Introduction of winter self-help tour in Xishuangbanna

The weather is getting colder day by day, and the news that the wind is cooling is constantly "attacking" the northern cities. Xishuangbanna is an excellent choice to find warmth in winter. It has a tropical monsoon climate with abundant sunshine and rainfall, with an annual average temperature of 265,438+0. Let's look at this warm world through the eyes of bloggers.

Beautiful scenery of Xishuangbanna (photo: sunflower)

[trip record]

Day 1: Arrive at Kunming South Bus Station in the morning and buy a ticket 10 from Kunming to Jinghong (Xishuangbanna). It takes about 8 hours to drive 690 kilometers from Kunming to Xishuangbanna. I chose to take the bus ferry because I was energetic at first and I could see the scenery along the way.

Facts have proved that the scenery on the road is really good, with dense virgin forests and endless tunnels, many of which are several kilometers long. The road conditions were good all the way. Pass Yuxi and Pu 'er, and arrive at Xishuangbanna at 6 pm. As soon as we came down, we felt a heat wave. It seems that we are really in the tropics.

Because the hotel was booked online in advance, the service staff took us to the hotel at the station. As a result, the standard room was gone, and we upgraded to the presidential suite for free. When I got to my room, I put down my luggage and couldn't wait to go out for a walk. I feel very clean all the way, and the trees on the roadside are also very distinctive. I can't name them. They are all tropical plants. I went to the A Dai-style restaurant near Lover Bridge recommended by my friend and ordered some unheard-of dishes, such as grilled fish, passion fruit juice, roasted banana and so on.

Expenditure record:

Kunming-Jinghong: 400 lunch snacks: 100 accommodation: 100

Suggestion: There is no need to book a hotel in advance when going to Jinghong in the off-season. There are hotels everywhere, you can choose with confidence, and the price is not high. There is no need to bring too many things. It is safe and convenient to buy in the local supermarket.

The second day of Clean Street: Today's arrangement is to go to Wangtianshu Scenic Area in Xishuangbanna, take a taxi to Jinghong Bus Station (tire factory) and buy tickets for Banna to Mengla. The shuttle bus to Mengla County takes about 2 hours. Just then, the bus to Wangtianshu started. Along the way, we saw a large banana forest, which is their main cash crop.

It takes about an hour to get to Wangtianshu Scenic Area. First, take a yacht from Bubeng Rainforest Pier to Wangtianshu Rainforest Pier to experience Nanla River, which is known as the "Oriental Amazon". Looking at the scenery on the boat, I feel different. I'm afraid there will be a crocodile in the river.

Wonderful river water

After disembarking, we began to visit Wangtianshu Scenic Area. Wangtianshu is the only oasis on the earth at 2 1 degree north latitude, far from Jinghong, so there are few groups. We walked along the Cai Xi Tao Tao Trail. The trees are dense and quiet, and it feels a bit gloomy. I have been to Yanoda in Sanya, and I feel a little similar there.

Wangtianshu Huaxia

On the trip, a snake suddenly appeared, which really startled us. Don't think about other big animals. For a moment, I didn't know what to do. Here, we saw a star-gazing tree more than 70 meters high, and saw the phenomenon of plant rooting, strangulation, parasitism and saprophy.

Of course, the air corridor is the most exciting. The corridor is supported in the air by trees, suspended by steel ropes, nylon ropes and nets as guardrails, and directly tied to the trees. Aluminum alloy ladders are used as pedals in the corridor, and each section is connected with the water quality platform fixed on the trunk; The highest distance from the corridor to the ground is more than 40 meters. It is the highest in the world, the earliest and longest "air corridor" in China. It's exciting for people to stagger there, and you can see the panoramic view of the tropical rain forest from a distance. Very good.

Come down from the air corridor and walk along the Philip Trail to the entrance of the scenic spot. The content of negative oxygen ions in the rainforest is quite high. Breathing the fresh air all the way, we came to the station at the gate of the scenic spot, waiting for the bus to go from Wangtianshu to Mengla. Then we went to live in the Tropical Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Menglun Town.

The shuttle bus from Menglun to Mengla just passed the Botanical Garden and got off at the gate. The road from the station to the gate feels good, clean, with good air and the smell of green plants everywhere. The front door was closed and the doorman asked us to go to the side door to buy tickets. After a long detour, we found several talents to find the side door. I booked the Botanical Garden Hotel in the Botanical Garden before, which is unnecessary.

It turns out that the Botanical Garden is far from Menglun Town. In fact, the entrance to the Botanical Garden is Menglun Town, where there are many hotels, and the price is much cheaper than that of the Botanical Garden Hotel. Put down your backpack at the hotel and go to town for dinner. The most distinctive feature of Xishuangbanna is actually barbecue. Barbecues are also open-air food stalls. In fact, there are many barbecues in Xinjiang, but the styles and characteristics are different. Mutton is the main barbecue in Xinjiang. Mainly pork, including pigskin and pigtail. I ordered some and then two bottles of local beer. After a hearty meal, I went for a walk in the hotel. There are no street lamps on the road. It's quiet. Are there any birds singing? I think the air is very fresh.

Expenditure record:

Na-Mengla: 84 Mengla-Wangtianshu: 14 Wangtianshu Tickets: 145 125=270 (student discount)

Wangtianshu-Mengla: 16 Mengla-Menglun: 50 Botanical Garden Tickets: 70 50= 120 (student discount)

Dinner: 60; Accommodation: 200 people

Suggestion: Wangtianshu Scenic Area is dominated by tropical rain forest, especially the air corridor, which is worth experiencing.

Transportation: Jinghong has two passenger stations, a new station and an old station. The local people in the old station have become long-distance bus stations, where there are many trains. It is recommended to go by bus. To go to Wangtianshu, you need to go from Jinghong to Mengla, where there is a shuttle bus to Wangtianshu Scenic Area (Yao District), which stops directly at the entrance of the scenic area. Very convenient.

Day 3: After breakfast at the Botanical Garden Hotel, we started our trip to the Botanical Garden. It was dark when I came yesterday, so I didn't see it clearly. It's really beautiful to see the botanical garden now. There is a shuttle bus. You can also walk. Car ferry is suitable for people who don't want to walk or join a group.

Of course, we choose to stroll through the tropical scenery in the garden so that we can feel it better. The Botanical Garden of China Academy of Sciences was founded by Mr. Cai, a famous botanist in China, in 1950s. It covers an area of 900 hectares and preserves a large area of tropical rain forest. Nearly 10,000 species of tropical plants were introduced from home and abroad, distributed in 35 characteristic parks, such as Palm Garden, Banyan Garden, Dragon Blood Tree Garden, Cycas Garden, National Cultural Plant Area and Ex situ Conservation Area of Rare and Endangered Plants. It is a comprehensive botanical garden integrating tropical scientific research, species protection and popular science education.

Groups of peacocks we visited all the parks according to the tour map, and were bitten by mosquitoes in Yinsheng Botanical Garden, and were stung by several lumps, which were extremely itchy. And 10 day did not improve. The mosquitoes here are really poisonous. The most interesting thing is that I saw some interesting plants that I heard of when I was a child for the first time in the garden, including exotic flowers and plants, such as mimosa and dancing grass. I also saw a group of peacocks.

At around 1 point, the tour of the botanical garden is over. After going out from the front door, we stopped a tricycle to go to the passenger station. Next, we will go to the Dai Garden in Olive Dam. There is a through train from Menglun to Olive Dam, but when we went there, it was a little late, and the train had already left. However, the staff at the passenger station enthusiastically told us that we could take a bus from Wuxiang and then transfer to Olive Dam.

The road to Olive Dam is not easy, but it shuttles between mountain roads and villages. After more than an hour, the bus arrived at the Olive Dam. Olive dam is a small town. We had something to eat in the main hall, which was really uncomfortable. We had to go to the supermarket to buy some snacks and began to miss mixing noodles. I found a tricycle to take us to Dai Garden. It's past three o'clock in the afternoon after I bought the ticket.

Beautiful architecture

In fact, Dai Garden is a village of Dai people. Dai people's houses are mainly made of wood, usually with two floors. The lower floor is propped up with piles to put some sundries and so on. There are people living upstairs. I just met a Thai tour group in Dai Garden. Seeing them communicate freely with local residents, I learned that most of Thailand is Dai, and their language is the same. All the way to the water splashing square in the Dai Garden, the Dai music in the square was very nice, and a group of Dai women wearing bright national costumes performed a water splashing performance, which was quite interesting. After all, this is the first time.

Splash performance

After watching the water splashing performance, I walked around the village just to watch a man climb the coconut tree like a monkey to pick coconuts and understand the process of picking coconuts. Very interesting. Then walk into their temple. There are many Dai people sitting in the temple. I wonder what they do. Many buildings inside make me feel like I'm in Thailand, and there are many young monks sweeping the floor. It is said that many Dai people in Banna have become monks.

After the trip, the Dai people took a bus to Olive Dam Bus Terminal and then to Jinghong, so they found a hotel near the bus terminal. In fact, it is also good to go out and choose a hotel near the bus terminal, which is more convenient to travel.

Expenditure record:

Menglun-Wuxiang: 14 Wuxiang-Olive Dam: 14 Olive Dam-Jinghong: 17 Tickets for Dai Garden: 130.

Shopping for dinner: 100.

Suggestion: The botanical garden is very beautiful. You can spend more time visiting. You'd better walk, so you'll feel better. You can rub the tour guide. You must take measures to prevent mosquitoes. The mosquitoes there are really amazing. Also pay attention to heatstroke prevention and sun protection. Dai Garden is about the Water-splashing Festival, nothing else. Tickets for scenic spots must be booked through the website, so that they will be discounted. If you buy it yourself, there will be no discount.

Transportation: There is a shuttle bus to Dai Yuan from the Botanical Garden, but the time is limited. You can also transfer to Wuxiang. There are many such buses. It takes about an hour. There are many shuttle buses from Daiyuan to Jinghong, which take more than half an hour. The road conditions are good.

Day 4 of Wild Elephant Valley Performance: Today's trip is Wild Elephant Valley. When you arrive at the hometown of peacocks and elephants, you must go. Wild Elephant Valley is not far from Jinghong, less than an hour's drive. Buy a ticket at the passenger station and go to the gate of Wild Elephant Valley. Here, I finally used the pass I bought for the first time. Tickets and ropeways saved 1 10, and the capital came back.

There is an elephant show at two o'clock. There are many teams here. They arrived at the meeting a little late and all the good seats were taken away. They found a relatively good place to sit down and prepare for the performance. There are four elephants in all. They are very obedient. In the first half, elephants performed bows, dances and other programs. On the way, many teams left in a hurry, leaving many seats. I found a good place to sit down and continue to watch the performance in the second half, and I was in close contact with the elephant for the first time.

A trained elephant. Among them, it is interesting for elephants to offer flowers. There is a rose in their noses. Many people want it, but it doesn't care. Later, someone took out money, and whoever had more money sent flowers to the elephant. It can be seen that these trainers usually spend a lot of time.

Of course, after watching the program, you should take a photo with the elephant. You can do two actions, sit on the elephant's nose and hold it down. Elephants will skillfully roll up their noses first, and then erect their noses to take pictures. The first time I touched the elephant's skin, it was rough and the hair on the skin was stinging.

After saying goodbye to the elephant, I went to the butterfly garden. There are too many butterflies there. They are not afraid of people, they fall on you. They are colorful and beautiful. Wild Elephant Valley has built a wooden plank road for tourists to walk and see wild elephants, but I know it's hard to see them. I asked a staff member, and he said that there were some two days ago, but recently they all went to the village to find food. It's a pity. We walked along the plank road to the Wild Elephant Museum to learn about the history of wild elephants. From the museum back to the starting point, you can take the cable car. The scenery at high altitude is really good.

The cable car in the sky is very nervous, because the driver said that the minibus back to Jinghong will leave around 3 pm. After coming down, I rushed to the back door. The driver felt embarrassed because he couldn't wait to meet us at the front door, but no one complained after getting on the bus. Maybe this is their way of life here. Life is slow and people are good-natured. Although the driver's master collects a lot of cars. But I am very grateful to him, otherwise I don't know how to get back to Jinghong. I feel very tired after walking all day. Let's have a good rest when we get back to the hotel. In the evening, we will continue the Dai barbecue and local beer. Sleep well.

Suggestion: There is nothing to see in Wild Elephant Valley. There are not many opportunities to see wild elephants, but it is good to watch wild elephants perform at close range. It is best to occupy a favorable position in advance. Of course, remember to resist the temptation of elephants asking you for money. Be sure to get in close contact with elephants. The cable car in Wild Elephant Valley is also worth a ride.

Traffic Guide: Jinghong has a direct bus to Wild Elephant Valley. It is estimated that there are also chartered cars. The price is unknown. You'd better go early, so that you have enough time to come back and take the bus.

The ethnic minorities in Xishuangbanna are mainly Dai. Here is a brief introduction to Xishuangbanna and Dai nationality.

Xishuangbanna has a total area of 19582.45 square kilometers and a population of 1 tens of thousands, and governs Jinghong City, Menghai and Mengla County. There are more than ten ethnic groups living here, including Dai, Hani, Bulang, Jino, Lahu, Wa and Yao, including 850,000 Dai, 250,000 Han and 250,000 other ethnic groups. Bordering Laos and Myanmar, the border line is 1069 km long. Xishuangbanna has a tropical monsoon climate with abundant sunshine and rainfall. A year is divided into dry season and rainy season, with an average annual temperature of 265,438+0. 1 1 is the dry season, and May to 10 is the rainy season.

Dai nationality, also known as Bai nationality before national identification, is one of the ethnic minorities in China and a cross-border nationality. It has historical and cultural origins with the Shan nationality in Myanmar, the Lao nationality in Laos and the Thai nationality in Thailand, and its language and customs are close to those of the above nationalities.

Almost all Dai people in tropical areas believe in Hinayana Buddhism, namely Hinayana Buddhism. Especially those over 40 years old, almost all of them practice in their rooms, and they attend the abbot's three-month chanting and worship Buddha every summer. Dai called Buddhism "Welissa Gonzaga Na" and Siddhartha Gautama, the ancestor of Sakyamuni Buddha, "Gundharma".

In Xishuangbanna, Jinggu and other places, Dai men will become monks for a period of time and study Dai language, Buddhism, astronomy and geography in Buddhist temples. People think that only those who have been monks in temples are educated. Therefore, only men who have been monks can get the favor of girls. A boy with a good family entered the Buddhist temple at the age of seven or eight, and returned to the secular world three or five years later. When they dressed up, were whipped and beaten under the escort of their loved ones, and walked into the Buddhist temple amid the laughter and laughter of everyone, they proudly thought that they had begun to get the protection of the Buddha and could grow into useful people. Then they shaved their hair, put on the cassock, and began to read the scriptures quietly, learn culture and earn their own living. Now because of the nine-year compulsory education, the little boy goes to school to learn Chinese and other scientific knowledge during the day and studies Dai culture in the Buddhist temple at night, which is very hard. Some people finish high school, work after college, and then take a week or a month off to study in temples. After returning to China, they will still be regarded as "healthy people", that is, secular monks.

The water splashing festival is an important festival for the Dai people to sweep the floor. That is, wearing Chinese New Year clothes. It lasts for three to five days from June 24th to 26th in the Dai calendar (mid-April in the summer calendar). In the early morning of the festival, men, women and children bathe and change clothes, and go to the Buddhist temple to worship Buddha, that is, sprinkle water on the Buddha statue to wash away the dust, and then splash water on each other to eliminate disasters. Then there is a festival with splashing water as a play. According to legend, in ancient times, fire demons did evil and robbed seven girls. The youngest girl, Nong Xia.

Affected by the hot, humid, rainy and lush bamboo and wood environment, Gan Lan (commonly known as Bamboo House) is the main residential building of the Dai people. The upper and lower floors are made of wood and bamboo as piles, floors and walls, and the roof is covered with thatch and tiles. The upper floors are inhabited by people and piled with livestock and farm tools.

Summing up this short trip to Xishuangbanna, I have come to the following conclusions to share with you:

Xishuangbanna is a great tourist city. Short-term sightseeing can experience different tropical customs, while long-term residence can give you all-round rest.

Xishuangbanna is a mature tourist city with complete supporting facilities, so make preparations in advance. Self-help tour is a good choice.

Xishuangbanna has simple folk customs, and the local residents here have a leisurely temperament, which can infect busy people to slow down.