Traveling Around the World - Revisiting Banna with My Cell Phone, Part 11 - Primitive Forest Park

Number of days：6 days
Time: March
Average cost: 4800 yuan
With whom：a person
Updated: 2024.03.09

From late February to early March 2024, I visited the Primitive Forest Park during a trip to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. This photo shows the entrance to the park.

Xishuangbanna National Forest Park is located in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, on the banks of the Caiyang River, 8km from downtown Jinghong. It straddles the Nanban River to the south and is bounded by the Caiyang River to the north. Since its completion and trial opening on May 29, 1999, it has attracted numerous tourists and scientists from home and abroad. (Photo taken at the primeval forest park.) The park is located at an altitude of 500-1000 meters. It boasts unique tropical rainforest landscapes, unique topography, mysterious seas of clouds and fog, and rich ethnic customs. This photo was taken in the primeval forest park. In May 2001, the forest park was designated a National AAAA-level tourist attraction by the National Tourism Administration's Scenic Spot Evaluation Committee. In December 2005, it was designated a National Forest Park by the State Forestry Administration. In August 2009, it was ranked second among China's "Top Ten Most Beautiful Forest Parks" by Beautiful China. (Photo taken at the original forest park.) The park covers an area of 26,310 mu (approximately 1,677 acres), with a forest coverage rate of 98.6%. It is the best-preserved virgin forest south of the Tropic of Cancer. (Photo taken at the Virgin Forest Park) Its natural advantages blend the magical natural scenery of the primeval forest with rich folk customs, highlighting three major themes: "Tropical Valley Rainforest," "Wildlife Exhibition Focused on Peacock Culture," and "Folk Customs Exhibition Focused on the Hani and Aini Peoples." Photo taken in the Primeval Forest Park. Here, you can watch Dai water splashing, peacock releases, ethnic song and dance performances, the Aini village bride-kidnapping ceremony, the Jiulong Waterfall, and hike through the tropical valley rainforest. (Photo taken in the original forest park.)

Jinhu Lake, located next to Peacock Villa, is a man-made expanse of water, 2 to 4 meters deep, and as clear as a mirror. The graceful shoreline of coconut trees, betel nut trees, palm trees, weeping fig trees, hibiscus trees, and red mulberry trees are reflected in the lake, resembling a beautiful watercolor painting. This photo was taken in the Primeval Forest Park. Two unique pavilions, one called Prince Pavilion and the other Princess Pavilion, stand in the middle of the lake. Legend has it that this is where Zhao Shutun and the Peacock Princess Namunona met and fell in love by the Golden Lake. (Photo taken in the primeval forest park) Flocks of peacocks fly over Jinhu Lake, forage, and play on the lakeside grass, creating a tranquil and peaceful scene. This photo was taken in the Primeval Forest Park. The "Peacock Release" is one of the few peacock performances in Xishuangbanna. A poem praises it: "Exotic birds flutter from the sky, soaring as fluently as blossoming flowers, their songs accompanying the falling grass, their various poses captivating the visitors." Depending on the time of day, you can witness the spectacular release of up to a thousand peacocks. This photo was taken in the Primitive Forest Park. Here, you can participate in the Dai people’s water splashing activity and pray for “getting wet brings lifelong happiness.” Photo taken in the primeval forest park.