Cities > Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture
Overview
Chinese Name: 西双版纳傣族自治州English Name: Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna / Sipsongpanna
Climate: Subtropical monsoon rainforest climate
Airport: Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport
Train Station: Xishuangbanna Station
Background
Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, referred to as "Xishuangbanna," is an autonomous prefecture under the jurisdiction of Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China. It is located between latitudes 21°10' and 22°40' north and longitudes 99°55' and 101°50' east, situated on the northern edge of the tropical zone south of the Tropic of Cancer. It borders Pu'er City to the northeast and northwest, connects with Laos to the southeast, and shares a border with Myanmar to the southwest. The predominant dialect spoken in the area is Dai. The climatic characteristics of Xishuangbanna are high temperatures, abundant rainfall, distinct wet and dry seasons, and lack of distinct four seasons, with the periphery of the prefecture being high and the center being low, high in the northwest and low in the southeast. The Lancang River and the Nanpan River are the two main rivers in this region.Etymology
"Xishuangbanna" is derived from the Dai language. "Xishuang" means twelve, and "banna" refers to an administrative unit that provides feudal taxes (literally translated as “twelve thousand rice fields”), which actually refers to twelve administrative regions.Climate Characteristics
Xishuangbanna is located in the subtropical zone, belonging to the subtropical rainforest monsoon climate. It is positioned at the northern edge of the tropics, protected by the Ailao and Wuliang mountains to the north, which block cold air from the south. The area lies close to the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal to the south on both the east and west sides. In summer, it is influenced by the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean and the southeast airflow from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in high temperatures, abundant rainfall, distinct wet and dry seasons, and a lack of four seasons. Thus, Xishuangbanna’s climate is warm and humid year-round, with only a dry season from November to April and a wet season from May to October. In 2023, annual rainfall across the counties and cities ranged from 627.5 to 1196.6 mm, with Jinghong experiencing significantly less, while Menghai and Mengla saw slightly less; total sunshine hours ranged between 1889.3 to 1966.2 hours, with Jinghong lower than normal, and Mengla and Menghai normal; average annual temperatures ranged from 19.6 to 25.6 °C, with Jinghong and Mengla higher than normal, while Menghai was normal.Geological Structure
Xishuangbanna has a complex geological structure, with stratums mainly consisting of limestone, granite, schist, and other rocks. Xishuangbanna is located along the north-south fault line of the Hengduan Mountains, with tectonic lines gradually radiating outward. The entire region is enclosed by metamorphic mountain ranges, elevated on both the east and west sides, while the center is a subsiding area with red sedimentary layers alternating between marine and terrestrial environments from the Triassic period onward. The strata have undergone multiple orogeny events, forming a complex geological structure. The surface morphology is heavily influenced by the Lancang River's deep fault and secondary faults, with tight folds and clustered faults. East and west of the Lancang River, there are significant differences in the stratums; the east consists mainly of red fluvial and lacustrine clastic rocks from the Mesozoic, while the west is predominantly granite and various schists and quartzites. The primary lithology and stratums are from the Tertiary and Quaternary fluvial-lacustrine sedimentary layers, mostly found in the riverbanks’ floodplains, terraces, and the low hills on both sides of the basin.Cuisine
Xishuangbanna's ethnic cuisine is unique, with Dai cuisine forming its own system. The basic cooking methods include roasting, frying, steaming, chopping, and pickling, with stir-frying being rare. The flavor characteristics are fragrant, crisp, sour, spicy, and fresh. Major dietary habits likely include rice as a staple food, accompanied by dishes made with a variety of seafood, pork, poultry, vegetables, and wild plants. Notably, hot pot and sour fish dishes are representative specialties that are highly popular, attracting many tourists to taste them.Delicacies
Menghai Roasted Chicken
Menghai roasted chicken uses free-range chickens raised in tropical rainforests and secondary bamboo forests below 1,000 meters in elevation, accompanied by unique seasonings and spices for roasting. It has a golden color, crispy exterior, and tender juicy meat, tasting fresh and sweet without being greasy. The best flavor comes from freshly roasted chicken, enjoyed hot, where the delightful taste fills the mouth immediately, complemented by traditional dipping sauces, making it a delicious treat eaten with hands to savor its unique flavor.Bamboo Tube Chicken
Bamboo tube chicken is one of the unique dishes of the Hani people in Xishuangbanna, with a long history. Its primitive and simple method reflects the Hani people's reverence for bamboo culture and nature. The bamboo tube chicken, made with bamboo as the kitchenware and chicken as the main ingredient, retains the aroma of bamboo during cooking, resulting in a fragrant and sweet broth with tender chicken that leaves a lasting impression, showcasing the unique culinary culture of the Hani people.Moss
In Xishuangbanna, moss is made into a delicacy by the Dai people and has captivated many diners due to its delicious and unique flavor, making it one of the more representative Dai dishes.Nami
Nami is also a featured delicacy on the dining table in Xishuangbanna. Its preparation is very particular, primarily using harmless and non-polluted fruits and vegetables, fish and shrimp, processed through various methods such as boiling, roasting, stewing, pounding, chopping, and mixing, allowing the sauces to encompass salty, sour, fragrant, spicy, fresh, sweet, and bitter flavors, harmoniously blending with various foods in the mouth.Customs
Ethnic Festivals
Major traditional festivals of the Dai people include “Songkran” (Water Splashing Festival), “Hao Wasa” (Guardian of Summer), and “Ao Wasa” (Exit Guardian of Summer). The Hani people (Akha) majorly celebrate traditional festivals such as "Gatongpa" and "Yekuzha."Clothing
Dai men's clothing usually features a collarless, front-opening or loose upper garment with short sleeves, paired with long trousers. In cold weather, they wear woolen blankets, often wrapping their heads with white or blue cloth. Tattooing among men is common, symbolizing courage and serving protective or decorative purposes. Boys usually get tattooed around the age of 11, with common motifs including tigers, leopards, lions, dragons, snakes, and eagles. Dai women wear white or scarlet lingerie, with a fitted waist and wide hem, complemented by colorful tube skirts.Residential Architecture
The stilt house is characteristic of Dai homes. The structure is roughly square, with two stories; the upper level is for living and is about 7 feet above the ground, while the lower level has no walls, used for livestock and storage. The roof is a double-sloping style, often covered with woven grass mats. The Dai Buddhist temple architecture in Xishuangbanna mainly features double-eaved, multi-sloped flat-tile structures. These temples are generally square, facing east, with the roof slopes made of three layers, a higher central hall, and decreasing heights on the north and south sides, forming an undulating pattern. The roof uses rectangular tiles, and the ridge and eaves are adorned with various tile decorations.Folk Handicafts
Dai brocade is a renowned textile of the Dai people. There are cotton and silk types of Dai brocade. It represents an ancient manual weaving craft, with designs created through skilled textile techniques that typically consist of monochromatic surfaces, woven with a focus on the patterns. While weaving, Dai women tie the pattern to a "pattern board" using thin strings and use foot pedal movements to create two layers of warp before introducing the weft, repeating this process yields beautiful Dai brocade. The Dai people in Xishuangbanna mastered the techniques of spinning cotton and weaving since the Tang and Song Dynasties. By the Ming Dynasty, they could already weave “silk curtains” and “velvet brocade” as tribute offerings.Music
Dai Zhangha
Dai Zhangha, also translated as Dai Zanha, means "singer" and refers to both singers and a popular form of folk art among the Dai people. On May 20, 2006, it was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists approved by the State Council. During festive occasions, moving into new homes, and celebrating a child's first month, the melodious and heartfelt songs of the Dai Zhangha become an essential blessing, metaphorically referred to as "the salt essential for life" and "fragrant flowers."Bulang Folk Song
Bulang folk song is a popular form of folk music among the Bulang people, mainly found in areas like Menghai County, Siding Township, Daluo Town, and Mengman Town in Xishuangbanna. It originates from the songs of the Bulang ancestors, absorbing elements of Dai music to form its unique style. Bulang folk songs are typically sung during major festivals, weddings, and funerals, covering themes such as migration history, production knowledge, sacrifices, and also including folk songs, love songs, work songs, and children's songs. In recent years, the topics of Bulang folk songs have greatly expanded, adding expressions of social progress and new experiences constantly emerging. Representative works include "Joyful Bulang," "Like Two Flowers," and "How Beautiful is the Moon Tonight."Dance
Jino Grand Drum Dance
The Jino Grand Drum Dance can be considered a living ancient text of the Jino people. For the Jino, who lack written records, the grand drum dance and the associated rituals compensate for the absence of cultural documentation, revealing the mystery and antiquity of the Jino culture. The dance integrates Jino dance, music, and folklore, characterized by its lively and unique style, reflecting a rich cultural heritage and distinct ethnic traits. The grand drum of the Jino is about 1 meter long with a diameter of approximately 40 to 50 cm, covered with cowhide on both sides; traditionally performed only during significant festivals like “Worshiping Family Gods” or “Iron Smelting Festival.”Dai Elephant Foot Drum Dance
The Elephant Foot Drum Dance is the most widespread, highest level of performance, and most representative traditional ethnic dance among the Dai people. It includes solo dances, partner dances, and group performances, suitable for various occasions or self-entertainment. The purpose of performing this dance is to worship spirits, drive away disasters, and celebrate bountiful harvests. The Elephant Foot Drum Dance is not only popular among the Dai but also among various ethnic groups within China, such as the De'ang, Zhuang, and Achang, and has spread to many countries in Southeast Asia.Peacock Dance
The Peacock Dance is the most famous traditional performance dance among the Dai people in China, found in regions such as Ruili, Luxi, and Xishuangbanna. The dance primarily symbolizes the grace of the peacock. It is believed that over a thousand years ago, Dai leader Zhao Mali Jie learned to dance by mimicking the peacock’s graceful movements, which were later refined by generations of folk artists, leading to the dance's current form. The dancers use their long arms, flexible waists, and elegant moves to depict the peacock's agility and beauty, perfectly blending the peacock’s elegance in every action, exuding a sense of life rhythm.Cultural Relics
Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion
The Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion is located in Jingzhen Village, Mengzha Township, Menghai County, 14 kilometers from the county seat. The octagonal pavilion is a Buddhist structure known as “Wosu” in the Dai language and is part of the central temple of the area, “Wala Zatan.” It is said to have been built in imitation of the golden hat worn by the Buddha to commemorate Siddhartha Gautama. This pavilion serves as both a meeting place for religious councils and a venue for promoting monks to the status of "Buddha." On the 15th and 30th of each month in the Dai calendar, leaders gather in the pavilion to listen to teachings from high monks and discuss significant religious activities. It was designated as a national protected cultural heritage site in 1988.Manfeilong White Pagoda
The Manfeilong Pagoda is located in Manfeilong Village, Daliang Town, 60 kilometers from the urban area of Jinghong and 3 kilometers from the government of Menglong Town. Situated on the back hill of Manfeilong Village, it was built in the Dai calendar year 565 (1204) and has undergone several restorations, representing Southern Buddhism architecture. The pagoda base features multiple lotus petals, and the main pagoda and eight subsidiary pagodas are shaped like gourds, with heights in a golden ratio. Its visual appearance is round, solid, and dignified. The pagoda's spire includes elements such as treasures, auspicious wheels, treasure canopies, and wind bells; eight Buddhist niches are affixed around the waist of the subsidiary pagoda. It is a product of the intricate blending of ancient Dai and Southeast Asian architectural styles. Beneath the southern Buddhist niche lies a large natural footprint, said to be the relic of Sidddhartha Gautama, alongside a never-drying well. Between 1778 and 1980, local residents conducted restoration efforts. It was designated as a provincial protected cultural heritage site in 1983 and elevated to a national key cultural heritage protection site in January 1988.Manduan Temple
Manduan Temple, known as "Wala Zatan" in Dai language, is a central Buddhist temple located in the village of Manduan in Mengzha Town, Menghai County, Yunnan Province. According to Dai literature, this temple was founded in the Dai calendar year 312 (950 CE), and the current main hall is a Qing Dynasty structure. The temple complex consists of the main hall, monk dormitory, drum room, precepts hall, pagoda, and mountain gate, covering an area of 2149 square meters. The main hall has four bays, 14 meters wide, 19.4 meters long, with a building area of 271.6 square meters, and it was recognized as a national key cultural heritage site by the State Council in 2006.Manchunman Temple
Manchunman Temple is located to the south of Manchunman Village in Menghan Town, Jinghong City. It comprises a gate pavilion, main hall, precepts hall, scripture hall, pagoda, monk dormitory, and drum room, covering about 3666.94 square meters. Manchunman Temple is structured using walls and columns, featuring 44 wooden columns including a central pillar, with a double eave and a single sloping roof. The temple is characterized by the use of short columns between the outer beams and low walls, giving it a spacious and bright appearance. It was originally built in the year 1126 BE (582 CE), reconstructed in the Dai calendar year 621 (1260 BE), and has undergone two repairs in the years 1104 (1742 CE) and 1158 (1796 CE), with the existing structure dating from the Qing Dynasty, well-preserved. Manchunman Temple boasts a long history, exquisite construction, and magnificent scale, representing an exemplary edifice of Xishuangbanna’s Theravada Buddhist temples, significant for its historical, scientific, and artistic value, as well as being a precious piece of ethnic cultural heritage. In 2013, it was recognized as a national key cultural heritage protection site.Main Attractions
Wangtianshu Scenic Area
The scenic area is located within the national key development zone of Donglamu, part of the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, a typical representation of China’s tropical rainforest, situated 14 kilometers northeast of Donglamu County, 134 kilometers from Jinghong City, and 60 kilometers from the national first-class port of Mohan.Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden(Chinese Academy of Sciences)
The Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, covering about 1125 hectares, collects over 13,000 living plant species and has 38 specialized plant areas, preserving approximately 250 hectares of original tropical rainforest. It is one of the richest botanical gardens in China in species collection and also hosts the highest number of displayed plant groups in the world.Wild Elephant Valley
Located within the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve and the "UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve," Wild Elephant Valley boasts abundant natural resources, gathering tropical rainforests, South Asian evergreen broadleaf forests, and numerous rare animal and plant species. It is a comprehensive ecological tourism scenic area that integrates ecological tourism, popular science education, and recreational activities.Bulaung Garden
The Xishuangbanna Dai Park is a tourist area that centrally displays ethnic religions, history, culture, customs, architecture, clothing, and cuisine characteristics. The main scenic area is composed of five well-preserved natural Dai villages: Manjiang (Settle Village), Manchunman (Garden Village), Manzha (Cook Village), Man (Market Village), and Manting (Palace Garden).Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park
Built on 27025.5 acres of tropical valley rainforest, the park is located 6 kilometers north of Jinghong City, adjacent to National Road 214 (Kunlu). The park emphasizes three themes: "tropical valley rainforest," "wildlife showcase," and "Hani cultural display."Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower Garden
Located within the Yunnan Tropical Crop Research Institute in Jinghong City, the Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower Garden covers 120 hectares and is an important "tropical crop germplasm resource bank" and a base for tropical biological resources research and development, housing nearly 1,000 tropical crop germplasm resources.Mengle Dafa Temple
Located on the outskirts of Jinghong City, Mengle Dafa Temple is the largest Theravada Buddhist temple in China, reconstructed on the site of the ancient Dai kingdom’s royal temple "Most Sacred Buddha Temple."Manting Royal Garden
Originally the imperial garden of the Dai king, Manting Royal Garden is located at 35 Manting Road in the center of Jinghong City. It was rebuilt in 1982 with allocated funds and opened to tourists in April 1985, rated as a national AAAA-level tourist area. It covers over 400 acres, divided into an ethnic cultural square, a cultural area (Lotus Garden, Orchid Garden, Leaf Flower Garden), a culture of releasing life area, a Buddhist cultural area, an elephant culture area, a Teakwood forest area, and an area for ethnic song and dance performances.
