JINGHONG LIES TUCKED AWAY in a lush tropical corner of Southwestern Yunnan, known locally as Xishuangbanna, just on the Chinese side of the infamous “Golden Triangle.” The name is actually a derivative of the region’s Thai title: Sip Sawng Banna or “12,000 rice fields”. But rice isn’t the only thing people around here grow nowadays, as a visitor will quickly discover.

“When you land, look out the window,” proclaims Josef Margraf, the proprietor of Jinghong’s TianZi Biodiversity Research and Development Centre, during an interview in Chiang Mai. “Rubber, rubber, rubber – all you will see are rubber trees.”

However, all I could see from the descending airplane’s windows were what looked like lush green forests below. So what was this row over rubber all about?

Delicate Diversity

Xishuangbanna is actually one of China’s most biologically and ethnically diverse regions, a jewel in the crown of Yunnan province’s many opportunities to experience both nature and minorities firsthand.

“It is where three large biodiversity areas converge,” explains Margraf. “The tropical forests of Southeast Asia meet both the flora of the Tibetan Plateau and the fauna of the Chinese mainland. Consequently, many new species have developed, which makes Xishuangbanna one of the world’s ‘hot spots’ of biodiversity – and with a lot of it ending up on dinner tables, what we call the ‘world’s largest hot pot of biodiversity.’”

Standing in Margraf’s Mekong hill garden, I stop to smell the flowers and admire the natural surroundings of his home, built on the crest of a natural rise just north of the city.

From here, Margraf and wife Minguo Li operate the plant research and development centre, with the goal of preserving a few rare species and cultivating them for the international market.

Meanwhile, the couple have also opened a Chinese-style teahouse in Thailand’s Chiang Mai, kitty corner to the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, in an effort to market these rare but valuable products.

City Oasis

Margraf’s place is one of three homes situated on what is known as International Hill, overlooking the Mekong’s wide waters. The second belongs to the forester Dr Ulrich Apel, who explains the important preservation in progress at the site.

“Here in our gardens, we have more than 100 species of trees,” Dr Apel explains. “It’s like a little biodiversity hot spot of its own in Jinghong. Sometimes we even attract rare animals from the surrounding areas looking for a more natural environment.”

But what about the row over rubber? I ask. “Look out at the hills around Jinghong,” he gestures. “You can see how all of them have trees of the same height, and some are even organised into neat rows.”

Unfortunately, even my untrained eye could now see that everything around us did indeed appear to be “rubber, rubber, rubber”! Ignoring a sudden urge to look at the soles of my shoes, I made a quick decision to head beyond the tree-line with a burst of enthusiasm to explore what lay beyond.

Feet First

The next day, I set off on the three-and-a-half-hour journey to Xiding – a town known for its colourful Thursday market – accompanied by a local Bulang guide, Ainipa from Jinghong’s Mekong Café. As the bumpy old public bus packed with villagers, babies, fresh vegetables and a birthday cake (!) wound its way up into the mountains, the endless rubber plantations started to fade away, disappearing somewhere around 800m above sea level – the elevation where the temperature is too cold for cultivation.

At 1,700m, a feast of scenic eye candy awaited: folding mountain ridges that revealed a checkerboard of terraced rice fields, neat rows of Pu’er tea plantations and rich sub-tropical rainforest.

For the next two days, Ainipa led me across a patchwork of fields, forests, mountain hills, and through Akha and Bulang villages. On our first night, we slept on straw mats in the chief’s house of one such community, having watched the villagers filter back from their day’s work with the baskets on their backs filled to the brim with tea leaves. During the day, we met the same farmers out planting rice and picking leaves from spectacular terraced fields sculpted out of the mountainside.

It was truly another world – one far away from the traffic intensity and concrete jungle that is Bangkok or other urban centres. This was the essence of Xishuangbanna’s cultural richness; a firsthand opportunity to experience the region’s eco and ethnic diversity in a way that only such a trek allows.

TREY TALK

Several kinds of treks are available in Xishuangbanna – ones that both satisfy the day-tripper and the hardcore adventure seeker. Find out more at Forest Café (tel +86 (0)691 898-5122 or (0)1398 819-5351, www.forest-cafe.org) or Mekong Café (tel +86 (0)691 216-2395), both on Manting Lu.

Preparing ahead for a trek will save you a headache down the line. Essential items include a rain jacket, a sturdy pair of shoes, a first aid kit (local guides often do not carry one, nor do they have first-aid training), mosquito repellent, sunscreen and a sturdy backpack with rain cover.

Expect nothing less than a cultural experience of sorts when it comes to accommodation, which is basic. However, on the upside, there’s no need to carry camping gear around with you, and the village food is quite delicious.

Minority Rules

The people of this part of China share remarkable cultural ties with the minorities and hill tribes of nearby Thailand, Laos and Burma.

Most prominent is the Dai minority, who comprise an estimated one-third of the 800,000-strong minority people living throughout Xishuangbanna. Dai people are also widely spread throughout Southeast Asia, and while they have many cultural links with the Thai people, they maintain their own written script and language.

Several other minorities also inhabit the hills, each with their unique culture and agricultural practices. Every Bulang village has a monastery that bears a striking resemblance to those in Thailand, but with a few distinct differences. Tattoo-bearing monks are one such example, with body art a widespread cultural practice among the Dai and Bulang men.

“They say that men who don’t have tattoos in this lifetime become women in their next lives,” explains Ainipa with a smile.

SPECIAL SPECIES
A trio of Xishuangbanna’s most important species:

1. Golden Lotus or “Dwarf Banana” (Musella lasiocarpa): Endemic to Southwestern Yunnan, this banana species with its unique and unmistakable flower is one of the sacred flowers of local Buddhism.
2. King’s Sceptre (Alpinia platychilus): By far the most spectacular ginger found in Xishuangbanna, this plant grows up to four metres tall and its magnificent inflorescence opens in May.
3. Chinese Tiger Whisker (Tacca chinensis): This plant flowers in the spring and its roots are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat gastric ulcer, high blood pressure, hepatitis and burns.

To learn more about or buy your own biodiversity products, visit www.natureproducts.net, which also features a link to TianZi Biodiversity Research and Development Centre (www.biodiversitycentre.com).

MAJOR MINORITIES

Akha (also known as Hani or Aini): Mountainous people whose origins are from the highland areas of the Tibetan plateau and are known most markedly for their beliefs in polytheism and ancestor worship.

Bulang: Also semi-mountainous people who share similar cultural origins with the Akha, but who have incorporated Dai-style Hinayana Buddhism into their belief system.

Dai: The region’s most populous ethnic minority, featuring unique religion, language and written script. They were also the first to cultivate the Xishuangbanna area.

Jinuo: People who have settled in the Jinuo mountain areas of Xishuangbanna, whose origins still remain a mystery. Lahu: Known by their now-ended tiger-hunting habits, the original meaning in their language is “barbecued tiger meat”. Their origins are also known to be from the highland areas of the Tibetan plateau.

Building the Future

Following a night in a traditional Bulang house, we returned to Jinghong to visit Yourantai, loosely translated as “Carefree Terrace”, and the third in a trio of residences atop International Hill.

This luxurious “B&B” is the brainchild of Gerard Burgermeister, a former Swiss diplomat, and his photographer-designer wife Lynn Yen-Burgermeister, representing the best and most unique of the town’s accommodation. Rooms are set amongst a diversifying garden with superb views of the Mekong from the main guesthouse.

Burgermeister applied traditional Dai style to his choice of architecture and materials, while the inside is fitted with all the quality trimmings of a boutique hotel normally only found in the likes of Siem Reap or Luang Prabang.

Like traditional Dai houses, the main rooms of the houses are raised up on stilts while the open areas below – historically used to house the chickens and pigs – have been converted to open-air sitting areas.

As many cultural practices are lost in the continuous sweep of development that has engulfed China, such work appears even more important. Burgermeister explains that although the building’s costs were not huge, they spent a year working full-time on the house to get it right. The result of their commitment is obvious: an impressive blend between modern sensibilities and ancient architectural practices.

Looking Forward

With world rubber prices continually rising in the world today and China’s development only gathering speed, it is not hard to predict the destiny of Jinghong’s diversity.

Nonetheless, the tropical town’s surrounding areas will still retain their natural beauty by virtue of their inaccessibility to the modern world, and their fascinating flora, fauna and ethnic groups are still sure to impress a visitor.

The bottom line: experience this region while you can.

Where to Stay

There is a wide range of places to stay throughout the city, but the following two hotels are in a league of their own:

1. Yourantai (“Carefree Terrace”) is by far Jinghong’s most unique option. As a bed and breakfast set on a hill overlooking both the city and the vast waters of the Mekong, it also offers a perspective on the area that cannot be experienced from the bustle of the Chinese-style city below.
International Hill, tel +86 (0)691 214-9026, www.yourantai.com

2. Tai Yuan Garden is the city’s other upper-end accommodation option. Aside from five-star rooms, there is also access to swimming and recreation facilities that provide much-needed relief during the hot days of tropical Jinghong. Non-guests can also use the facilities for a small fee. 61 Min Hang Road, tel +86 (0)691 212-3888 Several less expensive options exist throughout the city; enquire at any one of the local cafés for recommendations and further information.