Xishuangbanna (often just Banna is used; Chinese: 西双版纳; Lü: ᧑᧒ ᦗᧃ ᦓᦱ) is an autonomous prefecture in the south of Yunnan, near the Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese and Burmese borders. The ethnic groups and the local languages in this area are more Southeast Asian than Chinese. The region is a very popular destination for Chinese tourists. It offers most of the attractions of Thailand — warm climate, tropical fruits and flowers, elephants, jungle treks, cultural diversity, and a reasonably well-established tourist industry — without the complications of a border or different language and currency.
For other tourists, especially backpackers, the region serves as stop on the Banana Pancake Trail; it is on a major route between China and Southeast Asia. No matter who you are, the area is a major tourist destination.
"Xishuangbanna" is a name from the Dai language, "Xishuang" means twelve, "Banna" means an administrative unit that provides feudal taxes (literally translated as "twelve thousand rice fields"), and actually refers to twelve administrative regions.
The Xishuangbanna region has the best-preserved tropical ecosystem in China, with the only tropical rainforest in China. It is a nature reserve, a member of the United Nations Biodiversity Conservation Circle, and an observation point for sustainable tourism development of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. It has one-sixth of all plant species and one quarter of all animal species in China. Xishuangbanna is the second largest natural rubber production base in China, the origin of large-leaf tea, and the hometown of Pu-erh tea.
Xishuanbanna is a very ethnically diverse region, with the Dai people forming a plurality. The Dai people share close cultural ties with Thailand, speaking languages in the same family as Thai, and being Theravada Buddhists just like the Thais. Many Thai festivals such as Songkran and Loy Krathong are also celebrated by the Dai people. As in Thailand, Songkran is the most important festival in Xishuangbanna, when the streets erupt in a massive water fight.
As anywhere in China, Mandarin is the lingua franca used for communication between speakers of different languages. However this area, like most of Yunnan, has several different ethnic groups and most of those have their own language. In Banna, the largest group are the Dai, ethnically and linguistically very similar to Thai people and language.
There is a highway south from Kunming into this region, via Pu'er.
The airport bus can easily reach the city from the airport, and the airport special line No. 1 also passes through the night market and temple attractions. The price is RMB 4. The tourist route can choose ordinary bus and tourist line. Among them, ordinary bus No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and bus Z21 pass through many tourist attractions, and the price is RMB 3 yuan. Attractions will have corresponding tourist bus lines, most of which are 5 yuan for round trips. Payment methods can be credit card or coin.
The starting price of taxis in Xishuangbanna is 7 yuan (3 kilometers), including 2 yuan fuel surcharge.
There are many places in Xishuangbanna where you can rent battery cars(Or a shared battery car parked on the side of the road). For many local residents, electric cars are one of the main ways to get around.
As most Dai people are Theravada Buddhists, the main attraction here is the Theravada Buddhist temples, which are very similar in architecture to those in Thailand and Laos.
Stay in a Hani village homestay and visit tea plantations, do jungle hikes and try the local foods. 300 yuan per night with three meals included.
·Dried fruit(水果干) - Xishuangbanna is a tropical area, so there are plenty of fresh and dried tropical fruit.
The prefecture borders Myanmar and Laos. Buses leave from Jinghong and Mengla to Luang Namtha. From Jinghong it costs RMB70 and takes 7 hours. Laos visas cost USD40 at the border; two extra passport photos are required.
Primary administrative division