China Guide
Yunnan
Jinghong
JINGHONG, Xishuangbanna's small and easy-going "Dawn Capital" (as it's called in Dai) is for the most part an undemanding place to spend a couple of days investigating Dai culture. The grey edifices of Jinghong's contemporary Han architecture make a suitably colonial backdrop for the Dai women in bright sarongs and straw hats who meander along the gently simmering, palm-lined streets. The pace of life is set by the tropical heat – though the centre is often full of people, nobody bothers rushing anywhere.
Once you've tried the local food and poked around the temples, there are wild elephants in the Sancha He Wildlife Reserve. Though Jinghong itself has comparatively little to offer, it is a great base from which you can explore the jungly mountains and remote minority villages in the surrounding area. Some villages are close enough to cycle to independently, but to get right off the beaten track your best bet is to book a trek at one of the tourist cafés tour agencies. Another possible route out is by boat to Chiang Saen in Thailand: Jinghong sits on the southwestern bank of the Lancang River, which later winds downstream through Laos and Thailand as the Mekong.
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