Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (also known as Xishuangbanna or Sipsongpanna), abbreviated as "Xishuangbanna," is an autonomous prefecture under the jurisdiction of Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China. Located between 21°10′ and 22°40′ north latitude and 99°55′ and 101°50′ east longitude, it lies on the northern edge of the tropics south of the Tropic of Cancer. It borders Pu'er City to the northeast and northwest, Laos to the southeast, and Myanmar to the southwest. It administers one city and two counties, covering an area of 19,096 square kilometers. At the end of 2024, the prefecture had a total resident population of 1,336,000, of which 696,000 were urban residents, accounting for 52.1% of the total resident population. The region is home to 13 ethnic groups. The most widely spoken dialect is Dai.
Xishuangbanna's climate is characterized by high temperatures and abundant rainfall, distinct wet and dry seasons, and indistinct four seasons. The surrounding areas are high, while the central area is low, and the northwest is high while the southeast is low. The Lancang River and the Nanpan River are the two major rivers in the region. Xishuangbanna was formerly known as Mengle. After the Yuan Dynasty conquered the Song Dynasty, it established a province in Yunnan. In 1570, the Xuanwei Envoy divided the area under his jurisdiction into 12 "Banna," which became known as "Xishuangbanna." In 1950, the entire territory of Xishuangbanna was liberated. In 1953, the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture was officially established, and in 1955, it was upgraded to a prefecture. In 1993, with the approval of the State Council, Jinghong County was abolished and Jinghong City was established.
The Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture's characteristic industries are Pu'er tea, natural rubber, and tropical agriculture. Xishuangbanna is China's only tropical rainforest reserve and the region with the best-preserved tropical ecosystem in China, known as the "Kingdom of Plants," "Kingdom of Animals," and "Gene Bank of Biology." Xishuangbanna is a national scenic area, a national ecological demonstration zone, a member of the United Nations Network of Biosphere Reserves, and a UN World Tourism Organization observation point for sustainable tourism development.