Jinghong (Chinese: 景洪; Jǐnghóng, Lü: ᦵᦋᧂ ᦣᦳᧂᧈ) is the capital of Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan. It is a hub for Chinese package tourists as well as for travellers passing between China and Laos. A prime area for backpackers (see Banana Pancake Trail), its vibe evokes that of Laos or northern Thailand despite being in China, with most of its inhabitants being Theravada Buddhists and speaking a language related to Thai and Lao. It is an easy overland trip from Laos.
The airport bus can easily reach the city from the airport, and the airport special line No. 1 also passes through the night market and temple attractions. The price is ¥4. The tourist route can choose ordinary bus and tourist line. Among them, ordinary bus No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and bus Z21 pass through many tourist attractions, and the price is ¥3. Attractions will have corresponding tourist bus lines, most of which are ¥5 for round trips.
1 Xishuangbanna Zongfo Temple (西双版纳总佛寺), 18 Baji Road, ☏ +86 6912160502. 08:00–18:00. The Xishuangbanna Zongfo Temple was one of the first Pali-speaking Buddhist monasteries to be established in Xishuangbanna and is said to have been built in 615. On 18 June 1990, Zhao Puchu, the president of the Chinese Buddhist Association, changed the name of the temple to "Xishuangbanna Zongfo Temple". (updated Sep 2022) 2 Mange Temple (曼阁佛寺), 102 Zhongxin Lane. 08:30-17:30. The Mange Temple is the oldest Buddhist temple building in Jinghong, located in the Mange Cottage, just north of the Lancang River Bridge and not far from the river.
Songkran. If you are in the town during the Thai (Dai in that area) New year there is a massive celebration with Dragon boating and capped off with a massive city wide water fight on the final day of celebration. Riverfront Walks. The town is on the Nancang River, a wide tributary of the Mekong. There is excellent walking along the riverfront.
1 Banna Cafe, 1 Manting Road, ☏ +86 691 2160970. This friendly cafe is most probably the best cafe to sit and watch life on the streets of Jinghong. They offer great Western and Dai foods. They also provide guides for tours and treks. 2 Mei Mei Cafe, F1-102 Menglong Road, ☏ +86 691 13988109372. This long-running cafe overseen by sisters Orchid and A-chun has a large outdoor terrace where you can enjoy local Dai or the highly rated pizzas, along with other western dishes. Their desserts are delicious. The Mei Mei has the best value beer at ¥16 for a large beer Lao. Mantingxiaozhai BBQ, Manting Road. There are many BBQ restaurants here. Special food, very delicious.
There are many nice bars by the Mekong river on the left side of the New Bridge, a bit expensive but beautiful at night, they are worth a stroll even if you don't go inside for a drink. Mountain Cafe (It's moved - now in the 'new' part of JH). They focus on coffee, but also serve quesadillas and pizza, plus do custom baking. It is about 10 minutes outside of town. Muse (Lao Zhen Ai). The best club in jinghong. Two DJ booths, open until 02:30 to 03:00. Jiang Bian. This area is full of open air bars. People come here to eat and drink beers. The river portion is lined with bars, but the more inland bars have more customers. Xin Zhen Ai.
Pay attention to food safety When eating mushrooms, you need to pay special attention to food poisoning caused by overeating and eating undercooked mushrooms. It is recommended to ask the waiter to confirm whether the food is edible. Do not eat mushrooms from unknown sources without authorization. When choosing to take a taxi as a means of travel, please choose a regulatory compliance taxi vehicle, preferably using a mobile phone app. Avoid taking non-compliant taxis and keep your belongings safe.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Sep, Jinghong typically sees ~30°C daytime highs and 23 rainy days.
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