Traveling in China | Xishuangbanna Part I: the majestic Thailand of China

In 2020 the national day and the Mid autumn festival coincide on the same dates, so from October 1st to the 8th we have holidays here in China. This time we decided to a place far from Shenzhen, is a city that not many people in China know, which I wonder why since this is very beautiful and interesting place! Very different from the China we are used to, this city resembles more to Thailand or any other country from Southeast Asia than China itself. Still beautiful, we spent 4 days in this wonderful city, exploring its parks, temples, gastronomy and night life. I hope you like the series of 5 videos I am preparing to show the world this other side of China! Let me know in the comments what do you think of this place!
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[@lanshine]

Chiang Rung (Jing Hong) used to be one city of Lanna Kingdom together with sister cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai from north Thailand, and they share the same language, characters, costumes and tradition.

[@heimuk]

this is where Dai people live, they have same root and culture with Thai and Lao people, part of Tai Kradai family, as well as part of Chinese big family of course...

[@pahupolsopa5317]

​@杨健 People in northern Thailand still talks local with local people but speaks Thai Siam to nonlocal. I've half Tai Lue I think I understand Dai language not much but more than 50% I'm sure.

[@syntheticdawn4992]

Heimuk except they got more rights under the Chinese as opposed to the Chiang Mai , nan , prae people who got 0 rights to say they are lanna , these guys here are encouraged by the Chinese gov to be who they are!!! And they are nice people never create problems

[@ohreallyandthen189]

We are not a part of Chinese fam. We are Tai kadai fam. Don't try to dominate our ethnicity.Only some of our lands located in southern China but we are not Chinese.

[@ohreallyandthen189]

@@syntheticdawn4992 Who told you that? We have a right to say we are Lanna. I'm a Lanna people from Chiangmai Thailand.

[@heimuk]

@@ohreallyandthen189 move to Pluto...

[@NeMayful]

Welcome to Yunnan, my home province! Dai written in Chinese is 傣 which is formed by 人(people) and 泰(Thai). Dai food is special with its sourness and freshness that triggers your appetite.

[@serenelee3559]

Hello! hope to visit your home province one day.

[@NeMayful]

@@serenelee3559 Welcome!

[@psunthor]

I’m Thai and I really want to visit Yunnan.

[@BadBoy-wy1il]

Boikom I am tai from India 🇮🇳 Khruptang

[@o0...957]

​@@BadBoy-wy1ilAre you Ahom?

[@jzeng2022]

Xishuangbanna is a "Daizu" autonomous region under China's Yunnan Province. It is adjacent to Laos and Myanmar. The customs and religions are the same as those of Southeast Asian countries. It has abundant tropical rain forests. The National Botanical Garden of China is in Xishuangbanna. If you go to Xishuangbanna, you must go to the National Botanic Garden of China. .

[@ประสิทธิ์อนุสรณ์]

12 Panna used to be a kingdom of Thailand.

[@YouMe-e2t]

Dai people are the same ethnicity with northern of Thailand. There are Jiang (Chiang)- Chiang roong (in China now) , Chiang Tung (in Myanmar now), Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai (in Thailand).

[@rachelchoy8420]

Rafael, your son is so cute, and you are a nice dad. Love your video as usual, looking forward to watching Part 2...

[@zachjarsle4606]

Everytime your boy smiles, my heart melts away. Take good care of your sweetheart son and grow to a kind person.

[@RafaGoesAround]

Thanks a lot! I sure will!

[@ed1003]

Amazing! Like you enjoy the freedom 😀 of travel to another state in Middle Kingdom.

[@00001111henry]

Thailand 🇹🇭 border with China. Thailand peoples feeling like a home when they come to China 🇨🇳. Thank you Chinese government. 🙏👏🏻👍🏼

[@rickr9435]

actually thailand doesn't border with china....there are myanmar and laos between these two

[@chaping]

in China State Public Data. Thai. is the most popular in Chinese travel destination

[@neofils]

Wrong , it is Laos which border China !

[@ohreallyandthen189]

We don't feel like a home when we are in China. Who told you that?.

[@ocean8043]

@@ohreallyandthen189 China is more rich than Thailand ,u should be happy that

[@videosdematt]

I had always wanted to visit Xishuangba na but haven't done that. I could never have imagined it is such a fantastic place. Thanks for the video.

[@arciinaive399]

Its a very peaceful place! You should also visit the botanical garden.

[@mchammer3927]

So Thailand and China is one happy family love it ... and no more visa between the two countries starting 2024 love it

[@vanxz7511]

You remind me something, eh, why did I go to travel in Thailand? I can see these scenes in China!

[@thanaang1455]

The name of this city means 12,000 rice fields in Dai, Lao or Thai language.

[@drive-thru9169]

Tks for sharing this place is really unseen for a long time !

[@DylanEmmet]

Thanks for using my music. Awesome :)

[@user-li7dq8cc9l]

I cannot find the music...in Chinese music app (it’s really nice)

[@jinniwind]

Its interesting that i heard your music twice in the last week from two youtubers whom I follow. Two live far apart and produce very different contents.

[@user-yw5wf6kz5t]

Wow, beautiful melody :)

[@taboobunny9186]

Wow...Little Thailand in China. This country continues to surprise me.

[@samithgamage5039]

Thailand & China same religion we love our buddhism Love our Buddhist

[@soloseetheworld259]

You an inspiration for me even I started a travel channel when I went to Brazil 🇧🇷 in Feb but everything stopped due to Covid. Hope it will be fine soon. Thanks for your amazing vlogs

[@zhichengzhao5907]

To be honest, as a Chinese, I am fully unaware of this beautiful place in China! thanks for sharing!

[@stanbimi]

Wonderful vlog. Had no idea this is what Xishuangbanna looks like. Little Thailand of China. Rafa's cinematography is excellent. Edit pacing a bit rushed and dizzying at times.

[@cicy521]

a Thailand friend informed me that Thailand people especially north people migrate from Xishuangbanna area , China. They share common customs, architecture, religion, culture until now

[@RafaGoesAround]

Yes, very similar cultures

[@ohreallyandthen189]

We have native in Lanna(Northern Thailand) and many tribes that immigrated from Southern China.

[@zhoushou863]

@@ohreallyandthen189 you should say china take over the land of lanna kingdom...dude instead of migrate from china . And please learn the history of laos too that tell you correctly .....

[@user-um7ij4qv9g]

as chinese .we must thank you😘😘

[@tayyihcheung7450]

你是火箭少女101的杨超越吗？

[@莫妮-s2n]

Crossing China Wow thank you very much!

[@Weeping-Angel]

@@tayyihcheung7450 😂

[@einodebmiel4050]

真是自作多情

[@greyson3452]

西双版纳is very traditional place very beautiful!! Everything is very good !! The views is very good ! The drone is good , jay is very cute ! Good job !! Background music is very inspired! Hah

[@juneflower4998]

Amazing amazing! Enjoy your family trip! 👍

[@nathanchong616]

Wow, didn’t know this place even exist in China! Thank you Rafa! This area deserves some promotion and will definitely share it

[@thisiskevin1000]

southwest China’s Yunnan province

[@温撒母耳]

😊😄😁哈哈哈！我以為在看泰國旅遊記！原來是中國西雙版納。中國是文化大熔爐！😊😄😁

[@temstation]

สุดยอดครับ เป็นคลิปที่สวยงาม เหมือนอยู่ประเทศไทยเลย สักวันผมจะไปเที่ยว 12 ปันนา

[@Cinderella-Cindererilla]

Come on! Xishuangbanna is Xishuangbanna itself, not another version of Thailand! Xishuangbanna is a part of Yunnan province of China, with lots of Tai-Lue, Hani, and other ethnic minorities. Please enjoy your travel there! 😘

[@ohreallyandthen189]

... Actually we should be independent not a part of China, Myanmar or Thailand.

[@ohreallyandthen189]

@@ericlao1935 I'm not in China.

[@wumaobot]

@@ohreallyandthen189 please don't come back again

[@wonderfulchina1344]

@@ohreallyandthen189 You need get away this video.You should ask your mom not born you.Your mother is not chinese.Don't go to your mom home.

[@joeawk]

@bou path not even Thai but cantonese

[@davepsk7334]

Way cool. Thailand in China. And way more cleaner than actual Thailand. Any Thai foods? The locals there look more like Thai too, bet they are and still serve thai food? You should have shown the food there. That way we'd know where to find thai food in China.😆😆

[@claywhite9326]

Who are you to say it's cleaner than real Thailand? Do you know Thailand that well?

[@rickr9435]

they are dai and they are serving dai food. if you call them thai, it's like you are calling laotians thai...i know, they are all related, but, still. and actually the dai scripts are very different from the thai script

[@ohreallyandthen189]

Their foods are similar in Northern Thailand.

[@HOTPLATEGAMING]

This region has been around longer than Thailand itself. The uploader just using a fucked up title to confuse people.

[@somsaksompong689]

Thai Street food is very famous in the world. people around the world taste it and like it

[@dianafries1207]

Love this video! Thank u for this video!haven’t been back to my town Jinghong for a year , this videos literally took me back home 😍

[@yongdou1944]

thanks for sharing this video which make me miss home so much. ---- from Xishuangbanna

[@savana84000]

Great video... I like your video If i may share my thought then i think it will be more attractive when you can interview or interact with some local people and try their food too... Because we love to see local culture there, n with your charm I'm sure they gonna like you.. Thank you for bring me see so many beautiful things through your camera

[@santiiam2840]

Dear Rafa.. thanks for the vlog. We really enjoyed it. I am have Thai and when I watch your vlog it really looks like a nightmarket in Chiang Mai. I do hope we have the chance to visit that place some day in the future.. take care and Thanks Santi

[@RafaGoesAround]

Thanks 🙏🏼

[@itsly1w215]

Seeing your photography skills, I just clicked thumbs up 👍

[@joeawk]

Looks so nice n beautiful. Colourful. So green. I like the variety of fruits.

[@RafaGoesAround]

Yes, very nice!

[@user-fp8to5pn1h]

When I saw your video, it makes me so happy, and miss the place where I have ever been there for work. Your camera shots are awesome. By the way, if the pandemic of COVID-19 stops, I hope I can be there once again.

[@mi360go6]

Thanks for a virtual vacation, Amigo👍 what an escape from the Covid-ridden here in the US of A.

[@RafaGoesAround]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@BadBoy-wy1il]

Mong mao, Yunan was the birthplace of our founder Chaolung sukapha Love to all tai communities across SE Asia from a tai-ahom India

[@RafaGoesAround]

Thanks for watching!

[@firefly4784]

Xishuangbanna is becoming more and more beautiful

[@Leon_BLP]

Wow..another masterpiece!

[@champ05631]

6:00 OMG I can understand their language a little bit, I'm from Thailand.

[@petercua6158]

Definitely look like you're in Thailand.

[@YY-mu6gy]

I adore your son and his smile. Hope he can talk a lot more like you in front of camera one day, Take his time though.

[@TontonSauvage]

High quality video👍

[@peterykw6562]

Amazing

[@firefly4784]

There is a night market over water there, very beautifully illuminated at night

[@somsaksompong689]

TAI speaking people live in Myanmar China Thailand Laos Northeast-India and NorthWest-Vietnam .

[@shshwhwww]

Yess , greetings to all my tai people from NE India

[@nelobrunomusico-consultant4628]

Me gusto mucho el vídeo gracias 🤩, soy casado con una mujer de xishuangbanna y vivimos en Suzhou Jiangsu provincia de china 🇨🇳,me gustaría vivir ahí , tenemos dos hijos , un varón de 8 y una hermosa niña de 7 años,maharaní estamos preparando un viaje de regreso a xishuangbanna en julio de 2022. gracias 🙏 por compartirlo. Dios los bendiga hermanos.

[@paulsitt]

Holy, this place puts Bangkok to shame! And I'm from Bangkok! This is so eye-opening. The culture, the beauty, the orderliness, the cleanliness.. this is the sort of feel a Thai city should strive to achieve.

[@jckalden1700]

Wow, off the beaten track! Thank you for the efforts made in sharing such destinations. Cheers

[@RafaGoesAround]

Thanks a for the support!

[@yungng1864]

Very nice hat and shirt. Looks so cool.

[@mukhtarmhassan]

Amazing. Thanks for the wonderful vidoes and the nice music.

[@taiahomology]

Xishuangbanna has a lot of ethnic groups.I am Tai Ahom.We Tai Ahoms were migrated from Mong Mao Lung,near present Ruili and I heard that many Shan peoples live there.We Tai Ahoms are mixed with Shan and Moran people.I love China and I will like to go there

[@BadBoy-wy1il]

I am also tai ahom Boikom 🙏

[@klaushe1639]

the food looks sooo yummy

[@maxsweetman6341]

Always enjoy your videos

[@wissarutpassaragang1072]

เหมือนกับอยู่ประเทศไทยเลยครับ From Thailand 🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭

[@heqiuyisheng911]

Amazing place so exotic 😍

[@wendiqiu3225]

the way you talked to that little kid in different languages lol so funny 😂

[@chanmf818]

It's > *Sipsongpanna* (Xishuangbanna !!) Sip>10, song>2, panna>1000, (villages), houses .. I.e. 12 thousand (villages/houses, or "padi fields") .. > its ancestor home od de Thai ppl .. 😊😁🤩 ..

[@kevinlaw6191]

Exotic place, great fruits and beautiful girls.

[@lixiang7777]

Hi ,Rafa, your Video always awesome ,please use the correct map , Taiwan island and Hainan island should be the same color as the Mainland

[@liamde-javu5301]

Rafa , you need a team to make your channel more efficient hahahaha

[@user-xm6tp6ys4y]

Dai/Tai from India. My beautiful ancestors ❤️😭

[@xiaoq8329]

Oh My God! You're in Xishuangbanna! Amazing. Welcome to my dearest Yunnan, the paradise! Is the little boy your son?

[@banja1470]

Yes it's his son. He posts more of his son on Instagram.

[@CyZhang2022]

@@banja1470 really? 😬

[@banja1470]

@@CyZhang2022 看他的ins啊，他po了

[@MariaAlvarez-sm8bv]

Muy bonito el lugar y precioso el chiquitín Rafa. Felicitaciones!!!

[@nanmca7501]

Be honest, it's so beautiful and brilliant.

[@RafaGoesAround]

👍🏼👍🏼

[@jinsoonchin5205]

I like the video and your background music.

[@VashtheStampede007]

Thank you for another good video. You deserve more subscribers for the excellent work. Add one more destination for my traveling plan the next time I go back to China. One little suggestion, @ 9:30 do not fast forward when there is a hot chick passing by lol 😂. If anything, slow it instead, so we can check her out 🤣. By the way, who is that little boy? Your kid?

[@eslnoob191]

I just visited there! If you go, you have to get out of the city and make a day trip to 勐远仙境 (Mengyuan Xianjing) though! That was the highlight of my trip. A guide took us on a trek through the jungle in a mountain valley nestled between Myanmar and Laos, and there is a magnificent cave with an underground river there as well. A truly incredible experience and well worth traveling the 100 kilometers out of town to reach it! (It's best if you go with Chinese friends though as there is a checkpoint on the way and the police get nervous when seeing foreigners since it's so very close to the border with Laos and Myanmar).

[@SuckOnThis]

Beautiful video! What camera are you using?👍👍👍

[@tonyeclau]

The architecture of the Buddhist temple and Buddha statues are definitely Thai influenced. There was one white pegola/temple building which is northern Thai influenced. Never knew there exist such a city. The writings looks more like Myanmar's. Thank you.

[@tayyihcheung7450]

Actually the other way around: Thai style was impacted by Dai style many years ago.

[@jinniwind]

They are the same ethnicity, so i wouldnt put it as “Thai influenced”.

[@tonyeclau]

@@jinniwind They are actually different ethnic groups. I just learnt that from a Thai friend. Some of the similar ethnic groups in Northern Thai use same language as these Chinese called Thai Yai. The Mon of Myanmar belong to the same group. I've actually met such people in Maehonsong which is located at the far north-western part of Thailand. Interesting indeed.

[@ohreallyandthen189]

@@tayyihcheung7450 It's not impacted by since they are a relative from the same family.

[@hub6490]

@@tonyeclau Then your friend isn't Thai or never pay attention in history class. Thai and Xishuangbanna are belong to Tai ethnic group. Every Thai students have to learn this in elementary school.

[@oceanbreeze2663]

Another super duper vlog, drone shots or not

[@joeawk]

Great tourism potential. With improving transportation n ease of Visa approval, tourism will explode.

[@RafaGoesAround]

Maybe in the future they might consider it!

[@tamterence5561]

China is too large. U can try to visit north part of China. Like Harbin or snowtown and Korean cities in Northeast China

[@milasarquis9852]

Wow this is truly amazing 👏

[@samuelcheng5167]

i'm sorry but i must point out that the map is wrong.Taiwan is an important part of China.

[@rickywang3648]

火钳刘明 坐等台独分子 前来打卡

[@banja1470]

地图里海南岛颜色也跟台湾一样

[@samuelcheng5167]

不过也不要骂up主，外国人没有那么敏感

[@lekn5345]

Corona virus also belongs to China 🇨🇳

[@samuelcheng5167]

@@lekn5345 so,have your country controled the virus?

[@bangkokwalks8875]

What a great video! Your videos have inspired me to start my own walking channel here in Bangkok. If you have any pointers on my videos I would love to hear it! Thanks!

[@user-sr4jz8iu3l]

I really want to go there because I love dorians!! I’ll enjoy eating them so much there haha.

[@user-wj6wv7jo2u]

stunning video.

[@oneplanetearth]

WOW. I didnt know this till now. Thank you

[@engorgioarmani3381]

Chinese don’t have a keen aesthetics of typography. While Japanese do. I’m a graphic designer, that’s why I notice fonts, sign systems, etc.

[@user-if1sf9dl2g]

Amazing!

[@davidsanta9372]

wow it’s a cool place! I’d love to be there

[@sweeticy1249]

That looks so real! Nice “religion” videos!

[@richarddwann773]

Quite Thai style airport. Sawade krub 🙏😊

[@soneifu5187]

actually the whole region around it were little states paying tribute to both China and Thailand for centuries, after WWII some became Chinese land some became Thailand.

[@user-io9cw6rt6p]

😄 utuber 滇西小哥 dianxixiaoge is in Yunnan ，beautiful views everywhere

[@serenelee3559]

the climate is tropical, similar to South East Asia countries. Interesting culture and people

[@RafaGoesAround]

It is! 👍🏽

[@cheelew5409]

Thank you for sharing--Australia.

[@w.z.6062]

Muy bien, gracias, Amigo!

[@joachimtextor709]

Very nice filming and explanation about this natural area where the Dai indigenous people are residing, my tip to you for your next travel, in China go further up in the Yunnan province above Kunming until the ancient Tea and Horse road to Lijiang / stay in Suhe suburb and hide away place Shaxi ! ( 2 hours by car from Lijiang ) Contact me for more details if you wish.

[@Myth520]

God damn，it's gorgeous

[@stoianmihail8480]

It looks like Thailand, if the Thai government cared about its people.

[@suratpongpipatpanich5627]

That is a part of what is unlike Thailand. All tribal people live a happy life in such an autonomous region.

[@suratpongpipatpanich5627]

@@alantan9863 Stoian Mihail, I think, means it 's up to the Thai government caring or not caring about its people and as a matter of fact, not caring as it should.

[@TheShanghaiLee]

It's nothing to do with tbai government.

[@wgxt3798]

Blue sky , i should visit . Maybe my retirement place

[@choiklu]

that is kinda insulting to the Dai people as the Thai are descendant of them

[@ohreallyandthen189]

Thais are not descendants of Dai. Don't insulting us like that. Thai is a relative of Dai not descendant.

[@moMo-tv6ub]

@@ohreallyandthen189 you are everywhere! First of all, u are not dai; second, if u are thai, go to thailand;

[@maxdc988]

Don't talk nonsense. People nowadays have access to all kind of information and can draw their own conclusion.

[@Weeping-Angel]

Many different cultures and ethnicities descendants of other cultures and ethnicities so this kind of thing should not insulting at all.

[@ohreallyandthen189]

@@moMo-tv6ub My mom is Dai Lue from Sibsongbanna and now living in Chiangrai, Thailand.I dont have to go anywhere else since I live here. Bhen Gon Lue? Au lue dai wa? Tai lue gab Thai maan taag gan eid nueng. Thai man gor keu Tai-Kadai muen gan na sae.

[@joeawk]

I will want to visit Dali n Lijiang n end up in Xishuangbana area, closer to Laos n Thailand, perhaps.

[@RafaGoesAround]

👍🏽

[@Mariagonzalez-hb9qj]

Love this video .. you are the best

[@thisiskevin1000]

There is even their own version of Songkran

[@kysonpreston5245]

Rafa i think you are very cute and gentle men.i like your voice and accent. you are so kind~warm~handsome~

[@mabanomet9879]

Necesitamos video en español. :)

[@kukuukiii5588]

According to the history, that's where tai people(Thai) originated from, Yunnan, China is Chinese land and Tai is a group of ethnic ppl who lived there then was repelled by Chinese and they moved to live at another place(plz do some research on ur own if u want to know more deep abt this) so that's y place there seems to be mixed with Thai culture

[@somsaksompong689]

original of Tai people is Ghuangxi . Search more.

[@sophiestorontolife6566]

Wonderland!