Wild Elephant Valley in Xishuangbanna

A group of wandering Asian elephants in Yunnan grabbed headlines this year when it set off on a rare 500-kilometer trek from Xishuangbanna, a major habitat for wild elephants in China. For those wishing to interact with the giant creatures themselves, the Wild Elephant Valley is a must-visit.

It will take three hours to get to Xishuangbanna from Kunming once the China-Laos railway becomes operational, and a new train station has been set up near the nature reserve, offering more accessible journeys. Extra effort has been made to minimize the impact of railway construction on the local ecological environment.