Xishuangbanna
CCTV.COM (07.21 2003 17:42)
The name of Xishuangbanna almost never fails to dazzle most people in China with an irresistible charm. A place with age-old traditions and fresh vitality at once, it stirs up our imagination about exotic culture, incredible landscape, and mysterious folklore.
Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is located in the southernmost tip of Yunnan province bordering Myanmar in the Southwest and Laos in the Southeast. It covers an area of about 20,000 square km with most of the terrain being hilly to mountainous. Almost all streams in the region are tributaries of the Langcang River, or Mekong River, which bisects Xishuangbanna from North to South.
Like most of its Southeast Asian neighbors, Xishuangbanna features a subtropical monsoon climate. This warm and wet climate is ideal for nurturing wonderful tropical plants and flora and home to many unusual wild animals. As a matter of fact, Xishuangbanna is the only tropical rainforest nature reserve in China. It consists of five small reserves, with a total area of about two thousand square kilometers.
For a while, the region's fame as a natural paradise was as well known as that of Amazon.
Other than the tropical environment, What takes visitors most is the colorful culture here, as over ten different ethnic minorities inhabit the region.
The name of Xishuangbanna comes from the Dai language, meaning 12,000 pieces of rice fields. Dai people are the dominant ethnic group in Xishuangbanna, and also the earliest one to come and settle in the area.
Dai people usually live on plains or in valleys nearby the river, where the soil is more fertile, irrigation is convenient, the climate is also warmer. Water is critical in Dai people's life. On many special occasions, water is used as a symbol for blessings.
One thing stands out about Dai people is their enthusiasm toward pretty things. Dai girls are always dressed up like beautiful flowers, flaunting their amazing figures in traditional Dai costumes.
Editor:Han Ling
