Manting Park

Manting Park, located in the southeast of Jinghong City in Yunnan Province, is about 2 kilometers (about 1.24 miles) away from the urban area of that city. It has an area of 115,400 square meters (about 28.5 acres).

With a history of more than 1,300 years, Manting Park is the oldest park in Jinghong City. In medieval times, it was the park where feudal leaders went to relax and enjoy themselves. Manting Park is also called 'Chunhuan Park' which means the place where people can have their soul relax and keep all the earthly cares out of minds. This name came from a legend: One day, the King of the Dai ethnic group came to visit this park with his princess. The princess then was so completely enthralled by the beauty of the sceneries in the park that she lost her soul and forgot anything else around her.

Some historically meaningful attractions can also been seen in the park. As soon as visitors enter the park, a bronze statue comes into view. It depicts Premier Zhou Enlai, who once joyfully spent the Water-Splashing Festival with the Dai people. The statue commemorates that unforgettable day. To the left of the statue is the second historical attraction: two dodhi trees planted by the princess of Thailand symbolize the friendship between Thailand and China.

Now, Manting Park is a place where visitors not only enjoy the scenes of a park and a temple but also the traditional culture of the Dai. Buildings, such as the pavilions, possess the distinguished architectural features of the Dai. In the back of the park, there is a temple called Jiebajie in Dai language. It is the most important place for Buddhists in Xishuangbanna to worship Buddhas. Some other various kinds of entertainments are available too, for example, the peacock park where peacocks strut and the elephant park where elephants do acrobatics. As a former royal park, its natural beauty is fascinating with the hard work of the gardeners. The green trees provide visitors cool shade to have a rest. Next to the park is a traditional village of the Dai where visitors could enjoy Dai Cuisine and get to know their tradition and custom.