To
the Dai people, the elephant is the symbol
of good luck, might and longevity. The wild
elephants of Xishuangbanna mainly live in
the Wild Elephants Valley (yexiang gu),
at the juncture of the western and eastern
part of the Menyang natural reserve. In
the valley, there is an observation tower,
especially built for tourists. The best
time to see these impressive beasts is at
dawn or dusk. There are currently 300 elephants
living in the dense forest in Xishuangbanna,
known locally as the "kingdom of elephants".
