Golden Phoenix Hotel

town of new character

by picek

We ened finally in Jinghong, the city we heard a lot about it from our friends. It seems that it grew so huge and many developemental projects are still running, consuming vast areas of space.

I usually love cities by Mekong, because I expect there will be lively atmosphere by the river. This time, Jinghong was not so, but we noticed a lot of people like to take an evening walk toward and accross the bridge. Many less were by the stone river bank opposite of the Jinghong port. I somehow loved the atmosphere more by the small park in the middle of the city near post office. They have come there every evening from the surrounding hills to perform wonderful traditional Tai/or Dai music and many people listened very attentively. Few steps away, people were dancing traditional Dai dance and we saw that dance on many other streets in the evening. Even the very old people tried to join sometimes to make a few steps. Then there were more other musicians playing instruments or singing and all that made that small park very nice place to visit every night to listen the music, watch them dancing and observe their daily routines.

Wonderful.

It's interesting to see that most of modern buildings contain elements from Buddhist-Dai architecture which makes Jinghong different from other Chinese - Yunnan cities in Northern parts of province. Ethnic diversity certaily adds more to the atmosphere and diversify the city structure with its uniqueness. It is why I loved exploring side streets, restaurants, small shops and shrines so much there. But if you're looking for something of the very old architecture... it's not the place to look. It's is modern city indeed.

There's one sight from the street that once again reminded me we come from the world of different values and I would never forget: a young man from one of ethnic minorities (whose must be not more than 20 years old) had beaten up his 2 or 3 years child so badly with his belt on the street so child had stoped screaming and crying. There were people in the street but noone said anything, more or less they ignored the scene. Couple of beating, does it make sense? I was speachless, angry and disgusted by what I saw. And what can I do in that case in the country where I speak no official language, and not single word of their local dialects or languages which are many in Xixuanbanna? Then laters I saw both of them in the park, very late in evening listening to the local musicians. No more fear on childs face but beating were left. What a world - are we trully so different that we don't feel the pain, even don't care if the children are so little they cannot defend themself?

Pineapple, sugar cane, bananas, coconut... this is South East Asia!