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Banla
Hani Village
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After the Dai , the Hani(Aini
) people are the most common minority group in Xishuangbanna .
Astop at Banla is the easiest way to see a mountain village in
its naturalness and material simplicity . Although overburdened
by foreigners because of its closeness to the main Jinghong- Menghai
road , the Hani( Aini ) here will not flaunt their "ethnicity
" . Visitors are advised to be cirsumspect and polit after
crossing the Flowing Sands River into Hani territory . A path
leads upward past the house |
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into mountains beyond
, affording a beautiful view in several directions if you climb
high enough .
Banna lies 37 kilometers (23 miles ) west of Jinghong . |
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Menghai
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Travelling from Jinghong through the valley
of the Flowing Sands River(Liusha He ) brings one to Menghai
, one of the rare broad plains of Xishuangbanna , a region
of bounty and delight for the Dai people . Menghai's relatively
high altitude of 1400 meters ( 4,600 feet ) limits it to
one rice crop per year but the weather is perfect for tea
. This is one of the great tea regions of China , providing
Hong Kong with most of its beloved Puer (
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bolei) tea , Tibet with essential
tea bricks , and France with a popular and profitable tea for
slimming , toucha . The menhai tea Factory (Menghai Chachang )
is the largest industrial employer in Xishuangbanna . Arrangements
to visit the tea factory can be made through travel agencies .
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Mengla
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The town
and county seat of Mengla was the last region of Xishuangbanna
to be opened to foreign traveller . It lies at the heart of a
spur of land that thrusts into Laos , and has become popular as
stepping off point for visiting Yao , Aini and Dai minority villages
in the surrounding countryside , the sweet little settlement of
Mamushi , northwest of Mengla , seems to hold the most promise
. |
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