In Xishuangbanna, you are not only fascinated by the scenery of the tropical rain forests, but also attracted by the exotic customs and traditional culture of Dai ethnic group.

Ganlanba (Olive Dam) is a well-known basin with the tropical sceneries and Dai-style houses in Xishuangbanna. How does it get the name? Because the terrain here looks like an olive and abounds in evergreen plants.

Located at Menghan County, bordering on Laos, Ganlanba is about 40 kilometers driving downstream along the Lancang River from Jinghong.

At Ganlanba, the villages are connected to one another and covered with green trees, while Buddhist pagodas and bamboo tower houses stand out amidst the lush green.

Ganlanba means "Menghan" in Dai language ("han" means rolling up). A legend said that when Shakyamuni came to sermon here, his believers laid a cotton cloth on the ground for him to walk through. After he had walked over it, his believers rolled up the cloth.

The Dai houses, a kind of railing-styled two-story building, have been the Dai traditional dwellings for over a thousand years. Usually, bamboo houses have two stories: The lower story, without enclosing walls, is for raising cattle and storing odds and ends. The upper story, supported by dozens of wooden pillars, is over two meters high off the ground. It's the living quarters, consisting of a living room, a kitchen, and bedrooms.

Along with the improving of Dai people's livelihoods, many bamboo houses have been replaced by wooden house in recent years.

The people of the Dai ethnic group habitually keep their homes clean, so when you visit a Dai house you are required to leave your shoes on the first floor to avoid dirtying the host's living room. By the same token, when you visit a temple, you should leave your shoes outside the halls to show respect.

Villagers at Ganlanba mainly sell rubber trees for livelihood. A lot of young villagers have left here to find jobs in other cities. Some aged villagers sell home-grown bananas and other fruits on the wayside.

Tips:

Local residents in Xishuangbanna are mainly people of Dai ethnic group.

Dai dishes are mainly composed by sticky rice, barbecue and seafood with some special spices. There are grilled fish, roast chicken, grilled eggplant, grilled leek, rice stuffed in bamboo, and more.

It is suggested not to buy jades at small markets.

You need to wear jackets in the morning and at night when the temperature is comparatively low.