Wild Elephant Valley

Essential Facts

Chinese name: Ye Xiang Gu

A herd of wild elephants in the Xishuangbanna National Natural Protection Area. Zhang Guoying / Provided to China Daily

Location: at the western end of 213 National Highway, Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province.

Opening time: 09:00-17:00 (3 to 4 hours for a visit)

Ticket: 65 RMB, 50 RMB ($10.6) for one-way cableway and 70 RMB for round trip.

Best time for visit: during dry season of Xishuangbanna, October-April next year

How to get there: Take an airplane or sleeper bus or high-speed bus from Kunming to Jionghong, and then take a bus at any bus station in Jinghong to the Wild Elephant Valley, which runs every half an hour.

Features: This is an elephant viewing resort in the Mengyang Nature Reserve. It is 45 kilometers from Jinghong. Wild Elephant Valley measures about 900 acres. There are about 70 or 100 elephants there. There are viewing platforms where people can see the elephants bathe or drink in the morning or evening. There is also an elephant show.

Travel Tips

The wild elephants are more likely to appear at drawn or dusk.

Bring some mosquito products and sunblock.

Keep your distance from the wild elephants.

Respect the local customs of the Dai people and other minorities.

Related:

Threat of the threatened

Misguided nostalgia is not helpful