Xishuangbanna is an autonomous prefecture for Dai people in the extreme south of Yunnan Province, China, bordering Myanmar and Laos. The prefectural seat is Jinghong, the largest settlement in the area, which straddles the Mekong, called the "Lancang River" in Chinese. Except for one county-level city Jinghong, Xianshuangbanna governs the other two counties-Menghai and Mengla county.

     Due to the tropical monsoon climate, there is a sharp contrast between a prolonged dry season, which may be completely rainless for months, and a wet season when the monsoon winds sweep mainly from the southwest and bring heavy precipitation. The rainy season usually begins in May and lasts till October, and the dry season is from November to April. It brings Xishuangbanna diverse ranges of vegetation.

According to the vegetational system of Yunnan, the tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna can be divided into two vegetation types of tropical rain forest vegetation, for example, the tropical seasonal rain forest and the tropical montane rain forest. The tropical seasonal rain forest is the main type of tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna and the regional representative vegetation.

   The tropical montane rain forest is a transitional forest type from seasonal rain forest in Xishuangbanna toward monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest of tropical mountains and is also the limiting altitudinal type of tropical rain forest. This is the best tropical rainforest in China, which attracts a large number of tourists.

        Mengla County is located in the deep south of the tropical Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Bordering Myanmar to the west and Laos to the southeast, Mengla is home to tropical rainforests and many endangered species of plants and animals.

       What’s unique about Mengla is the Wangtianshu Tropical Rainforest National Park is located 20 km northeast of Mengla town. Declared nature reserve in 1975, the park host Dipterocarpaceae trees, a Mengla native species, which can reach the height of up to 80 m. A 500 m suspension bridge network allows you to walk straight in the canopy and appreciate in full the height of these primitive giants. 

   This would be a great experience, and I believe the panorama of the forest will be very rewarding. It is possible to hike a paved trail, which runs through the tropical forest and enjoy the view from a different angle. The forest is stunning, and the vegetation is rich. If you come to Xishuangbanna, visiting the rain forests is indeed the perfect choice for your trip.

Photo Resource: Internet

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