Jinghong

Jinghong (Chinese: 景洪; Jǐnghóng, Lü: ᦵᦋᧂ ᦣᦳᧂᧈ) is the capital of Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan. It is a hub for Chinese package tourists as well as for travellers passing between China and Laos. A prime area for backpackers (see Banana Pancake Trail), its vibe evokes that of Laos or northern Thailand despite being in China, with most of its inhabitants being Theravada Buddhists and speaking a language related to Thai and Lao. It is an easy overland trip from Laos.

By bus
There are over a dozen sleeper buses from Kunming daily, from around 09:00 to 22:00. They cost ¥150-260, depending on the coach quality. The bus takes around 8 hours, and will travel over some bumpy dirt roads. It may be a "sleeper bus" (lying down) even during the day.

From Yuanyang coming down to Jinghong is a bit more tricky. First option is from Xinjie or Nansha you backtrack to Jianshui (3–4 hours) and take a sleeper bus to Jinghong from there (¥177, 12 hours, at 13:30 and 16:30). Second option, again from Xinjie city you can take a bus to Luchun (¥38, 5 hours), spent the night there and catch the one and only Luchun to Jinghong bus at 08:00 the next morning (¥120, 12 hours). Be aware that the second option will take you through very bumpy, rough and many times unpaved roads crossing endless mountains, rice terraces, banana plantations and little villages so its not for the fainthearted but the scenery is stunning. Landslides are often and many times small streams go through the unpaved road so its not recommended during the rainy reason, you might get stuck in the middle of nowhere due to a blocked road. Furthermore there will be a few police checkpoints where your passport will be checked but its very fast and hassle free.

This is the first big city for travelers coming from Laos, but most travelers will have to change buses in Mengla to get here. A direct bus from the border town of Mohan takes 3 hours.

By bus
The airport bus can easily reach the city from the airport, and the airport special line No. 1 also passes through the night market and temple attractions. The price is ¥4. The tourist route can choose ordinary bus and tourist line. Among them, ordinary bus No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and bus Z21 pass through many tourist attractions, and the price is ¥3. Attractions will have corresponding tourist bus lines, most of which are ¥5 for round trips. Payment methods can be credit card or coin.

By taxi
The starting price of taxis in Xishuangbanna is ¥7 (3 km), including ¥2 fuel surcharge.

Rent electric car
There are many places in Xishuangbanna where you can rent electric car (or a shared battery car parked on the side of the road). For many local residents, electric cars are one of the main ways to get around.You can also rent an electric car in Gaozhuang for about ¥35 per hour. A motorbike licence is not required for these rentals, but a deposit and identification information is required.

The few interesting parts of town are definitely walkable.

Down by the Nancang it may be possible to hire a boat for a bit of river cruising.

Buy
Bank of China with 24-hour ATM is available a few minutes walk from the bus terminal. Cross the road and turn right as you leave the terminal. There are other banks in the area as well.

The usual Chinese tourist gimmicks, somehow more here than anywhere else in China. Local Dai produced items also available.

Drink
There are many nice bars by the Mekong river on the left side of the New Bridge, a bit expensive but beautiful at night, they are worth a stroll even if you don't go inside for a drink.



Sleep
There are a number of O.K. options near the bus station, with the cheapest starting at ¥15 a night. For other, more expensive options, try the reservation booth at the bus station. They'll steer you to the city's four and five star options at a discount.



Stay safe
Pay attention to food safety When eating mushrooms, you need to pay special attention to food poisoning caused by overeating and eating undercooked mushrooms. It is recommended to ask the waiter to confirm whether the food is edible. Do not eat mushrooms from unknown sources without authorization.

When choosing to take a taxi as a means of travel, please choose a regulatory compliance taxi vehicle, preferably using a mobile phone app. Avoid taking non-compliant taxis and keep your belongings safe.

Go next

 * Villages - Jinghong is the getway to the Xishuangbanna region. This is China's part of Southeast Asia, with several minority groups that are in many respects more Thai or Lao than Chinese. The city is quite close to a number of Dai Villages, which can be reached by local bus or through myriad tours available here or in Kunming. Note these villages are highly commercialised, and will disappoint many looking for an authentic experience.
 * Kunming - Sleeper buses take 8–9 hours and cost ¥235. First bus early morning and last bus 22:20. There's a military and police inspection points on the way where all passengers get off the bus and bags are unprofessionally inspected. They arrive at Kunming's new Southern Bus Terminal and from there to the city center you can take bus C71 (¥5) or walk to 3 minutes to reach a local bus terminal where bus 154 (¥2) will take you for about half an hour where you can change to bus 90 (¥1) that will take you to Jinbi Lu. Make sure you have exact change for the bus.
 * Mengla - the second last town (Mohan is the last, right on the border) before Laos, is five hours away. Buses leave from the Banna Bus Station two times an hour for ¥33. The station is across the street and about 100 meters south of the long-distance station. From Mengla there is one bus daily at 09:00 to Luang Nam Tha, the first town in Laos.
 * Vietnam - getting from Jinghong to Vietnam can prove to be a bit of a problem, with two imperfect solutions. The obvious one is to go back to Kunming and start from there. This can cause problems in that you may have to wait for a day or two to get a train or bus ticket to the border. The second, marginally preferable option is to take a sleeper bus from the North bus station to Mengzi. These leave every day at 14:00, cost ¥170 and arrive at Mengzi at 06:00 the following day. A taxi will be ready to take you to the town's second bus station where a minibus leaves for the border town of Hekou at 06:50 and gets there at 11:00. From there you can cross over the bridge into the Vietnamese town of Lao Cai. Alternatively one can enter Vietnam via Laos.
 * Luang Namtha: there is a direct bus to Luang Nam Tha. Get tickets at the new-ish northern bus station the day before. Leaves at 10:40. Cost is ¥70. It takes 8 hours, arriving in Luang Namtha just before dark (around 18:00). Be prepared for stops along the way. Best is that the bus crosses the border too, so you do not have to unload anything. The border formalities for foreigners are fastidious and potentially involve multiple queues: (1) pay tourist tax, (2) fill out and submit visa application with 1 passport photo, (3) pay for the visa, (4) then at last fill out entry form and get passport stamp. Careless bus drivers have left bureaucracy-burdened tourists stranded at this border, so make sure to keep other passengers in sight until you are safely through passport control. Otherwise a comfortable ride.
 * Huai Xai: direct bus to the Laos-Thailand border at 06:40, ¥120Y.