Tourist sector promising in Xishuangbanna

Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture is located at the southern tip of Yunnan province, with a forest coverage of 88 percent. Known as the "kingdom of plants and animals" and a "gene pool of species", the prefecture features a high degree of biodiversity, as well as diverse ethnic cultures.

With the lifting of Covid lockdown, Xishuangbanna has seen a rebound of visits over the past weeks. Both Yunnan natives and those outside the province chose to visit the destination for its eco-tours, fitness projects, less-known packages, motorcycle tours, customized routes and so forth. In the coming spring, visitors from home and abroad look forward to more surprises and fine experiences in Xishuangbanna.

New surprises at cold-avoiding sites

“The climate in Xishuangbanna is mild all year round, and even in winter, you can enjoy warm sunshine.” Not long ago, Lu Xueqiong, a local tourist in Yunnan, took a train on the China-Laos railway and reached Xishuangbanna for an unusual trip.

Affected by the Covid outbreaks, cross-border tours are not readily available for the time being, so Lu saw Xishuangbanna as a perfect alternative to northern Thailand. "Rice fields, jungles for trekking, rock climbing, camping, and cave exploration, all the typical activities during a tropical tour were experienced in the prefecture," said Lu, who planned a lesser-known route. Her travel V-log made a hit on the WeChat video-sharing platform.

Avoiding winter cold is a major lure for tourists to choose Xishuangbanna. Lu Xueqiong believed that the destinations favored by youngsters and families with kids belong to those of pleasant climate, as well as a sense of freshness and gain. In the recent rainforest-trekking, the guide shared with tourists the knowledge on plants and survival skills in the wilderness. Lu was surprised to find that a Dai meal after walking through the rainforest or a camping night with fresh air and starry sky are good for the parent-child relation.

Being suitable for photo taking is another selling point of tourist packages at present. Lu said Xishuangbanna's diverse landscape meets the needs of travel photographers. The tropical rain forest in Mengla, the secluded path in Wangtianshu scenic area, the Buddhist temple in Menghai are all excellent sites for picture taking.

As for the new possibilities for Xishuangbanna tourism, Lu Xueqiong said the prefecture can do a lot to improve its tourist services. "Activities at scenic areas are not designed for profession players, who, after all, belong to minorities. Instead, a god scenic area should offer various choices to ordinary tourists, so that they can enjoy life to the fullest like profession players. In this way, even famed destinations can identify room for improvement. "

Motorbike tours in Xishuangbanna

"I'm going on motorcycle rides as usual!" Asked about the coming travel plan, Hu Wenkun replied without hesitation for riding tours have been his routine during the Chinese new-year holiday. "Although the route has not been finalized, it is certain that I’ll go south all the way to Xishuangbanna."

Hu showed much sentiment when it came to the Xishuangbanna riding route. "In the 1990s, I first rode from Kunming to the prefecture. Back then, I was riding a low-emission motorbike. The scenery along the way was fascinating, but it took me two or three days to wind through the mountains, resulting in weariness and even physical torture." Now things are quite different. During the last ride to Xishuangbanna in 2018, he spent only seven or eight hours covering the whole journey.

Apart from shorter riding on the expressway, Hu Wenkun said the Xishuangbanna dishes are also appealing to motorcyclists. When the typical dishes of Dai barbecue, cold-dressed meat, and chicken with bamboo shoots during his trip were mentioned, Hu was unable to hide his greed.

For sure, the big fun of motorcycle tour lies in riding on the way for mesmerizing scenery alongside. Hu noted Kunming-Xishuangbanna riding route passes through the Tropic of Cancer park in Mojiang, the Taiyanghe forest park in Pu'er, the wild elephant valley and others. The motor cyclists don't need to be in a hurry. With park visits decorating their riding journey, they fully enjoyed the blue sky, the rain forest and other graces by mother nature.

Also, Xishuangbanna's considerate service and logistics support for motorcycle enthusiasts also contributed to popularity of local motor tours. Hu Wenkun said the past years have seen northern motorsport enthusiasts come to Xishuangbanna in winter, either for its mild climate or for sharing experiences with like-minded peers. "We ride together during the day and get together at night for barbecue and the charming night there."

Souvenirs for nationwide visitors

"In 2022, we’ll optimize tourist products based on resources and ideas, so that more tourists could come to Xishuangbanna," said Li Dong, founder of Sunbird In-depth Travel.

Founded in 2011, the tourist company designs customized tourist products based on Xishuangbanna's resources, ethnic cultures, environment and others. The products have allowed tourists to explore deep into the tropical rain forest, while guiding tourists into the origin of products for onsite experiences.

In 2016, the company launched a program on sustainable eco-tourism development. So far, the training program has benefited 40 plus participants who made progress in designing in-depth travel products. The program also helped Sunbird find the wanted talents, while allowing villagers to learn more, open their eyes, and increase their income. Visitors said the program deepened their understanding to local customs. Over the years, the in-depth travel products have been favored by tourists for safe operation and professional design.

For tourists to have brand new experiences in Xishuangbanna, Li Dong and his team are busy integrating local tourism resources. They paid attention to the latest developments at tourist destinations and updated the items on rainforest condition, biodiversity protection and others. By designing and perfecting tour packages based on market demand, they aim to further optimize the company's in-depth travel products.

In addition, Li Dong has made innovations. While operating Languigu restaurant, he sorted out local specialties according to the company’s program on sustainable development and presented the Xishuangbanna gifts to tourists across China. "Our customers come from all over the country, and some of them may not come to the prefecture in person. However, I hope that the specialties from our communities could serve as a conduit for more to know about the beautiful Xishuangbanna," said Li.

Fitness tours look promising

"Xishuangbanna enjoys a unique eco-environment and it is a rare Chinese tourist destination that offers all-year-round services to tourists of different ages," said Li Qinglei, deputy dean of the Faculty of Geograghy, Yunnan Normal University. In Li’s eyes, Xishuangbanna has a mild climate, a high degree of forest coverage, and a long history of tea culture. The distinctive Dai cuisine and medicine have made the prefecture a good place for developing health tourism.

At the Gaozhuang night market in Jinghong city, tourists tasted local food and experience folk customs. At Rainforest Manor, headquarters of the ancient tea houses, visitors drank tea, made tea, and learnt tea culture. The mountain-side hotels are a good choice for those who want to rest quietly.

With the improvement of transport facilities, Xishuangbanna's tourist products are increasingly mature and diverse. Ethnic villages such as Mengjinglai in Menghai county, Zhanglang in Xiding township, Manzhao in Menghun town are good for in-depth experiences in folk customs, landscapes and pastoral sights. The Yiwu old town in Mengla county features a thick air of history, while the county’s Kongming mountain is known for camping and other outdoor sports.

Li Qinglei suggested that Xishuangbanna should innovate models for tourism development by inviting in health-tourism investment, bolstering distinct economy, and positioning tours precisely. The prefecture will make full use of its favorable climate and highlight traditional Dai medicine, rolling out more health tourist packages that are based on its rain forests, hot springs, rural sights, outdoor sports and tea culture. In view of the recent opening of China-Laos railway, it’s faster and easier for tourists to visit Xishuangbanna. And such development is conducive to innovation of local health tour packages.

Source: Yunnan Daily; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue