Xishuangbanna is the home of the Dai people. The region sits at a lower altitude than most of Yunnan, and has a tropical climate. It is fast becoming a sought after tourist destination.
Other names
The region has been historically dominated by Tai peoples, and the name for the region in their languages is commonly transliterated as Sipsawngpanna or Sipsongpanna. It literally means "twelve thousand rice fields".
External link
The Dai's Homecoming Queen (http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501020708-268237,00.html) by Time Asia
Xishuangbanna lies south of the Tropic of Cancer, and is traversed by the Lancang River water system.
Xishuangbanna covers less than 0.2% of the total land area of China, yet it is here that more than 4 000 species of higher plants and over 600 species of vertebrates have been discovered.
Xishuangbanna has become a world-famous ''oasis" on the otherwise desert belt of the Tropic of Cancer on account of its multitude of vegetation types as well as its rich species resources.
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