Vườn ngự Man Tinh

Manting Park, sometimes translated as Manting Imperial Garden, sits in the southeast of Jinghong and is the oldest urban park in Xishuangbanna. It began life as the private garden of the Dai lord who once ruled the prefecture, and a lake-side pavilion, an old white stupa, and several leafy banyan trees still carry echoes of that royal past. Today the park functions as a relaxed, village-style green space where Dai bamboo houses, tropical flower beds, ornamental ponds, and shaded walkways mix easily with everyday local life.

The park is genuinely walkable in a leisurely loop. Visitors typically wander past the八角亭-style pavilion, the black-iron "Peacock Ring" sculpture commemorating local legend, and the dragon-boat moored on the lake, then stop under the banyans where Dai elders gather. Costume photo rental is popular with younger Chinese travelers, and there are regular daytime shows of Dai and neighboring ethnic dances on a small open-air stage. In the evenings a separate ticketed water-splashing and bonfire performance recreates elements of the Songkran (Water-Splashing Festival) traditions for which Xishuangbanna is famous.

One of Manting Park's biggest draws for independent travelers is its direct pedestrian connection to the Xishuangbanna General Buddhist Temple next door, the most important Theravada Buddhist site in the prefecture. Most people enter the park first, then walk through to the temple complex, getting both the cultural gardens and a working monastery in a single visit. Allow two to three unhurried hours, more if you stay for an evening show.

For first-time visitors to Xishuangbanna, Manting Park is the most accessible introduction to Dai garden design, Theravada architecture, and everyday ethnic culture all in one central Jinghong location.