Ganlanba 橄榄坝

Ganlanba, also known as Menghan in the Dai language, is a small plain located 26 kilometers from Jinghong, below the Mekong. It is blessed with very fertile land where rice and all kinds of tropical fruits abound. Traditionally, the region has always been populated by Dai people. The vast rice fields of the surrounding countryside are dotted with many Dai villages, bringing a bucolic touch to its gentle rural landscapes.

The population is hospitable and hardworking. They have managed to preserve the most traditional aspects of their original life: belief in Theravada Buddhism, elaborate housing, investment in rice cultivation and a general optimism about life. Ganlanba is the ideal place to observe the authentic life of the Dai.

There is a “Dai Culture Garden” on the outskirts of the city, but it is mainly a tourist park with an entrance fee of 100 RMB. If you want to experience authentic villages and their local life, we recommend cycling through the countryside (the area is quite flat and the roads are very well connected to the villages), which is probably the best way to discover the region in more depth.

Small but very lively, and mainly made up of the Bai minority, populating the Ganlanba region, this market can easily be included in a day trip from Jinghong combined with a visit to the Menglun Botanical Garden, or a bike tour of the small Dai villages in the Ganlanba region. Ganlanba can also be reached by inflatable boat, slowly going down the Mekong from Jinghong.