YUNNAN

JINGHONG

Jinghong (Chinese: 景洪; pinyin: Jǐnghóng; Dai / Tai Lü, pronounced [tsêŋhuŋ]; Thai: เชียงรุ่ง, also (formerly) romanised as chiang rung, chiang hung, chengrung, cheng hung, jinghung and muangjinghung) is the capital of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, yunnanprovince, China, and the historical capital of the former Tai kingdom of Sipsongpanna.

HISTORY

Yuan Dynasty

During the Chinese Yuan Dynasty, the Tai kingdom of Sipsongpanna began a close and long-lasting relationship to Lanna, another historic Tai kingdom that lay south. In 1296, Lanna's capital Chiang Mai was founded by Mangrai, who's maternal grandfather was King Rung Kaen Chai (Thai: รุ้งแก่นชาย) of Jinghong (ie: Sipsongpanna).

The kingdoms of Sipsongpanna and Lanna maintained ties of migration, intermarriage and long distance trade over the subsequent centuries, though later, as Lanna's power grew, parts of the Sipsongpanna region fell under Lanna's control.

Ming Dynasty

In 1401 during the Chinese Ming Dynasty, the Sipsongpanna Tai ruler Tau Se Da Xam (pinyin dao xianda) attacked a smaller Tai area to the north known as Weiyuan (Tai; or pinyin Weiyuan). The Ming administration sought to retaliate but adopted a cautious response of diplomacy and Tau Se Da Xam withdrew his troops. About this period Sipsongpanna began to pay tribute to the Ming.

In 1405 the Sipsongpanna Tai attacked Chiang Mai, in conjunction with Ming Chinese troops.

In 1421 the Chinese attempted to cause a split in Sipsongpanna by backing multiple administrations during a period of civil strife, but their plan failed to succeed.

1448 saw the defeat of Muong Mao, a Tai state in eastern Burma, by a combination of Chinese, Sipsongpanna and allied forces united under the Ming.

In the 1450s another struggle for succession arose in Sipsongpanna, with one faction backed by Kengtung and one by Chiang Mai. Despite the Kengtung faction's victory, conflict started with that state shortly afterwards.

The Burmese Toungoo state arose in the 1530s to crush Chiang Mai, and its influence also extended to Kengtung and Sipsongpanna, which like other Tai kingdoms soon began to pay tribute.

Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower & Plant Garden

Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower & Plant Garden (Xishuangbanna Redai Huahuiyuan) is an interesting place to spend several hours walking among fragrant frangipani, massive lily pads, drooping jackfruit, and thousands of other colorful and peculiar plants. This is one of China's finest gardens, featuring a well-designed layout arranged into themed sections including tropical fruits, palms, and rubber trees. Don't walk through too fast or you'll miss out on some of the more unique plants such as tiaowu cao, or "dancing grass," which actually stands up if you sing at it. Each plant's placard features English and Latin names.

• Cost: Y40
• Open: Daily 7:30–6

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XTBG) is located in Menglun Township, Mengla County of Yunnan Province.

XTBG is a comprehensive research institution engaged in biodiversity conservation and sustainable uses of plant resources, focusing on forest ecosystem ecology, conservation biology and resource plant development. Facilities available for scientific research include two national field research stations (Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem Station, and Ailaoshan Station for Forest Ecosystem Studies); laboratories for Biogeochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Plant Phylogenetics & Conservation Biology, Physiological Ecology; a Germplasm Bank for Rare & Endangered Plants; and a Herbarium of Tropical Plants, etc. Aside from the headquarter in Xishuangbanna, an important division has been setup in Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province. Over 12 thousand species of tropical plants are well preserved in its 36 living collections.
Main Address: Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, Mengla, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan 666303, China

Yexianggu ( Wild Elephants Valley )

Yexianggu, meaning " Valley of Wild Elephants ", covers an area of 369 hectares by the Sancha River near Mengyang, and is situated 47 kilometers north of the city of Jinghong.

The valley, aa open landscape with hills rolling gently at an altitude ranging between 747 and 1055 metres, is covered by tropical rain forests, crisscrossed by rivers and streams, and teeming with such endangered species as Asian wild elephants, wild oxen, green peacocks and monkeys. Situated at the junction of the two parts of the Mengyang Nature Reserve, Yexianggu provides a natural thoroughfare for all sorts of animals, and for this reason it is frequented by wild elephants. In fact this is the only place in Xishuangbanna to marvel at these giant animals. A five kilometre- long passageway, a 300-metre-long overhead corridor are built for elephant watchers. A hotel is built right in the trees. There are also an elephant training school, a butterfly breeding centre, and a giant aviary in Yexianggu Wildlife Valley, which makes it one of the finest scenic spots in Xishuangbanna.

Xishuangbanna Dai Park

Dai Garden (a village of the Dai ethnic group), the First Ecological Village of China, is located in Menghan Town, about 27 kilometers (17 miles) away from Jinghong. It is made up of five natural villages of the Dai people--Manjiang, Manchunman, Manting, Manzha and Manga. In the Dai Garden there are Buddhist pagodas, traditional bamboo buildings of the Dai people, coconut palms, areca palms, mango trees, jack trees, a princess well, and a mother-son island.

Yongxing Hotel

Yongxing hotel is located in the city centre, is located in the beautiful white elephant Lake, covering 15 acres; convenient transportation here, four kilometers from the airport, hotels have the perfect supporting services and facilities, a unique national characteristics, is your travel, vacation, business , Negotiate the best choice.The hotel has 128 standard rooms, luxury four single rooms, suites, such as four different types of room 136, with ethnic characteristics of the environment both inside and outside decoration, fully highlighted the characteristics of local ethnic style hotel operators. Another hotel located in the restaurant and banquet rooms, operating Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangdong, and local and national flavor characteristics snack food..

TEL:0086-691-2198666

FAX:0086-691-2198666

WEB:http://e.chinahotel.com

To city center:1.5km

To Train Station:000km

To Capital Airport:4km