Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province – China Travel Blog

Manting Park is located in the southeast of Jinghong City, Yunnan Province. It has hills and rivers, as well as rich ethnic cultural landscapes. It is a natural village-style park and a historic city park in Xishuangbanna. In Manting Park, travelers can go to the vine plant area and the Peacock Garden to see the animals and plants, and they can also visit the Dai and Thai-style buildings, and they can also watch the singing and dancing performances of ethnic minorities in the evening.

Manting Park is about 2 kilometers away from the urban area and is located in the triangle area where the Lancang River and Liusha River converge, covering an area of more than 400 acres. There are more than 500 well-preserved ancient iron sword trees and vegetation. As soon as you walk through the gate, you are attracted by the tropical and exotic scenery. Manting Park is the oldest park in Xishuangbanna. Come here, walk into the magnificent Dai Palace and experience the ancient Dai culture. Regarding the Manting Royal Garden, there is a local saying that in the history of the Dai people, it was once the place for the feudal lords and the chieftains to enjoy the flowers. Legend has it that when Princess Dai came to play in the park, the beautiful scenery of the park attracted the soul of the Princess, so it was named Chunhuan Park, which means “garden of soul” in Dai.

There are 8 scenic spots in Manting Park, including ethnic culture square, vine plant area, tropical orchid garden, peacock garden, release lake, Buddhist culture area, tree planting memorial area, and tea garden culture area. The scenic spot embodies the three themes of “Dai royal culture, Buddhist culture, and Dai folk culture”. You can row boats in the park and see wild bears, boars, pythons, peacocks and various birds. It is open for tourists during the day and has the taste of “Imperial Garden”. In the evening, the “Lancang River•Mekong River Night” theatrical performance and bonfire party are the biggest highlights of the park and are worth watching.

The Water-Sprinkling Festival Of The Dai Ethnic Minority

Time & Place

Time: Annually, from April 13-15

Place: The city of Jinghong, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, southwestern Yunnan Province

Featured: Splashing, spraying and dousing each other with water

The annual Water Splashing Festival of the Dai ethnic minority falls during the New Year celebrations of the Dai Calendar. It is the most important festival observed by the Dai ethnic people of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, and, similar to neighboring Thailand’s Songkran Festival, it involves three days of celebrations that include sincere, yet light-hearted religious rituals that invariably end in merrymaking, where everyone ends up getting splashed, sprayed or doused with water.

During the first two days of the festival, a dragon boat race is held to ring out the old year (the first day of the festival) and to ring in the new (the second day of the festival). The third day, the climax of the festival, is reserved for water splashing. On that day, the Dai people put on their newest and best clothes, then assemble at the local Buddhist temple, where the monks chant Buddhist sciptures. Afterward, a symbolic water splashing ritual is enacted whereby a Buddhist statue, with pomp and ceremony, is first coaxed out of the temple to the courtyard, then is splashed with water. This important ritual is called ‘Bathing the Buddha’.

The completion of the ‘Bathing the Buddha’ ritual serves as the signal that encourages ordinary mortals to themselves engage in mutual water splashing. Accordingly, people flock to the streets with pots, pans, bottles, or whatever, where they uninhibitedly splash, spray and douse each other with water, with the same gusto with which Westerners engage in a good snowball free-for-all.

The Water Splashing ceremony, however, is more than just good-natured fun; it also contains a religious element: water is regarded by the Dai as a symbol, firstly, of religious purity, but also of goodwill among people. Therefore, splashing a fellow human being with water during the Water Splashing Festival, whether a close neighbor or a fellow villager – or even a stranger – is an expression of the desire for good luck and prosperity to that person.

For the tourist interested in interacting directly with the Dai ethnic minority of Xishangbanna Prefecture in an informal and fun-filled manner, the annual Water Splashing Festival that takes place in the month of April is the perfect occasion. China Highlights offers a special tour to the city of Jinghong each year to coincide with the Dai ethinic minority’s annual Water Splashing Festival.