Wild Elephant Valley & Primitive Forest Park

On the first day in Xishuangbanna, we visited Wild Elephant Valley and the Primitive Forest Park. Upon entering the park, we saw photos of wild elephants on both sides of the path. It is said that wild elephants are rarely seen now. No wonder, with so many people around, wild elephants would not easily appear. The park is full of dense plants and flowers. Water lilies bloom in the pond, bougainvillea sways on the branches, figs climb on the trunks, and the large leaves of the dracaena unfold. Coconuts hide in the huge crowns of coconut trees, and jackfruits are squeezed between the branches and leaves. They all hide at the top of the trees, making us sigh. The bright yellow flowers of the mandala hang down like small trumpets. Who would have thought that they could release hallucinogenic toxins? Panax notoginseng, dendrobium, and spider plants are everywhere, as well as many unnamed flowers and plants. They grow happily without order. They wrap around the paths and tourists. Here, you must breathe deeply, look around, and enjoy. There are no wild elephants in Wild Elephant Valley now. The park has a wild elephant knowledge center and elephant performances. The workers in the performance area wear yellow straw hats. The elephants enter the venue slowly under their guidance, with the trunk of the latter wrapped around the tail of the former. They are tall and strong, with flexible trunks and long white teeth. They perform skills such as eating, fetching, and spraying water, as well as some interesting interactions, attracting many tourists. Not far away, there is an elephant feeding area. Four or five elephants are tied to the fence, and carrots, bananas, cucumbers, and apples are sold outside. There is no shortage of fruit here. Two or three tourists are interacting with the elephants. This was originally the home of wild elephants, but with the influx of people, they have become performers! In the afternoon, we visited the Primitive Forest Park. The park is full of lush vegetation, clear water, and trees and flowers reflected in the water. After the morning, these are no longer amazing. The Mekong River Underwater World is a highlight. Fish swim in the water wall, including two-meter-long Chinese sturgeons, finger-sized tropical fish, round, slender, black, green, yellow, and colorful fish. The mermaid performance is elegant and slow, and the water ballet is rhythmic. They float and slide freely like fish, and the fish swim around them. It looks so harmonious. This is such an enviable future! Before the peacock release, there is a mythological story performance. In the dreamy smoke, the actors dance to tell the love story of the peacock princess and the prince. Then, the whistle sounds, and the peacocks fly over from the other side of the river, first one or two, then three or four, and soon, they fly over in groups, covering the river. Peacocks can no longer fly high, and such a flight is rare for us. After leaving the park, we visited a Hani village. We learned that it was a rebuilt village. We saw stilted buildings, prayer flags, and kudzu powder production. A man introduced: Hani men are called Ali, and women are called Abu. They consider black and strong to be beautiful and do not intermarry with the Dai people. The village is assigned by the government to plant crops for profit. No matter what scenic spot, commercialization is inevitable.