Jinghong (Jǐnghóng, 景洪) is the capital of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in the far southern tip of Yunnan Province. Xishuangbanna borders southeast Asia, and there is a noticeble Thai and Laotian influence on the region and the city.

The land along the Lancang River, which becomes the Mekong River south of the Chinese border, is lush and sultry. This whole region is a biodiversity hotspot that gets washed down during the Water Splashing Festival (and torrential spring rains) every April—just like in all of the nations of southeast Asia. You can see some of the regions flora at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Flowers and Plants Garden.

Jinghong is a small provincial capital and is easy to get around. The streets are lined with palm trees and traffic is slightly slower than in other places around China. There is a decent sized foreign population here, so finding familiar food (like at Meimei Café or Forest Café) or lodging (such as the Balcony) should not be too hard. For both of these, the area around Manting Lu (Màntìng Lù, 曼听路) is a good place to start.

One of the best places to visit here is Manting Park (Màntìng Gōngyuán, 曼听公园) and the Manting Temple (Màntìng Sì, 曼听寺)—Ming Dynasty architecure at its best in the heart of the town (also on Manting Lu). Jinghong is a hot place, so be sure to plan wisely. It's a good place to get away and drink some of the classic pu'er tea of the region, check out some of the cool Hani, Lanna and Dai minority culture and just wear flip flops and a tank top for a while.

Border crossings into Thailand and Laos are possible as well. To take the bus from China to Laos, head to the Jinghong Bus Station (Jǐnghóng Qìchē Kèyùn Zhàn, 景洪汽车客运站).

Yunnan guide | Xishuangbanna guide | Xishuangbanna attractions
Xishuangbanna flights (Jinghong) | Xishuangbanna hotels (Jinghong)
Xishuangbanna tours & activities
Xishuangbanna on the China Travel Blog