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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Laos & China 2025
Day 6 : Around Xishuangbanna 
Laos-China 2025 Day 6: 9th December (Monday)
Day 6 - Around Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna:
Meilan Starlight Hotel>Didi Ride>Manting Park>walk>Zongfosi Temple>Didi Ride>Meilan Starlight Hotel.
This is page 6 of a 12-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
< D5: Xishuangbana 01 | Go to Other Days | D7: Jingmai Mountain 01 >
Route recommendations, here are some tips on travelling to and around Laos:
7. Food
1. Traffic Directions!
China, is left-hand drive, and vehicles drive on the right side of the road. So do bear this in mind when crossing the road OR when sitting at the front passenger seat. I made this mistake several times and boarded the car at the driver's side with the driver giving me a surprised look 😂.
We flew AirAsia from KLIA Terminal 2 to Vientiane's Wattay International Airport; buying tickets earlier to get cheaper fares. Considering the potential difficulties with luggage storage during the later train journey in Laos, we also packed light (20kg checked-in luggage for two people). Together with carry-on luggage, we each had 17kg per person. Fare was MYR407 per pax.
We booked our train tickets from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna through the LCR App. For the Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna leg, electronic train tickets need to be changed to physical paper tickets at the Luang Prabang Train Station (at a counter of the ticketing office, so arrive earlier to do this).
We booked our train tickets from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna through the LCR App. For the Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna leg, electronic train tickets need to be changed to physical paper tickets at the Luang Prabang Train Station (at a counter of the ticketing office, so arrive earlier to do this).
3. Getting from town to town in China.
For China, getting between major cities is easy using the China HSR trains (for us, it's from Pu'er City to Kunming). Tickets can be booked via www.12306.cn OR Trip.com; electronic tickets need to be changed to physical paper tickets. Passengers are required to disembark (with their luggage) for immigration and customs checking at both the a and c, i.e. two times as these two border checkpoints are not in a single building, and are far apart in their respective countries.
For China, getting between major cities is easy using the China HSR trains (for us, it's from Pu'er City to Kunming). Tickets can be booked via www.12306.cn OR Trip.com; electronic tickets need to be changed to physical paper tickets. Passengers are required to disembark (with their luggage) for immigration and customs checking at both the a and c, i.e. two times as these two border checkpoints are not in a single building, and are far apart in their respective countries.
For travel between cities not served by the trains, we pre-booked a private driver contacted through WeChat - from Jinghong, Xishuangbanna to Jingmai Mountains (Wengji Village & Nougan Village) to Pu'er City).
4. Getting around towns and cities in China.
In China, install the Didi ride-hailing app, which is extremely convenient to use, especially in major cities, and English can be selected as the preferred language. Just type in the destinations in English, and a list comes out for selection. There is a need to bind the app to a credit/debit card. Rides are relatively cheap, as most riders use e-vehicles.
Note: Touch 'n Go e-Wallet doesn't seem to work in Laos. It works well in China and Thailand.
In China, install the Didi ride-hailing app, which is extremely convenient to use, especially in major cities, and English can be selected as the preferred language. Just type in the destinations in English, and a list comes out for selection. There is a need to bind the app to a credit/debit card. Rides are relatively cheap, as most riders use e-vehicles.
Note: Touch 'n Go e-Wallet doesn't seem to work in Laos. It works well in China and Thailand.
5. Immigration & Customs Requirements
For China, Malaysians can enter, exit, or transit the country without a visa for up to 30 days per visit, with a maximum cumulative stay of 90 days within any 180 days. Permitted purposes include tourism, business, family visits, exchanges, private affairs, medical treatment, and international transportation (such as airline crew duties). The travel passport must be valid throughout the whole period of stay or 180 days from the day of first entry.
Click here for China visa-free policy for other countries, and here for China Visa application.
Click here for the China China Arrival Card for phones. Do note some scams regarding these online forms. OR one can alternatively fill in paper forms, which are available at the train stations or during the flight.
Click here for China visa-free policy for other countries, and here for China Visa application.
Click here for the China China Arrival Card for phones. Do note some scams regarding these online forms. OR one can alternatively fill in paper forms, which are available at the train stations or during the flight.
6. Places & Things of Interests
Enroute were several places of interest, some of which we visited and others we did not for lack of time (Note: click on GPS coordinates for a directional map to respective places):
a. Manting Park (曼听公园) (GPS: 21.99287, 100.80664), Jinghong City & within it:
i. Jinghong Manting Park Theatre (GPS: 21.9933, 100.80601).
ii. Manting Imperial Garden Scenic Spot (曼听御花园景区) (GPS: 21.99153, 100.80689).
iii. Daiwang Palace (傣王行宫) (GPS: 21.99285, 100.80793).
iv. Wishing Erawan Shrine (GPS: 21.99033, 100.80687).
a. Manting Park (曼听公园) (GPS: 21.99287, 100.80664), Jinghong City & within it:
i. Jinghong Manting Park Theatre (GPS: 21.9933, 100.80601).
ii. Manting Imperial Garden Scenic Spot (曼听御花园景区) (GPS: 21.99153, 100.80689).
iii. Daiwang Palace (傣王行宫) (GPS: 21.99285, 100.80793).
iv. Wishing Erawan Shrine (GPS: 21.99033, 100.80687).
v. Binshui Gallery (GPS: 21.98858, 100.80922).
vi. Click here for the list of attractions of this park.
vi. Click here for the list of attractions of this park.
d. Xishuangbanna Tropical Flowers Garden (b) (GPS: 22.00719, 100.78587).
e. Mengle Grand Buddha Temple (勐泐大佛寺) (GPS: 21.96177, 100.8073).
f. Peacock Garden (孔雀园景洪市) (GPS: 21.84907, 100.94591).
g. Manfeilong White Pagoda (曼飞龙白塔) (GPS: 21.59926, 100.68679).
f. Peacock Garden (孔雀园景洪市) (GPS: 21.84907, 100.94591).
g. Manfeilong White Pagoda (曼飞龙白塔) (GPS: 21.59926, 100.68679).
h. Meigonghe Liuguo Market (Mekong River Six States Floating Market) (湄公河·六国水上市场) (GPS: 22.00574, 100.82099) within the Gaozhuang/Ganbai Night Market (赶摆街夜市) (GPS: 22.00615, 100.81943), Jinghong City.
7. Food
a. Brunch
Omelet with Xiaolongbao inside, Chee Cheong Fun (Rice noodle roll) with egg, fried noodles, fried rice.
b. Dinner
Fried rice, Rice Noodle Soup (Misua), Sui Kow Dumpling Soup, Herbal Tea eggs.
8. Accommodations
Second of two nights in Jinghong City at the Meilan Starlight Hotel (GPS: 22.00926, 100.81204) at MYR285 for two 2-pax rooms for two nights (without breakfast) booked via Traveloka.com (Breakfast not included).
9. Communicating with Each Other
Before we left, we purchased online the Happy China Sim Card and got the 8-Day 8GB and 16GB cards for RM25.29 and RM40.03 respectively. The cards were only inserted when we entered China.
For China domestic flights, international flights from China, and connecting flights with China legs, only China 3C-certified power banks with a capacity of no more than 20,000 mAh are allowed. They must be taken out of the cabin luggage space and placed in the seat pockets. The power banks have to be switched off and cannot be used during the flight. Click here for more power-bank restrictions. Alternatively, it would be a good idea to rent a power bank in China.
For China domestic flights, international flights from China, and connecting flights with China legs, only China 3C-certified power banks with a capacity of no more than 20,000 mAh are allowed. They must be taken out of the cabin luggage space and placed in the seat pockets. The power banks have to be switched off and cannot be used during the flight. Click here for more power-bank restrictions. Alternatively, it would be a good idea to rent a power bank in China.
10. Communicating with Locals
Except for those in the travel industry, for China, most locals speak Mandarin, or the local Yunnan languages, like Dai, Naxi, Yi, and Bai, etc. To get by, it will be good to speak some basic Mandarin.
10. Weather
A useful weather forecast site for China is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.
11. Navigation
Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.
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PRELUDE
The day before, we had taken the LCR (Laos-China Railway) High-Speed Train, crossing the border from Luang Prabang (Laos) over to China, to Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna at South-western Yunnan. It was an eye-opener as Jinghong was the complete opposite of rustic Luang Prabang - it was a bustling cosmopolitan city with many high-rise buildings. We also visited Gaozhuang Night Market, one of the largest fairs in the world.
Today, we will have a whole day at Jinghong, spending a major part of the day at a park, and later visiting an interesting temple.
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DAY 6: AROUND XISHUANGBANNA
Small Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Laos & China.
Day 6 - Around Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna:
(Note the map shows road routes, instead of the railway route)
Most of the posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out of your Facebook first. FB has recently changed its approach, and as such, all relevant links have now been inserted in the comments.)
Good Morning.
We woke up to a great view of Jinghong City from our apartment, a view of the mighty Lancang Jiang (the Mekong as it is called in China). Here it's water is clean and blue when compared to where it drains to the South China Sea at the Mekong Delta. We were at the delta during a 2016 cycling tour.
Good Morning.
We woke up to a great view of Jinghong City from our apartment, a view of the mighty Lancang Jiang (the Mekong as it is called in China). Here it's water is clean and blue when compared to where it drains to the South China Sea at the Mekong Delta. We were at the delta during a 2016 cycling tour.
Breakfast at Hangchow Xiao Loong Pow Restaurant:
Omelet with Xiaolongbao inside, Chee Cheong Fun (Rice noodle roll) with egg, fried noodles, and fried rice. The Xiaolongbao here is different from those we regularly had; these here were more like Baozi instead of the dimsum dumplings we usually have.
Omelet with Xiaolongbao inside, Chee Cheong Fun (Rice noodle roll) with egg, fried noodles, and fried rice. The Xiaolongbao here is different from those we regularly had; these here were more like Baozi instead of the dimsum dumplings we usually have.
After the Hong Kong Wang Fuk Court fire, fire drills are being held
here. Our apartment building is being used by the fire department for their drills.
We hailed a Didi ride, which took us to the entrance of the Manting Park, twenty minutes away.
Our first taste of Manting Park was really a physical taste, one of rice crackers! It was rather bland, though; we found the tapioca cracker in Malaysia, or the krepek singkong from Indonesia, much nicer.
Around the corner from the entrance, at the Jinghong Manting Park Theatre, a Dai Tribal Dance show is shown regularly. Apparently, the evening/night dance show is nicer.
It also brought back memories of the stunning Shangrila-Dynamic Yunnan Show (see also YouTube video), by Ms. Yang Liping, I saw during a Yunnan Tour in 2011.
A comic-pose photo with one of the costumed actors. Not sure what he is supposed to portray, but he reminded me of the Bat King in Jet Li's movie, the Kungfu Cult Master.
The Daiwang Palace, with its beautiful Dai architecture.
Beautiful "lasses" at the bamboo garden.
"Jo Bond" (that's me!) was seen at the park together with Chinese anime characters.
Within one of the pavilions was seen this gigantic Elephant Foot Drum. The regular-sized versions of this drum (strapped over the shoulder) is use by the Dai and Blang tribes in their Elephant Foot Drum Dance.
Within one of the pavilions was seen this gigantic Elephant Foot Drum. The regular-sized versions of this drum (strapped over the shoulder) is use by the Dai and Blang tribes in their Elephant Foot Drum Dance.
Water Lily pond at the gardens. Caught a macro photo of a bee hovering within one of the flowers (Click here to see a Facebjoo album of my macro photos).
Animals at the park lake. The insects were real, but the flamingos were golden-crafted statues, while the small monkey was a clay statue.
More pottery - an assortment of animals, including small monkeys and puffer fish. And plants such as the pitcher plant and dragon fruits.
Back at the Daiwang Palace, lovebirds in a lovely pose.
Do be aware of the park's professional photographers who offer photography services to visitors. They are often rude, rushing us to quickly take our photos even though we were their first. Some even brashly tried to block us from taking our photos!
At the lakeside, with very green surroundings, patrons rowing boats along the lake.
Along the shaded corridor is the Peacock Section. Surprisingly, the star of the show was a rare albino peacock, which seems to attract more attention than the bright, colourful ones.
For those who are interested in peacocks, the Peacock Garden (GPS: 21.84907, 100.94591) has flocks of them running freely!
For those who are interested in peacocks, the Peacock Garden (GPS: 21.84907, 100.94591) has flocks of them running freely!
At the lake, there is a show of The Royal Barge.
Click here for more show presentations at the Manting Park.
Click here for more show presentations at the Manting Park.
Along the covered walkway, near a replica of the Erawan Shrine, is a section dedicated to LOVE. Many hang red ribbons with written love messages along this section.
Further up, is the White Pagoda, modeled after the famous Manfeilong White Pagoda, this group of nine pagodas — one central mother pagoda surrounded by eight smaller ones — resembles bamboo shoots, a symbol of vitality and purity.
And next to it is the Thorani (Goddess of the Earth) Fountain. Images of Thorani is are common in shrines and Buddhist temples of Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. According to Buddhist myths, Phra Mae Thorani is personified as a young woman wringing the cool waters of detachment out of her hair to drown Mara, the demon sent to tempt Gautama Buddha as he meditated under the Bodhi Tree. I had always thought she was wielding a whip, but it was water flowing forth from her long hair to wash away the armies of Mara!
And next to it is the Thorani (Goddess of the Earth) Fountain. Images of Thorani is are common in shrines and Buddhist temples of Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. According to Buddhist myths, Phra Mae Thorani is personified as a young woman wringing the cool waters of detachment out of her hair to drown Mara, the demon sent to tempt Gautama Buddha as he meditated under the Bodhi Tree. I had always thought she was wielding a whip, but it was water flowing forth from her long hair to wash away the armies of Mara!
Just outside the southwest exit of the park is the Zongfosi Temple. It was built in 615 AD by two monks from Burma, enjoying a history of 1300 years, and is the oldest Buddhist Temple of Xishuangbanna. Click here for a list of old temples in Southeast Asia and India.
Dinner at Hangchow Xiao Loong Pow Restaurant: Fried rice, Rice Noodle Soup (Misua), Sui Kow Dumpling Soup, Herbal Tea eggs.
晚安。明天我们去景迈山。
(That's "Wǎn'ān. Míngtiān wǒmen qù jǐng mài shān." in Mandarin Chinese,
meaning "Good night. Tomorrow we head for Jingmai Mountain.")
(For more photos of Day 6, Click Here)
< D5: Xishuangbana 01 | Go to Other Days | D7: Jingmai Mountain 01 >
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