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中|CHINANETZ

Forest · Yunnan

Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest

西双版纳热带雨林 (Xīshuāngbǎnnà rèdài yǔlín)

China's largest tropical rainforest, home of wild Asian elephants

The tropical rainforests of Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan, on the Mekong near the borders with Laos and Myanmar, are the largest surviving area of tropical forest in China and lie at the northern edge of the Asian tropics. Protected as a national nature reserve and a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1993, they shelter China's last wild Asian elephants and a large share of the country's plant and animal species.

  • UNESCO biosphere reserve · 1993
  • National nature reserve

Key facts

UNESCO biosphere reserve
1993[1]
Latitude
about 21–22° N
Climate
Tropical monsoon
Location
Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan

Overview

Xishuangbanna — from the Dai for “twelve thousand rice fields” — is a prefecture of low hills and river valleys where the Mekong, known in China as the Lancang, leaves the country. The nature reserve is split into several separate blocks, among them Mengyang, Menglun, Mengla and Shangyong, set among a landscape that has been transformed since the 1950s by rubber and, later, tea and banana plantations.

Although it covers only a small fraction of China's land, the prefecture holds a remarkable share of its biodiversity: several thousand species of higher plants and a large proportion of the country's birds and mammals. The forests are also the cultural landscape of the Dai, whose Theravada Buddhist temples, stilt houses and sacred groves stand among them.

How the landscape formed

Xishuangbanna lies at around 21 to 22 degrees north, south of the Tropic of Cancer, in the southern foothills of the Hengduan ranges. Mountains to the north block cold air from the interior, while the south-west monsoon brings a long rainy season, so that lowland valleys below about 1,000 metres support true tropical rainforest despite the latitude. Frequent winter fog in the valleys supplies moisture through the dry season. Higher up, the rainforest gives way to monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest.

Highlights

  • Wild Elephant Valley

    野象谷 (Yěxiàng Gǔ)

    A forest valley in the Mengyang block with elevated walkways, where wild Asian elephants come to drink and feed.

  • Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

    中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园 (Zhōngguó Kēxuéyuàn Xīshuāngbǎnnà Rèdài Zhíwùyuán)

    A research garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at Menglun, on a peninsula in the Luosuo river, with large living collections and a patch of protected rainforest.

  • Wangtianshu forest

    望天树 (Wàngtiānshù)

    Rainforest near Mengla dominated by Parashorea chinensis, a dipterocarp that towers above the canopy; a canopy walkway runs among the crowns.

  • Lancang (Mekong) river

    澜沧江 (Láncāng Jiāng)

    The river that crosses the prefecture from north to south before forming the border with Laos and Myanmar.

  • Strangler figs

    绞杀榕 (jiǎoshā róng)

    Figs that germinate on host trees and envelop them — a characteristic sight of the forests.

Plants and wildlife

The reserve protects lowland tropical seasonal rainforest, montane rainforest and evergreen broadleaf forest. Its fauna includes the Asian elephant, gaur, several primates and a rich birdlife, with hornbills and the green peafowl among the rarest. Much of the original forest outside the reserve has been replaced by rubber, which fragments habitats and has made the protected blocks and the corridors between them essential.

Plants

  • Parashorea chinensis

    望天树 (wàngtiānshù)

    A tall dipterocarp tree, one of the few of its family in China, reaching well above 60 metres.

  • Upas tree

    见血封喉 (jiànxuè fēnghóu)

    Antiaris toxicaria, whose latex was once used as an arrow poison.

  • Dragon tree

    龙血树 (lóngxuèshù)

    Dracaena of the limestone hills, source of a red resin used in medicine.

Wildlife

  • Asian elephant

    亚洲象 (Yàzhōu xiàng)

    China's wild population, a few hundred animals, lives almost entirely in southern Yunnan, most of it in Xishuangbanna.

  • Gaur

    印度野牛 (Yìndù yěniú)

    The largest wild bovine, surviving in small numbers in the reserve.

  • Green peafowl

    绿孔雀 (lǜ kǒngquè)

    An endangered pheasant and a symbol of Dai culture, now very rare in the wild.

  • Great hornbill

    双角犀鸟 (shuāngjiǎo xīniǎo)

    One of several hornbill species of the lowland forests.

Culture and legend

The Dai, related to the Thai and Lao, have lived in the valleys for centuries under their own rulers, the Cheli princes, and follow Theravada Buddhism; every village has its temple and its sacred grove. The Dai practice of keeping a “holy hill” (龙山) of untouched forest around each village, as the dwelling of spirits, preserved patches of forest that science now recognises for their conservation value. Hani (Akha), Bulang, Jino and other peoples live in the hills, several of them cultivators of ancient tea gardens.

  • Holy hills

    龙山 (lóngshān)

    Dai sacred forests where felling and hunting were traditionally forbidden.

  • Water-Splashing Festival

    泼水节 (Pōshuǐ Jié)

    The Dai New Year in April, celebrated with water blessings, boat races and temple ceremonies.

  • Dai stilt houses

    傣族竹楼 (Dǎizú zhúlóu)

    Timber and bamboo houses raised on posts, with living quarters above and space for animals and storage below.

History

  1. 1180

    Kingdom of Sipsongpanna

    By tradition a Dai principality centred on Jinghong was founded in this year; its rulers later acknowledged Yuan, Ming and Qing overlordship.

  2. 1958

    First reserves established

    Yunnan set aside forest reserves in Xishuangbanna, among the earliest in China.

  3. 1959

    Tropical Botanical Garden founded

    The botanist Cai Xitao founded the garden at Menglun, now an institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  4. 1986

    National nature reserve

    The reserve was raised to national level, bringing the separate blocks under unified protection.

  5. 1993

    UNESCO biosphere reserve

    Added to the Man and the Biosphere network.

  6. 2020–2021

    Elephant herd walks north

    A herd of wild elephants from the Xishuangbanna–Pu'er area wandered hundreds of kilometres north to the outskirts of Kunming before being guided back south, drawing worldwide attention to habitat loss.

Through the seasons

  • Spring

    Hot and dry, with the Water-Splashing Festival in April; the forest is at its most open and many trees flower.

  • Summer

    The rainy season from May to October brings heavy showers, lush growth and leeches on forest trails.

  • Autumn

    Rain eases through October and November, and the forest is green and humid.

  • Winter

    The dry season: warm days, morning fog in the valleys and the most comfortable walking conditions.

Routes and ways in

  1. Wild Elephant Valley walkways

    Elevated walkways and forest trails in the Mengyang block; sightings of elephants are possible but never certain.

  2. Botanical garden at Menglun

    Themed collections and a trail through protected rainforest; a full day is useful.

  3. Wangtianshu canopy walkway

    A suspended walkway among the crowns of the tall dipterocarps near Mengla.

  4. Village and tea-hill walks

    Walks between Dai valley villages and the tea-growing hills of the Hani and Bulang, best with a local guide.

Practical notes

  • Wild elephants are dangerous: keep to marked paths and viewing platforms, and never approach or follow them.
  • The climate is hot and humid; insect repellent, protection against leeches in the rainy season and plenty of water are advisable.
  • Much of the reserve is closed to visitors; access is to designated areas such as Wild Elephant Valley, the botanical garden and the Wangtianshu area.
  • Jinghong, the prefectural capital, is the base, with an airport and a station on the railway between Kunming and Laos.

Cities to start from

Frequently asked questions

Sources

  1. Xishuangbanna — Man and the Biosphere Programme — UNESCO (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  2. Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden — Chinese Academy of Sciences (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  3. Yunnan Provincial People's Government — Yunnan Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)

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