Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

The garden occupies a peninsula in a bend of the Luosuo river at Menglun, in the tropical far south of Yunnan. It is a working research institute rather than a park, and its collections run to thousands of species arranged in themed gardens: palms, bamboos, gingers, water plants, fruit trees and a shade garden of forest floor species. A patch of original rainforest is preserved on the hill behind, with a walkway through it. The scale is the point, and covering it takes a full day on foot or a couple of hours by the electric carts that circle the site. Many visitors stay overnight in Menglun so they can start early.

What you actually see

• The palm garden - the largest collection here, with species not grown outdoors elsewhere in the country.
• The rainforest hill - a preserved patch of original forest behind the beds, with a raised walkway.
• The water plant garden - ponds of lotus and giant lily pads, at their fullest in summer.
• The ginger and heliconia beds - dense tropical planting that flowers for most of the year.

When to go

The dry season from October to April is the comfortable window, with less rain and lower humidity, though the planting looks fullest at the end of the wet months. Come early and use the morning to walk before the heat builds. The garden is big, so the electric cart makes sense if you only have half a day.

Honest expectations

It is hot and humid for most of the year, with limited shade between the beds. Labels are patchy in English, so the collections mean far more to specialists than to casual visitors. Getting here from anywhere except Jinghong is a long trip, and Menglun is functional rather than pleasant. Mosquitoes are constant near the water gardens.

Nearby

Jinghong and the Mekong river, with the Wild Elephant Valley reserve to the north.