Xishuangbanna: A garden paradise in Yunnan

जन आस्था

चैत १६, २०८०

Not many would imagine that there are tropical rainforests in China. However, one would be delightfully surprised when one visits Xishuangbanna in the province of Yunnan. A vast expanse of lush green trees and a multitude of other plants greet the eyes when one steps into the 2,400 km square of rainforest here. To help appreciate the size, this area is 3 times larger than the tropical country of Singapore.

The world's second biggest land animal roam here. The latest count has 360 Asian elephants populating Yunnan. By the way, the hugest land animal is the African elephant. Beautiful statues, carvings and other artisitic forms of the majestic creature are found all across Xishuangbanna.

The diversity of plant life in Yunnan is equal to that of the entire Northern Hemisphere combined. Size matters and Yunnan has established China's largest Tropical Botanical Garden here. It is a world-class garden in biodiversity. More than 10,000 species make this place their habitat.

There is more than one access point to the Garden, all well guarded. However, the one that has a suspension bridge leading to it adds dynamism to the entrance.

Once inside, the visitor has to prioritise the areas to visit, for there are too may options to choose from. Among them are an arboretum, a vine garden, a fruit garden, a collection of palms, figs, aromatic plants, medicinal plants and exotic plants.

Clear tags facilitate the identification of and the learning about the variety of species.

Rest areas scattered throughout the garden offer a place to rejuvenate weary legs after kilometers of walking, browsing, and exploring.

Visitors can also appreciate a bird's eye view of the Tropical Botanical Garden by going up in a hot air balloon.

There is even a 2,000 m square Tropical Rainforest Ethnic Culture Museum inside the Garden!

The importance of the contribution of the Dai Ethnic Group is evident everywhere in the Garden. A wealth of knowledge can be gained from the careful and systematic curation of items in the museum. In addition, the signboards that are thoughtfully placed in the Garden are in Chinese, Dai and English languages.