Xishuangbanna
Xishuangbanna
is situated in the south of Yunnan. The age-old ethnic customs and lifestyle
coupled with the picturesque natural beauty of the subtropical region
will surely make you intoxicated. It is endowed with sufficient sunshine
and is usually windless and very warm, with heavy dews and fogs and plenty
of rainfall. It is not influenced by the typhoon from the Pacific Ocean,
and belongs to the tropical forest type of climate.
Xishuangbanna is one of the key scenic resorts of the country. Points of interest are scattered in many locations of the prefecture, all with distinctive features. With the virgin tropical rain forests, rare and precious ornamental plants and wild animals combined with the multifarious peculiar national customs and habits of the southern country, and has always been a cherished tourist resort for visitors at home and abroad.
White Pagodas of Manfeliong is situated in a place 67 km. south of Jinghong. The whole structure is composed of nine big and small pagodas, all in the shape of a calabash. The bodies of the pagodas are white in color, whereas the tops are all golden. The tallest pagoda measures 16.29 m. in height, and the nine pagodas were all built on an octagonal foundation. Around the niches are carved with all kinds of animals, shrouds and flowers, also in bass -relief. They look magnificent and grand, typifying the architectural style of the Dai people and their religious customs.
The
Dai village at Manfinglan is about one km. southeast Jinghong. The buildings
here have unique characteristics of their own, all built in the form of
stilted bamboo houses surrounded by railings. Bamboo hedges partition
off different households, forming individual compounds respectively. In
the compounds evergreen gardens all the year round. Here you can also
learn about the daily life and religious customs of the Dai people, watch
and even take part in the performance of their fold dances, and buy characteristic
Dai handicrafts. Every year from the 13th to the 15th of the fourth moon
by the lunar calendar, the grand traditional celebration activities of
the Dai people, namely the Water Sprinkling Festival, will be held.กก