The capital of Xishuangbanna, on the Lancang, the Chinese name for the Mekong. A Dai city of gilded temple roofs, a few hours by train from the Lao border.
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Jinghong was founded in 1180 as Chiang Hung, capital of the Tai kingdom of Sipsongpanna. Today it is the seat of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, a county-level city of 642,737 people at the 2020 census, on the Lancang, the Chinese Mekong. Just north, the 108 m Jinghong dam, commissioned between 2008 and 2010, is the last of the Chinese cascade before the border: its releases change the river level all the way to Thailand.
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The river runs through the city; in the evening the cable-stayed bridge lights up above the water. Upstream, the 1,750 MW Jinghong dam regulates the flow, and part of its power is sold to Thailand.
Southeast of the junction of Xuanwei Avenue and Manle Road, the Gaozhuang Xishuangjing complex hosts more than ten performance stages, craft and food stalls every evening from 6 pm to 12:30 am.
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2 km southeast of the centre, the former Dai royal garden holds Zongfo, Xishuangbanna's highest-ranking Buddhist temple, rebuilt five times. The garden opens 8 am to 5 pm; the evening show costs from 280 yuan.
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60 to 70 km southeast, the Chinese Academy of Sciences garden, founded in 1959, covers 1,125 ha, 250 of them primary forest, with more than 13,000 species. Entry 80 yuan, 7:30 am to 6:30 pm.
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From April 13 to 15, the Dai New Year is celebrated with water and boat races on the Lancang; in 2026 Jinghong marked it on April 15.
Xishuangbanna's elephants: in 2020 a herd of Asian elephants left the region heading north; it reached the outskirts of Kunming in June 2021 and only returned in September, after about 1,300 km. At Wild Elephant Valley, about forty kilometres north, sightings are most frequent from November to February.
Wooden rooms under a high roof, apartments facing the Mekong, and rooms with kitchens for a longer stay.
Photo: You Ran Tai
Wood-paneled rooms under a high exposed roof, with a garden, terrace, two restaurants and a bar; free shuttle to the airport, 8 km away.
≈ $298 a night
Photo: Mekong At Home Homestay
Apartments on the 19th floor of a tower, with a full kitchen and views of the river and mountains; car rental.
≈ $40 a night
Photo: Doudou Meilan Fengqing Inn
Rooms with a kitchen, dining area and terrace, plus a restaurant and a shared kitchen; free airport shuttle.
≈ $40 a night
Booking affiliate links · average nightly price checked in October 2026
Train · 3 to 4 hours
More than 30 trains a day to Xishuangbanna station, 4 km from the centre, from 271 yuan in second class.
Train · about 4.5 hours to Luang Prabang
Two international trains a day, the D87 at 11:30 am and the D83 at 2:36 pm, Beijing time: 209 yuan to Luang Prabang, 338 to Vientiane. Tickets are issued in your passport name; everyone gets off for checks at Mohan and Boten, about an hour.
Gasa airport · 5 km from the centre
Yunnan's second airport, 5 km from central Jinghong.
Train times and fares checked on October 11, 2026 for October 16, with the Baolau agency: check again before you travel.
November to March is the dry season: 24 to 28 °C in the afternoon, 12 to 16 °C at night and little rain. April tops 32 °C. The monsoon peaks in July and August at over 330 mm a month.
| Month | J (current month) | F (current month) | M (current month) | A (current month) | M (current month) | J (current month) | J (current month) | A (current month) | S (current month) | O (current month) | N (current month) | D (current month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| Daysof rain | 5 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 19 | 24 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 8 | 6 |
| Mekonglevel | Low | Low | High | High | Low | High | High | Falling | Falling | Low | Low | Low |
| Our take | Ideal | Ideal | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Difficult | Difficult | Fair | Good | Ideal | Ideal |
| Month | Low – high | mm | River |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (current month) | 31 | Low | |
| Feb (current month) | 18 | Low | |
| Mar (current month) | 40 | High | |
| Apr (current month) | 92 | High | |
| May (current month) | 205 | Low | |
| Jun (current month) | 277 | High | |
| Jul (current month) | 371 | High | |
| Aug (current month) | 339 | Falling | |
| Sep (current month) | 212 | Falling | |
| Oct (current month) | 144 | Low | |
| Nov (current month) | 53 | Low | |
| Dec (current month) | 31 | Low |
3 tours to book in Jinghong
Affiliate links GetYourGuide · Prices checked October 11, 2026
from$85
Availabilityfrom$85
Availabilityfrom$29
AvailabilitySources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); history and population, Wikipedia (2020 census); dam, Wikipedia; Gaozhuang market, official China Daily portal (2025); Manting and Zongfo, China Highlights; botanical garden, official Chinese portal (2026); Water-Splashing Festival, Global Times (2026); elephants, China Daily (2021) and China Highlights; trains, Baolau (checked October 11, 2026); visa and transit, official Chinese portals (2024-2025); activities, GetYourGuide (checked October 11, 2026). Updated on October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.
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