Gallery / YUNNAN / Xi Shuang Ban Na
Xi Shuang Ban Na
Tropical Rainforest Canopy
2023-02-20
forest / tropical / nature
The rainforest canopy walk puts you level with the treetops. From above, the forest is a continuous, almost architectural surface. The sounds from the floor below are muffled and strange — a different world entirely.
Dai Village at Dawn
2023-02-21
village / culture / dawn
The Dai people of Xishuangbanna have lived beside the Mekong for generations. Their bamboo-stilted homes and morning rituals feel entirely at odds with the modern world — in the best possible way.
Mekong at Sunset
2023-02-22
river / sunset / water
The Mekong begins its long journey to the sea here, still narrow and quick. At sunset, the water turns the color of old brass and the far bank dissolves into haze. Four more countries will see this same river before it reaches the ocean.
Wat Bajra Luang Temple
2023-02-23
temple / culture / architecture
The Theravada Buddhist temples of Xishuangbanna are gilded and intricate, more Thai than Chinese in their sensibility. This one sits in a grove of tall palms that frame it perfectly in the afternoon light.
Banana Plantation at Morning
2023-02-24
plantation / agriculture / morning
The banana plantations of the Dai plateau roll across the hills in disciplined rows. In the morning light the broad leaves catch the mist and the whole slope seems to breathe slowly in and out.
Wild Elephant Valley
2023-02-25
wildlife / nature / tropical
The forest paths through Wild Elephant Valley are narrow and quiet. The elephants were somewhere further in — you could feel their presence in the sudden stillness of the birds overhead.
Mekong River Market
2023-02-26
market / culture / river
The morning market along the Mekong moves fast. Boats arrive with produce from across the river, vendors set up before full light, and by 8am the busiest hour is already passing. I arrived late and stayed until noon.
Traditional Dai Stilt House
2023-02-27
architecture / culture / traditional
The Dai people build their homes on stilts above the flood plain. The space beneath is used for storage and shade, and the upper level catches the breeze that the ground level never feels.
