Not much to say, the book is a continuation of the above "Yungui Parent-Child Tour - Part 1 of Yunzhinan: Dali and Lijiang".
The previous article introduced the itinerary of Dali and Lijiang. After visiting Mufu, I flew from Lijiang Sanyi to Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport in the afternoon, and started a new journey.
Review of Dali and Lijiang classics :)
#Itinerary attractions
1 Lijiang: Arrive in Lijiang, check in hotel
2 Dali: Lijiang - Dali: Shuanglang, Nanzhao Style Island, Little Putuo, Dali Ancient City
3 Lijiang: Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, Zhoucheng tie-dyeing, back to Lijiang Dayan Ancient City
4Lijiang: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Baishui River-Blue Moon Valley, Impression Lijiang, Shuhe Ancient Town, Black Dragon Pool
5 Lijiang: Zhiyun Temple, Lashihai, Baisha Town
6 Fly to Xishuangbanna: Mufu, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing
7Pu'er: Rhinoceros flats and plant dyeing in Pu'er National Park
8 Xishuangbanna: Chinese Puer Tea Expo Garden, return to Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower Garden
9 Xishuangbanna: Zongfo Temple, Primitive Forest Park (Peacock Villa)
10 trips back to Shanghai: Manting Park, shopping for fruits
"Moonlight, phoenix bamboo below, soft and beautiful like a green mist; the good girl in the bamboo house, dazzling like a night pearl." —— "Phoenix bamboo under the moonlight"
Xishuangbanna is located in the southernmost part of Yunnan, bordering Laos and Myanmar. "Xishuangbanna" means "twelve" in the Dai language, "Banna" refers to an administrative region smaller than a county, and "Xishuangbanna" means "twelve administrative districts". Xishuangbanna, which means "ideal and magical paradise" in ancient Dai language, is famous all over the world for its magical tropical rainforest natural landscape and ethnic customs.
D6 Lijiang to Xishuangbanna
First stop hotel
Flying to the sky above Banna, the mountains are full of green, and traditional houses are dotted in the green. Banna Airport is small, but it is also an international airport with flights to Southeast Asia. The airport is built in the urban area, very close to our hotel Jiasheng Ramada, only ten minutes by car.
I have lived in many Ramadas, and this is the first time I have seen a store sign in Dai language, which is unique.
The hotel swimming pool, the water fountain is very special.
Dai style dragon boat
The second stop, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing
I planned to go to Gaozhuang for dinner at night, but it rained heavily after 6 o'clock, so I had to temporarily cancel the trip. After the rain, go out to look for food. Navigate nearby Dai Township Gardens. Although very close, but was misled around a circle. When I first arrived at the front of the restaurant, my heart sank a little. It was like a car factory, with not many diners, and the decoration was very rustic. The aunts and grandmas who serve the dishes are all Dai people, guess they are a family. The dining table is a round bamboo table and stool, and the small stool is very short, and it is almost impossible to stand up after eating. At first, I didn't see the food being served. I went to the back kitchen to have a look. It turned out that a platter was needed, and the barbecue was made on the spot, which took time. We were shocked when a large plate full of green leaves was served on the table. Everyone is hungry, hurry up. Fried rice and purple rice are very fragrant and glutinous, with carambola and red dragon fruit on top, very tempting. Lemongrass grilled fish, grilled chicken and grilled meat are also very delicious, with distinct layers of freshness and saltiness. Cucumbers are crisp and refreshing, and even pickles satisfy picky taste buds. The only thing I'm not used to is the stimulation of fresh mint leaves and the spicy taste of Nanmi dipped in water. The overall feeling is still very good, sweeping away the doubts when entering the store.
After the meal, I was in a good mood and the sky became clear. The driver called to ask if he was still going to sue the village, so he went happily.
Gaozhuang Xishuangjing is in Dai language, which means "nine towers and twelve villages" in Chinese. It aims to reproduce the prosperity of Jinghong in ancient times and create a prosperous "city within Jinghong city". As soon as you get out of the car, you are immediately shocked by the scenery in front of you. The Shwedagon Pagoda towers into the sky, the lights are flickering, and there are loudspeakers broadcasting monks chanting Buddhist scriptures, just like the broadcasting of the minaret of a mosque. The sound and scene directly capture the soul.
Exquisite Dai-style dragon head fence and spire
Walking around the big tower, there is an open space in front of you. From the base of the tower, you can look down on the square below. The stalls are dotted with stars, like a starry sky, and the tourists are bustling. It is a lively scene.
There are two stages in the east and west of the square, and girls from six countries along the Lancang River perform in turn, full of exotic customs.
When visiting the market, I like to find the stalls of the locals. One can experience the customs and customs, and the locals are more honest and friendly in doing business. Next to the stage, there is a Dai sister who sells fruit juice and speaks very kindly. Had pineapple mango and pineapple passion fruit juice. Each cup uses a whole pineapple, which is a good amount and very delicious. It is said that the pineapples in Banna are absolutely invincible, and you must taste enough in the local area. For some reason, the taste of the pineapples we brought back later was slightly inferior.
D7 Pu'er Red Panda Farm
Starting from Jinghong, it takes about 2 hours to reach Pu'er. We live in the Red Panda Manor in Sun River National Forest Park. Very original, the house is in the woods on the hillside, with a balcony and a hall, I like it very much.
The forest cabins are all made of logs, and the surroundings are dark at night. Looking at the wooden roof, it feels like a dialogue with nature.
The hotel has guided wildlife tours. The tour guide of the Yi nationality is rich in knowledge and taught us a lot of knowledge about plants and animals, but unfortunately, most of them have forgotten it when they come back. They only lament the rich animal and plant resources of our motherland. As a Chinese, we are very proud.
Adorable lorises, poor daytime vision, like to eat grasshoppers.
The African white rhino is very stable; you can touch its skin, which feels very strong and rough. The rhinos here eat hay, unlike the Singapore Zoo that feeds cantaloupe.
Cute little owls, I can't help but touch them. The insects they feed are very small, and it hurts to peck them with their small beaks.
Little panda, here is the life paradise of little panda. They also eat bamboo, but they don't look like giant pandas, more like civet cats. They have sharp teeth and claws, don't touch them.
The sky is blue and the water is clear, and a group of egrets are parked on the old tree.
Smashing and dyeing paintings made of plants (flowers, leaves, buds, etc.). Experienced the original printing and dyeing process, huh, huh. You see, the painting is not bad, even the praying mantis believed it, and climbed up to appreciate it.
Because it is in the interior of the forest, meals can only be eaten in the hotel canteen. There are platforms, two happy little people on the railing :)
D8 Pu'er back to Banna
The first stop China Tea Expo Garden
It happened to be heavy rain the night before we went, and the next morning when we came to the tea garden, the sky was clear and the air was very fresh. The sky is blue and transparent, and the tea forest is even more green and full of vitality, which can't be seen at a glance. Ask the tea house to overlook the tea gardens full of mountains.
This tea garden has received many national leaders and is quite large.
Experience the process of picking and making tea. What we make is Pu'er tea seven-zi cake, which is very characteristic of Yunnan.
Learn about tea picking experience from Hani tea farmers.
Shengshi Yipin (stone), a small courtyard in the tea expo garden, a big stone and a pond, very quiet.
The unknown pheasant has beautiful feathers, even more beautiful than the patterns on Paris fashion.
The second stop Tropical Flower Garden
After coming out of the Tea Expo Garden, we rushed back to Banna and went to the Tropical Flower Garden. Although the scale of the flower garden is not comparable to that of the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, there are also many representative tropical plants, which are very beautiful.
Spider orchid, very vivid.
Strelitzia, stunning shape.
At first glance, I thought the watermelon was on the tree. It turns out that this is called iron watermelon, which is a typical tropical rainforest "old stem flowering" plant.
When the iron watermelon is ripe, it will explode, and its power can maim or even kill a bird.
The Tropical Flower Garden used to be called the Institute of Tropical Plants. In the 1960s, Premier Zhou discussed the issue of the China-Myanmar border with the Prime Minister of Myanmar in the rubber garden here. You can also see the reflection of the peacock on the sculpture.
The side is full of Myanmar's national flower dragon boat flower, which is small but beautiful. It's a pity that there was a heavy rain later, and the orchard was hardly seen.
D9 Xishuangbanna
Another rainy, wet morning. From the Ramada Hotel, you can see the Big Buddha Temple and the Standing Buddha on the hillside in the distance.
First stop Zongfo Temple
The Xishuangbanna Zongfo Temple has a long history. It was the holy place where the supreme ruler of Xishuangbanna Zhao Pianling and the head of the chieftain worshiped Buddha. Buddhist believers still regard this temple as a holy place for worshiping Buddha. Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck have both visited.
The ancient mountain gate, who intentionally or unintentionally put an oil-paper umbrella in front of the gate, made it even more lively. And that big black cock that broke into the camera.
Drum Tower. As in Thailand, the double dragon image is a typical decoration of Theravada Buddhism.
Early in the morning, many Dai family members came to worship the Buddha.
At the corner, I saw Dai in white. The Dai people like to live by the water, love cleanliness, bathe frequently, and women like to wash their hair, so they have the reputation of "the nation of water". They consider themselves to be the cleanest and kindest minority.
The sound of chanting Buddha is full of ancient meaning
The main hall called "Weihan" in Dai language is like a kingdom of heaven. The bottom floor is the introduction of Dao Shixun, the last Dai king. The surname Dao is the surname of nobles in the Dai family. Most of the men's surnames are Yan, and most of the women's surnames are Yu.
The monk's house "coaxing warmth" is also carved with carved beams and painted buildings, resplendent and magnificent.
The Dharma meeting is about to be held in the main hall, and photography is not allowed in the hall, so I dare not make mistakes. The characteristic of Theravada of Theravada lies in strict observance of precepts and maintaining the original Buddhist tradition. In terms of Pali literature, in addition to the complete Tripitaka, there are also a huge number of commentaries, compendiums, history books, grammar books, poetry books, etc.
A courtyard funded by the Thai royal family. The capital of Xishuangbanna is Jinghong, and I found that there are many place names with the word "Jing". After finding Jingmai, Jinglai, that is, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, is it true that Tai and Dai are one family? Documentary records in northern Thailand show that in 1150 A.D., a village of Dai people appeared on the bank of the Binhe River near Lampun. In 1263, King Manglai, who was related to King Mengle of Xishuangbanna, established the city of King Manglai in Chiang Rai, and then occupied Lamphun. In 1296, King Manglai established the new city of Chiang Mai. In 1350, Chiang Mai had already controlled the Lanna area.
main temple gate
The second stop Primitive Forest Park
A park on the outskirts of the city, quite big. The main activities include folk song and dance, elephant riding and splashing water square, tropical valley rainforest (forest flying over the jungle), Aini cottage and peacock flying. At the same time, it is also recommended to follow this order of play, so as to avoid crowds.
Wet the whole body and live happily ever after. It is human nature to love water. Songkran is the favorite of children.
The girls and boys in Aini Village are going to do a bamboo pole dance later.
Dance in circles, very lively. Everyone dances in a circle, and at the same time requires themselves to turn in place while maintaining a beautiful body shape, which is really not easy to dance.
The peacocks in the Peacock Villa fly, first there is a dance scene, and then hundreds of peacocks glide down from the other side of the river, waiting for tourists to feed them. This is the first time I saw so many peacocks, they can even fly.
The third stop, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing
It was still early when I came out of the Primitive Forest Park. At first I wanted to go to Manting Park, but I heard that the venue would be cleared at 5 o'clock because there was a party in the evening. So I decided to go to Gaozhuang again, because the ethnic customs there are so distinctive, I want to see what it looks like during the day again.
Ganesha. The Dai people regard peacocks and elephants as mascots.
The sculpture in front of the Shwedagon Pagoda is unknown.
Dai style gazebo
During the daytime, there are not many tourists, and the high-hanging lanterns make it feel like you have strayed into a Southeast Asian country.
A small village by the Lancang River has picturesque scenery.
Jinghong is known as "Gaozhuang, Xishuangjing" (nine towers and twelve cities). The names of these twelve cities are as follows: Manjingde. Man Jinglan. Man Jingkuang. Man Jingliang. Man Jingzhen. Manjing method. Man Jingmeng. Man Kyung Jae. Man Jingbao. Man Jinghan. Man Jingdong. Man Jingdai.
The galloping Lancang River, unexpectedly flowing so fast, goes all the way south, flows through six countries, and nourishes the people of all ethnic groups along the coast.
In the evening, a large cloud came from the side of the mountain, and it rained heavily in an instant. I didn't have time to compare. I entered a restaurant called "Six Kingdoms and Six Fishes". The open storefront, rain will come in, but it is also unique. Looking at the dinner in the stilted building opposite, there is nothing to block.
D10 Xishuangbanna back to Shanghai
I'm going back to Shanghai today. I had no idea where to go this morning. Looking at the urban area, I still couldn't let go of Manting Park, so I hurried out. Online booking can be discounted, but it needs to be half an hour in advance. Due to impromptu intention, the time has not arrived. So I went to the nearby fruit market first and bought pineapples, mangoes and mangosteens. After buying something, the time is almost up. Pineapple is still my favorite. I bought a large box of large and small boxes and stored it first. I will come back to pick it up after I have been to Manting Park.
The fruit wholesale market came out to ask a Dai elder sister for directions. The clothing of the Dai nationality is very simple and refreshing in the national costumes.
As soon as you enter Manting Park, you will see the sculpture of the beloved Premier Zhou, in memory of him celebrating the Water-Splashing Festival with the Dai people here in 1961.
People who have just finished performing folk songs and dances
Dai pottery
Dai King's Palace
Palace interior
This used to be the imperial garden of the Dai king. In the history of the Dai people, it was a place for the feudal lords and chieftains to play and enjoy flowers. It is said that when Princess Dai came here to play, the beautiful scenery attracted her soul, so it was named "Chunhuan", which means "Garden of Soul".
Holy Manfeilong bamboo shoot tower (imitation)
The release pool and water lanterns can be placed by the lake at night to pray for blessings
It rained heavily in the morning, and the sun came out at noon. Since we returned to Shanghai in two batches, we sent our parents and children to the airport in the afternoon, and then rushed to Hongyaxiang Restaurant, a Dai restaurant recommended on the Internet. Why is the door so simple? It started in 1357 in the Dai calendar, it seems very old, ha ha.
The building of the hotel is very interesting. The water for washing hands in the lobby can flow along the ditch beside the corridor to the big river next to it.
The afternoon market is over, but the store is still open, and there is a feeling of lazy afternoon in the store. I ordered some special Dai flavors, and rewarded them at the end. From left to right: pineapple rice, banana flower, braised pork belly and lemongrass water.
I also ordered grilled fish with lemongrass. Although it is also freshly grilled, it doesn't feel as good as the Dai Xiangyuan I ate on the first day.
Tall banana trees and yellowing river water beside the hotel
After lunch, take a taxi back to the hotel to pick up your luggage, and drive to the entrance of the Great Buddha Temple not far from the hotel.
Under the blue sky and white clouds, the gorgeous colors of Dai-style buildings are even more evident.
The tall door gods are exactly the same as those in Thailand.
The Great Buddha Temple is a new tourist attraction that introduces Theravada Buddhism. Since there is not enough time, just take a few photos at the entrance.
Then walk back to the hotel along the big turntable for about 10 minutes. The vegetation along the way is rich, and a pair of stone elephants can be vaguely seen under the hillside, showing simplicity.
Distinctive signs. The road sign on the auxiliary road in front of the hotel is full of ethnic characteristics.
Special trash can. Pineapple is definitely the fruit that can represent the city...
In this way, our trip to Yunnan came to a successful conclusion in reluctantly. When each trip ends, I look forward to the next trip even more. Yunnan and Guizhou in the southwest has come to an end, so where will the next trip be?