Traveling Around the World - Revisiting Banna, Part 9: Wild Elephant Valley

Number of days：6 days
Time: February
Average cost: 4800 yuan
With whom：a person
Updated: 2024.03.08

From late February to early March 2024, I visited the Wild Elephant Valley during a trip to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. The photos were taken at the Wild Elephant Valley.

Wild Elephant Valley is located within the Mengyangzi Nature Reserve in Xishuangbanna, approximately 22 kilometers from the Jinghong District government and adjacent to National Highway 213. Originally a breeding and research base for Asian elephants and wild butterflies, it was later approved as one of the first national ecotourism demonstration zones. Photos taken at Wild Elephant Valley. Wild Asian elephants have extremely demanding habitats. There are approximately 300 wild Asian elephants in China, with over 250 in Xishuangbanna and over 150 living year-round in the Mengyangzi Nature Reserve. (Photo taken at Wild Elephant Valley.) The Sancha River Valley (Wild Elephant Valley) within the reserve boasts abundant food, water, and shelter, making it a crucial route for east-west migration. Year-round, there are 70-80 wild elephants, belonging to more than 10 families. Even so, seeing a wild elephant is a matter of chance. (Photo taken in the Wild Elephant Valley) The high-altitude elephant viewing path, located near the Nitrate Pond, is a favorite spot for wild Asian elephants and the easiest place to spot them in the entire Wild Elephant Valley. As the saying goes, "People walk in the air, elephants swim on the ground." (Photo taken at the Wild Elephant Valley.)

The high-altitude elephant viewing path, located near the Nitrate Pond, is a favorite spot for wild Asian elephants and the easiest place to see them in the entire Wild Elephant Valley. "People walk in the air, while elephants swim on the ground." Photo taken at the Wild Elephant Valley.

After walking the 3.7-kilometer wooden path, I found virtually nothing. But this photo shows you that wild elephants once roamed here!

Inside Yexianggu Park is a Hundred Birds Park, which houses rare and precious birds unique to Yunnan, as well as beautiful ornamental birds. These include silver pheasants, Yunnan jungle fowl, and budgies.

The Hundred Birds Park primarily displays tropical and subtropical birds and serves as a base for bird-related research. Bird shows are also available. The Butterfly Garden is a wild butterfly breeding and research base in Xishuangbanna, the first research site in my country to artificially breed wild butterflies. The Butterfly Garden lives up to its name. Walking in, you're greeted by a dazzling display of colorful butterflies. Butterflies of all sizes, all in solid colors, flitted through the blossoms and branches, their wings unattended, unconcerned with the surroundings. They flitted here and there, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, gently and gracefully, their myriad gestures a feast for the eyes.

The Butterfly Garden is the Xishuangbanna Wild Butterfly Breeding Research Base, the first research site in my country dedicated to the artificial breeding of wild butterflies.

The wild animals living in the lizard park are all nationally protected animals that were injured and rescued in the wild.

You can't see wild elephants, but you can watch elephant performances in the scenic area and interact with the elephants, which is one of the most popular attractions for tourists.

Not long ago, due to the intervention of wildlife conservation organizations, traditional elephant performances were cancelled. The elephants can now only perform some simple programs.