Xishuangbanna is an autonomous prefecture in southern Yunnan Province, China. The capital city is Jinghong, the largest settlement in the area and one that straddles the Lancang River. Xishuangbanna is home to many ethnic groups, among which the Dai people is the largest. Visitors are always surprised by their unique customs, colorful festivals and spectacular architectures. The region sits at a lower altitude than most of Yunnan, and has a tropical climate. It is fast becoming a sought after tourist destination.

Xishuangbanna's Culture
The Six famous tea mountains region is located in the prefecture produce some of the most highly regarded Pu-erh tea in the 20th century.

Xishuangbanna is rich in nature, historical and cultural resources, noted for its folklore, rain forests, rare plants and wildlife. Its major tourist attractions include Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden, Manfeilong Pagodas (Tanuozhuanglong), Jingzhen Pavilion, Wild Elephant Gully, Dai people's village at Ganlanba.

The well-known traditional festival is the ethnic Dai's Water-Splashing Festival. It lasts for three days from April 13 to 15. Besides the water festival event it also consists of some other events such as Dragon boat races, firing of indigenous missiles, flying Kongming Lamps.

Xishuangbanna's Transport
Since the opening of the Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport (formerly "Jinghong International Airport") in 1990, traveling to Xishuangbanna by air has become more popular and convenient and there are daily flights connecting Xishuangbanna with Kunming City. Banna Airport is large enough to accommodate Boeing 737s, and a flight between Kunming and Xishuangbanna takes about 50minutes. The area also has air connections with Dali, Chengdu and Bangkok. The Xishuangbanna Airport is 6 km south of Jinghong City.

It takes around 24 hours to drive from Kunming to Xishuannbanna, which are 700 kilometers apart. There are also bus routes to places all over Yunnan and neighboring provinces.