Cultural centre · Scenic area · Yunnan
Jinghong
景洪
Dai city on the Mekong and capital of Xishuangbanna
Jinghong is a county-level city on the Lancang (Mekong) River in southern Yunnan and the capital of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, which borders Laos and Myanmar. Once the seat of the Tai kingdom of Sipsong Panna, it is the centre of Dai culture and Theravada Buddhism in China and the base for visiting the tropical forests and tea mountains of the region.
Key facts
- Province
- Yunnan
- Administrative level
- County-level city, capital of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture
- City status
- 1993[1]
- Elevation
- about 550 m
- Prefecture borders
- Laos, Myanmar
Overview
Jinghong lies on the Lancang River, as the Mekong is called in China, at little more than 500 metres above sea level, just south of the Tropic of Cancer. The climate is tropical monsoon, and the surrounding hills — outside large areas converted to rubber and tea — carry the most northerly tropical rainforest in China, home to Asian elephants.
The Dai, a Tai people related to the Lao and the Shan, form the largest group in the lowlands; Hani (Akha), Bulang, Jinuo, Lahu and Yao live in the hills. Palm-lined streets, Buddhist temples with curved roofs, and night markets give the city a character closer to northern Laos and Thailand than to the rest of China.
Names and nicknames
西双版纳
“twelve thousand rice fields”
Chinese rendering of the Tai name Sipsong Panna, the twelve administrative divisions of the old kingdom; the prefecture's name is often used for the city.
黎明之城
“city of dawn”
A common Chinese explanation of the Dai name of Jinghong.
History
Tai chronicles date the founding of the kingdom of Sipsong Panna, with its capital at Jinghong (Chiang Hung), to 1180. The kingdom acknowledged Chinese overlordship from the Yuan dynasty onward, and the Ming appointed its ruler as the Cheli Pacification Commissioner (车里宣慰使), while it also paid tribute at times to Burmese courts. The hereditary Dai ruler kept his position under the Qing and the Republic. In 1953 the People's Republic created the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous region, later an autonomous prefecture, and the town grew with state rubber farms. Jinghong became a county-level city in 1993, and the China–Laos Railway reached it in 2021.
1180
Founding of Sipsong Panna
According to Dai chronicles, Phaya Choeng (叭真) united the Tai principalities of the upper Mekong with his capital at Jinghong.
late 14th–early 15th century
Ming Cheli Pacification Commission
The Dai ruler was confirmed as a hereditary official of the Ming empire.
1953
Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous region
Established as an autonomous area; it was reorganised as an autonomous prefecture in 1955.
1959
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden
Founded by the botanist Cai Xitao at Menglun; now an institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
1993
Jinghong becomes a city
The county was converted into a county-level city.
2021
China–Laos Railway opens
Xishuangbanna station links Jinghong with Kunming and Vientiane.
Landmarks
Park or garden
Manting Park
曼听公园
Former garden of the Dai rulers, with a temple, a white pagoda and tropical plants.
Temple or shrine
Wat Pajay (Central Buddhist Temple)
西双版纳总佛寺
The main Theravada monastery of the prefecture, with a school for novices.
Nature
Lancang riverfront
澜沧江畔
The Mekong waterfront with the Xishuangbanna bridge and night markets.
Park or garden
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden
中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园
Research garden on an island in the Luosuo River at Menglun, with collections of palms, bamboo and rainforest plants.
Temple or shrine
Manfeilong White Pagoda
曼飞龙白塔
Cluster of white stupas on a hill in Damenglong, a pilgrimage site for the Dai.
Neighbourhoods
Gaozhuang
告庄西双景
New riverside quarter built in Dai style, with a large night market.
Ganlanba (Menghan)
橄榄坝
Riverside plain downstream with Dai villages of stilt houses and temples.
Food
Lemongrass grilled fish
香茅草烤鱼
River fish stuffed with herbs, tied with lemongrass and grilled over charcoal.
Pineapple rice
菠萝饭
Purple or white sticky rice steamed in a hollowed pineapple.
Sapie
撒撇
Dai dish of grilled beef with rice noodles and a bitter, herbal dipping sauce.
Bamboo-tube rice
竹筒饭
Sticky rice cooked inside a section of bamboo over the fire.
Culture
Dai life is shaped by Theravada Buddhism: boys traditionally spend a period as novices in the village temple, and the temples teach the Dai script. The Dai New Year, the Water-Splashing Festival in mid-April, brings dragon-boat races on the Mekong, water-splashing in the streets and the release of lanterns. In the hills around Menghai, Hani and Bulang villages tend old tea gardens that supply much of the region's Pu'er tea.
Mountains and nature nearby
Getting around
- Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport lies a short distance south-west of the city.
- Xishuangbanna station on the China–Laos Railway, north of the centre, has trains to Kunming, Mohan on the Lao border and Vientiane.
- Buses and hired cars reach Menghai, Menglun and Mengla; the city itself is compact.
Day trips
Wild Elephant Valley
野象谷
Forest reserve north of the city with walkways where wild Asian elephants are sometimes seen.
Nannuo Mountain
南糯山
Hani tea mountain in Menghai county with centuries-old tea trees.
Menglun
勐仑
Town with the Tropical Botanical Garden, on the road to Mengla.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture People's Government — Xishuangbanna Prefecture People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden — Chinese Academy of Sciences (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Yunnan — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More cities in Yunnan
- Kunming昆明Capital · Cultural centreThe City of Eternal Spring on Lake Dian
- Dali大理Historic city · Cultural centre · Scenic areaCapital of Nanzhao and the Dali kingdom between the Cang Mountains and Erhai
- Lijiang丽江Historic city · Cultural centre · Scenic areaNaxi old town beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
- Shangri-La香格里拉Cultural centre · Scenic areaTibetan highland town of Gyalthang in north-western Yunnan