Don't go there, or you can only stay there,Xishuangbanna

Yunnan is one of the most suitable places for traveling in China. There is no other province in China with such pleasant climate and comfortable environment that has so many minority nationalities and breathtaking sceneries. With the largest ethnic group in China and unique cuisines, Yunnan borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. It is a place where you can experience Southeast Asian customs.

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Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is the only tropical rain forest nature reserve in China. The word "Xishuangbanna" refers to the "ideal and magical paradise". Since the hotel I reserved was at the top of the mountain about 2,500 meters above sea level, I missed the best time to watch the "sea of clouds" when I reached the top. Instead, I paid a visit to the ancient village in the mountains. Houses there were built down the hillside and beautifully landscaped with the original appearance. There were many tea factories and tea fields in the mountains and nearly every family has its own tea house where sour and roasted teas were served as local specialties.

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Xishuangbanna is a place where faith prevails. Since most of the residents are Dais who especially believe in Buddhism, Buddhist temples can be seen everywhere. The Buddhism was introduced from India to China around the Christian era. Later, in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, China replaced India as the center of Buddhism in the world. Located in Xishuangbanna, the magnificent Mengle Temple was built close to a hill. And from its peak, people are able to overlook the whole city. Built in the Ming Dynasty, the Mengle Temple is exquisite and gorgeous. Most buildings in the temple are square while facing east. Thanks to the fact that the roofs are stacked by three layers of slopes, they are higher in the middle while decreasing on both sides, ups and downs. The tiles on the ridges usually take the shape of flame while there are images of phoenix on most hips.

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The Manting Imperial Garden is the oldest park in Xishuangbanna, which means "park of soul". Since the garden is not a common garden and was also named the "Garden of the Queen", its ticket price was a little high. There are many tropical flora and fauna in the park, but the most attracting sights are the royal buildings, white pagodas, octagonal pavilion and other ancient buildings with great charm of Southeast Asia.

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The Lancang River rising in the Jifu Mountain 5200 meters above sea level in Qinghai Province is called the Mekong River after it leaves Xishuangbanna and becomes the boundary river between Laos and Burma. The Mekong River flows through Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before reaching the South China Sea in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is the sixth longest river in the world with a total length of 4,900 kilometers.

Not far from the night fair is the Xishuang Banna Bridge

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At night I went to the night fair sit by the Lancang Rive. There were Southeast Asian Countries’ savory snacks, special national handicrafts, exquisite embroidery with ethnic totem, well-made Dai costumes, wood-carved Buddhist prayer beads, as well as free Dai-style performances. Meanwhile, stall owners there were trying their best to show their products expecting a harvest night: you buy their goods while they share you stories…

There was a stage in the fair and people could appreciate
the wonderful Dai’s special performance for free

fresh fruits

Local snacks

Jade bracelets

Carved fancy soap

Lights made of coconut shell

The pas de deux

Dai’s girls are ready to perform on stage

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I chatted with a Dai girl and learned some interesting local customs. For instance, Dai people regard peacocks and elephants as mascots. Since they still uphold the tradition of matriarchal clan society, they take pride in having girl babies. In addition, there is a three-year inspection period for marriage between boys and girls. In the first three years, the boy would sleep on the couch in the girl's living room and do heavy work everyday. On the third year, he needs to prepare wedding gifts for the girl, namely, the silverware, usually a silver belt. After three years, if the girl feels satisfied, they can get married and the husband has no need to do heavy work anymore. He may raise children at home while his wife earns money to support the family. Dai people like silverware, holding that silver stands for purity, power and wealth and can sweep away the bad things. Therefore, many things they wear are made of silver. Dai people are not wiling to take pictures because they think shooting photos will take away their souls. People can not visit Dai’s bedroom without their permission, or they will be detained to do coolie.

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The next morning, I went up very early and waited for the sunrise excitedly before the sun rose up. The meeting between the warm currents in the low-altitude valleys and the sinking cold air from the mountains at high altitude resulted in the formation of a beautiful "sea of clouds".

Below the inversion layer. As the sun rose gradually, the sky was illuminated and the "sea of clouds" became ever clearer in front of us. I was shocked by the unrivaled beautiful scenery. The cloud fluctuated along the ridges and flowed down from top to bottom just like a waterfall! From different angles, there was different spectacular beauty, which was hard to describe in words. Dear friends, are you feeling the stunning quietness and beauty I mean now?

Thanks for reading

@Lucyl

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