from Jinghong City, is a small basin by the river. With fertile land, abounding in rice and various tropical fruits,  it has always been a traditional inhabiting area of Dai nationality, vast paddy field in the countryside dotted with numerous Dai villages spreads out a picture of peaceful rural life. People are hospitable and laborious, they have been maintaining the most traditional parts of their original life, believing in Theravada Buddhism, staying in stilted houses, engaged in rice growing, optimistic about life... Ganlanba is the right place to see into the authentic life of Dai. There is a Dai Culture Garden beside town, it's a park more for tourists, entrance fee: 100 RMB, if want to explore natural villages and local life, suggest going into countryside, entrance fee: 0 RMB, whole area is flat, good roads connect villages, to cycle around is our recommendation, it may help you discover more about this region.

Xishuangbanna enjoys great fame for great diversity of tropical plants, is reputed as a flora kingdom for more than 5000 kinds of higher plants growing in the tropical rainforest. Tropical Botanical Garden lies on a small peninsula surrounded by Luosuo River near Menglun Town, 70 kilometers away in the east from Jinghong.  It actually is a research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, specializing in study on all kinds of tropical plants. The Botanical Garden was founded in 1959 under leadership of Cai Xitao, a great Chinese botanist, covering an area of around 900 hectares, holding a collection of more than 12000 both domestic and introduced botanical species, it is the biggest tropical botanical garden in China. Nice view in the garden makes it an important tourist attraction in Xishuangbanna. The best time to visit Botanical Garden is in the afternoon, when all tourists leave and serenity of nature comes back, if have more time, to stay one night at small hotel in the garden would be even nicer. Entrance fee: 80 RMB

White Stupa

White Stupa is perched on the top of a small hill behind Manfeilong village, Damenglong, about 60 kilometers far from Jinghong in the south. Built in 1204, it's the oldest building in Xishuangbanna, as well one of the three most famous Theravada Buildings of Yunnan. With main stupa in the middle and eight minor ones around, stupa is in graceful shape like a group of growing bamboo shoots.  Construction was done around 800 years ago by local villagers with sands, sticky rice flour serving as bond and lime, when Buddhism was just introduced into this region. Stupa is famous in Southeast Asia for a footprint in its niche, which was left by Buddha according to Dai Buddhists. Fortunately. White Stupa haven't yet become interesting to tourist crowds, still remaining serene, peaceful and religious. To see only a stupa is a little simple, but there are many villages of Dai around, that gives you chances to do some exploration. Entrance fee: 10 RMB, sometimes no one collects it.

Octagonal Pavilion is located by Jingzheng village of Mengzhe, Menghai County, 70 kilometers in the west from Jinghong. It was constructed as a meeting room for local senior monks in 1701, Han architects offered help during construction. The original building was destructed during Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976, current one is a restoration in 1981, 21 meters in height and 10 meters in diameter, layer upon layer, ten roofs in total on its upper part signifying different levels of Buddhists' self-cultivation, eight attics are arranged around its roof, which stand for eight disciples of Sakyamuni. Like White Stupa, Pavilion is also one of the three most famous Theravada Buddhism Buildings in Yunnan. Octagonal Pavilion is still free from tourism impact, remaining as a quiet and religious place, suggest visit to the Pavilion be combined with the visits to local market, ethnic villages and short hiking around Mount. Nannuo, the day can be more interesting. Entrance fee: 10 RMB.

Tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna provided ideal habitat to various animals, including wild Asian elephant. Wild Elephant Valley is 30 kilometers in the north of Jinghong. at the edge of nature reserve for protecting rainforest and wild elephants. Xishuangbanna is the only residing area of wild elephant in China, and Wild Elephant Valley is the place where to meet them is possible. although the chance is small. Here in this area live around 60 wild elephants, occasionally for food they would walk very close to human. In the park a 2-kilometer long cable lift above jungle enables tourists to get nice forest view from the air, and a small elephant domesticating show may amuse tourists. Wild Elephant Valley is popular tourist spot, crowded with noisy tourists, for rainforest view, it's fine, for wild elephants, guess most visitors would be disappointed, elephants hate noise. Entrance fee: 65 RMB, one-way cable lift: 40 RMB, Elephant Show time: 11:00-11:30, 13:30-14:00, 13:20-13:50.

Tropical Flower & Plant Garden

Tropical Flower & Plant Garden is a park in town of Jinghong, measuring around 80 hectares. Garden once was the experimental fields of Yunnan Tropical Crops Institute established in 1953, who specialized in introduction and cultivation of tropical crops. Rubber tree, the most important and universally planted cash crop in Xishuangbanna, was first introduced, bred, verified and popularized by this research. As response to the 99' World Horticulture Expo held in Kunming, Yunnan, In 1999, holding exotic tropical flowers and ornamental plants in big variety cultivated with their advantageous technology, experimental fields of research was reprogrammed and opened to public. Tropical Flower & Plant Garden is not big, easy to reach, if don't have enough time to visit tropical botanical garden in Menglun, this can be a good substitute, some touristy, but acceptable, for a relaxing walk or for knowledge about local tropical plants. Entrance fee: 40 RMB.

Skytree Rainforest Park

Skytree, member of Dipterocarp Family, indigenous specie that grows in rainforest near Mengla, close to Lao border. Name tells it has good height, indeed, 40-70 meters normally, the tallest even hits 80, they are regarded as the giants in rainforest of Xishuangbanna. Botanists found skytrees for the first time in 1975, and zoned the area as a nature reserve, government opened it to the public for tourism. Skytree Rainforest Park is approximately 130 kilometers from Jinghong, 20 kilometers from county seat of Mengla, it offered different angles to view rainforest, tourists can enjoy scenery of primeval forest by a relaxing cruise in the river, by a refreshing walk along paved path, or by a funky walk across cable bridges 30 meters above ground. Park is a little far from town, suggest combining visits to Ganlanba, Tropical Botanical Garden and ethnic villages to be a 2-day trip, or dropping in during your overland trip from Laos to China or from China to Laos. Entrance fee: 180 RMB.

Ethnic Minority Villages

Xishuangbanna is a multi-nationality region, villages of different ethnic groups are scattered everywhere in the countryside, you may learn about them in museums or books, but it can never be more perceptual than your personal visit to a villages to find out how their authentic life is going on or how their culture is performed. Villages of different minorities display different traditions and life styles, different costumes and languages, different social  situations and culture, but they also share something in common, same friendly, same hard-working and simple, when people in town are alienated from each other or distrusting each other, harmony is still well maintained in their communities. There is no breathtaking view in Xishuangbanna, nor grand historic relic, but villages where ethnic people are still living traditional way are quite worth visit. You can walk into their villages, even houses easily, for a drink or a short chat, their honest smile will deliver you the most pristine hospitality. Entrance fee: 0 RMB.

Mekong River

The Mekong originates from Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in northwest of China, winding the way across eastern Tibet into Yunnan, then through Southeast Asian Peninsula, finally inpours into the Pacific Ocean somewhere near Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam, full length is over 4800 kilometers. Mekong in China is differently named, Lan Cang, a word from Dai language, meaning River of Millions of Elephants. This is the most important river in Southeast Asia, not to millions of elephants, but to millions of people living along its banks, in Thai, Mekong means Mother River. Xishuangbanna is the last stop of Mekong in China, and Jinghong is an international port, boat trip between Thailand and China is in operation, but due to insufficiency of passengers or low water level in dry season, service is not very regular. For view of Mekong, the best choice is to cruise from Jinghong to Ganlanba, by rubber dinghy, 900 RMB / per boat, more private and flexible, or by daily tour boat, 180 RMB / per person.

Mengbalanaxi Culture Show

Travelers might not have  enough time to see all nice aspects of Xishuangbanna, nor so many chances to experience traditions and culture of all ethnic groups, to watch a culture show may help you learn more about our region. With flowery light effects, colorful costumes, beautiful stage designing and well-organized performance, Mengbalanaxi Culture Show is your best choice for evening time. From different angles, it presents the history and story about Xishuangbanna, also festival, culture and belief of local ethnic groups and our neighbors living along the Mekong. Mengbalanaxi is a word from Dai language, meaning mysterious and beautiful hometown, truly, from show audience can feel the deep love local people cherish for the land that is nurturing them. If not with too artistic or choosy eye, this show is worth spending some time. Culture Show starts daily at 20:10, lasts 1 hour and 40 minutes, price of ticket: 180 RMB for normal seat, 280 RMB for VIP seat.

Enjoy your visit to Xishuangbanna.

Hope our introduction can be of some help  when you choose what to see or to do during your stay.