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Voykit pocket guide · China
Jinghong
景洪
Give Jinghong 2 nights: one for the night market and temples, one for a Dai village or tea hill. Skip it if you want classic China — this is closer to Laos.
Jinghong is the capital of Xishuangbanna and the first big city most travellers reach coming overland from Laos. The population is mostly Dai, Theravada Buddhist, and the food, script and architecture read more like northern Thailand than Beijing. The town itself is small and walkable; the reason to stay longer is the surrounding rainforest, tea hills and Dai villages.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 景洪
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry, warm days)
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (heavy rain, landslides on mountain roads)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥150–300 excl. bed · Mid ¥300–600 excl. bed · High ¥600+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Noodle or rice dish at a market stall | ¥10–25 |
| Dai-style meal for two | ¥60–150 |
| Large local beer | ¥16–30 |
| Taxi, 3 km base fareTaxi, 1.9 mi base fare | ¥7 |
| Temple or park entry | ¥0–120 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥50–150 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- JHG · Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport
- About 5.6 km from the centre; airport bus ¥4, taxi short hop.About 3.5 mi from the centre; airport bus ¥4, taxi short hop.
Typical fares
- Airport bus to city
- ¥4 (check)
- City bus
- ¥3 (check)
- Taxi base fare
- ¥7 for 3 km (check)¥7 for 1.9 mi (check)
- Electric car rental
- about ¥35/h (check)
Get around
The interesting core is walkable. City buses cost ¥3, the airport line ¥4, tourist shuttle loops about ¥5 return; taxis start at ¥7 for 3 km. Electric cars and shared battery scooters rent by the hour (about ¥35/h) with a deposit and ID — no motorbike licence required.The interesting core is walkable. City buses cost ¥3, the airport line ¥4, tourist shuttle loops about ¥5 return; taxis start at ¥7 for 1.9 mi. Electric cars and shared battery scooters rent by the hour (about ¥35/h) with a deposit and ID — no motorbike licence required.
See and do
Known for
- Mekong Starlight Night Market
- Theravada temples and Dai culture
- Pu'er tea hills
- Tropical fruit and Dai food
- Overland gateway to Laos
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mengla and the Laos border | Bus from Jinghong bus station to Mengla, then onward to Mohan | 3–4 h to Mengla |
| Menghai tea hills | Bus or hired car southwest of Jinghong | 1–2 h |
| Mohan border town | Direct bus from Jinghong, about 3 h | About 3 h |
Sleep
- Gaozhuang Xishuangjing
- Riverside zone by the new bridge, next to the night market; most guesthouses and bars, walkable to everything.
- Manting Road area
- Central, near Manting Imperial Garden; cheap motels and mid-range hotels, easy bus access.
- Riverside / north bank
- Quieter, river views, hostels and resorts; 10–15 min by taxi from the night market.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxie |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshao qián |
| This one, please | 这个zhège |
| Where is the toilet? | 洗手间在哪里？xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？kěyǐ shuākǎ ma |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Rainy season (Jun–Sep) can block mountain roads with landslides; check before any long day trip.
- Border crossings to Laos need a valid visa and a change of bus at Mengla or Mohan; confirm the last departure of the day.
- Night-market and bar prices vary; agree the total before you sit down.
- Some temples charge entry and close mid-afternoon — check hours locally.
Generally safe and relaxed. The real risks are rainy-season road conditions, unmarked bar prices, and pickpocketing in the crowded night market — keep bags zipped.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Jinghong yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mekong Starlight Night Market
- Theravada temples and Dai culture
- Pu'er tea hills
- Tropical fruit and Dai food
- Overland gateway to Laos
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Jinghong government: www.jhs.gov.cn/
- Wikivoyage: Jinghong, revision 5267673 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5267673
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Jinghong景洪
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Beijing; several countries have consulates in Kunming or Chengdu — check before you travel.
Carry your passport; police checkpoints are common on mountain roads.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/jinghong). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.