Manting Park sits at the southern edge of Jinghong and is the obvious first stop in town: an old royal pleasure garden of the Dai kings of Sipsongpanna, now a public park with peacocks, gilt-roofed pagodas, and a small zoo. The original "Chunhuan" name means "spirit garden" in Dai. A footpath winds through bamboo groves, lotus ponds, and pavilions to the General Buddhist Temple at the top of the hill.
The park hosts the daily Dai water-splashing performance — a tourist-oriented but genuinely fun re-enactment of the Songkran/Poshui festival — and at night the whole area lights up. The entry fee covers the park itself; the temple is a separate small ticket.