National Parks of ChinaOverview
| Designation | National Park of China (third batch) |
| Province | Yunnan |
| Location | Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, western Yunnan |
| Latitude, longitude | 24.5, 97.7 Google Maps |
| Top sights | The Tiger Leaping Rock |
| Wildlife | Hoolock gibbon, green peafowl, sal tree, Garcinia |
| Area | 660 km² |
| Nearby cities | Yunnan, Dali, Kunming |
| Nearby sites | Tengchong Geothermal Area and Volcanoes, Dali, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lijiang, Stone Forest of Lunan, Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan, Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er |
| Themes | River, Wildlife, Plant, Waterfall, Cave, Bird, Buddha, Tower |
About
The Ruili–Daying scenic area lies in the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of western Yunnan on the Myanmar border, 660 km² in three parts, Mangshi, the Ruili River and the Daying River, with rivers, gorges, waterfalls and caves.
The main sights are the Tiger Leaping Rock, the Gonglao waterfall, the Fengping pagoda, the Three Immortals Cave, the Bodhi Temple at Mangshi and Foguang Temple. The rivers teem with waterbirds; rare animals include the hoolock gibbon and green peafowl, rare plants the sal tree and Garcinia. The area is home to the Dai, Jingpo, Achang and De’ang peoples.
It is in the third batch of national parks of China (national scenic areas) named by the State Council in 1994.
Travel tips
Getting there: the scenic area is in Dehong Prefecture and has three parts - Mangshi, Ruili and Yingjiang - each many kilometres apart. Mangshi has Dehong Mangshi Airport; Ruili and Yingjiang are reached by road, with Mangshi to Ruili taking about an hour and a half.
Choosing a part: Mangshi has Bodhi Temple and the Fengping and golden pagodas; Ruili has the Ruili River views and the Jielejin pagoda, close to the border; Yingjiang has the Daying River and the Tongbi Pass area.
Ruili: the strongest Dai and Jingpo culture; the Jiegao port and the 'one village, two countries' site show life along the border.
Festivals: the Dai Water Splashing Festival falls in mid-April and the Jingpo Munao Zongge in February; crowds are large and rooms scarce at those times.
Time: two or three days for Mangshi and Ruili; five days or more if you add Yingjiang and Tengchong.
Season: October to April is dry and clear; May to September is rainy.
Where to stay: hotels in Mangshi and Ruili cities are plentiful; Yingjiang town is also an option.
Note: this is a border area with checkpoints on the road, so carry your ID; mosquitoes are fewer in the dry season, so use repellent in the wet season.