Jinghong, China is located in the south bordering Myanmar. This city offers brilliant historical sights, cultural attractions, a tropical landscape and the chance to observe elephants in a natural reserve. This destination is popular with backpackers crossing the borders on route to nearby Laos. It is a great place to experience Dai culture, try flavours from the Dai cuisine and embrace the more tropical destinations ahead.

Airports in Jinghong

1. Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport

Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport is a civilian airport located in the southwest of Jinghong City in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. This airport is also known as Banna Airport or Jinghong airport. The airport started its service in 1990 and has experienced three times’ expansion. It has a 2400-meter-long runway available for the Boeing 767, Airbus 330 and the smaller models landing. Jinghong airport is 5 km away from Jinghong and is the second largest airport in Yunnan Province. There are direct flights to Jinghong from Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin and direct flights to Bangkok of Thailand. Travellers from the airport can take the no.1 bus or a taxi to get to the city.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Jinghong?

Traveloka is a travel search engine that makes it easy for travellers to find the cheapest flights to Alicante.All you need to do is key in the information in the search box, and the application will recommend the best trip according to your budget. It compares flight prices across some trusted airlines to help you to get the best possible deal. Use Traveloka’s price alert feature to be notified of flights in your desired price range to get the best flight price to Jinghong.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Jinghong?

Jinghong experiences tropical rain forest climate, no intense heat in summer nor severe cold in winter while warm and pleasant all year round. The Xishuangbanna region where Jinghong is located only has wet and dry seasons. November to April is considered as the dry season. April is the most pleasant month in temperature to travel to Xishuangbanna. It is also a peak in Xishuangbanna tourism, as April is the Water-Sprinkling Festival. The Water-sprinkling Festival is New Year's Day for Dai and is the most important and grandest festival of the year. It lasts three days from 13th to 15th, April (the sixth month of the Dai Calendar). Dai people dip branches into the river and sprinkle the water onto others as a way to express their best wishes. Also, the festivals of the Hani, Jino and Yao ethnic minorities are also delightful part of local ethnic customs. Travellers want to experience this festival; however are encouraged to book well in advance as flights and accommodations are notoriously scarce at this time.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Jinghong?

1. Wild Elephant Valley - Only an hour north from Jinghong by bus, you can visit the Wild Elephant Valley, located in Mengyang Natural Reserve, where wild elephants and other wild animals can be observed. This is a unique opportunity to watch wild elephants doing their own thing in their natural environment. There are about 50 groups of wild elephants comprising of about 300 – 350 elephants. Although the best time to observe the elephants is at dawn tourists could also observe the elephants at night with Infrared night vision goggles.

2. Mengle Temple - Mengle Buddhist Temple is built on the imperial temple of Dai ethnic minority - 'Jingpiao Buddhist Temple', which was constructed by a king in honour of his queen in Dai history. Legend has it that because the queen believed in Buddhism, the King held a grand Buddhist ceremony on every festival to commemorate his queen and spread Buddhism. Mengle Buddhist Temple is a newly constructed temple (2007) in the south of Jinghong that will surprise you with its massive size. Covering an area of 65.8 acres (27 hectares), Mengle Buddhist Temple lies along a mountain and has a drop in the shape of a Buddhist sitting in meditation. You can rent a bicycle to visit the temple.

3. Ganlanba Dai Minority Park - Ganlanba Dai Minority Park is located in in the lower reaches of Lancang River, 40 kilometres from Jinghong City. It consists of 5 villages, with about 300 families. The villages are the best-preserved natural Dai minority villages in China. Charming tropical rural scenery along with primitive ethnic culture makes Ganbala an increasingly popular tourist destination. Locals here are very hospitable while still keeping their lifestyle. When you walk on the lane during the evening, you may hear the melody of Lusheng and the rhythm of Xiangjiao Drum playing in the background.