Home to southern China's dai tribe, Xishuangbanna's lush tropical forests, palm-lined streets and clean air have long made it the exotic domestic sanctuary¹ from frigid² northern winters.

作为中国南方的傣族自治州，西双版纳的繁茂热带雨林、两旁种着棕榈树的街道和清新的空气，使之长期以来一直是希望逃离北方严冬、在国内欣赏异域风情的人们的避难所。

In the last year, a new army has stampeded its way toward this prefecture of less than 1 million people, on China's southern border with Myanmar and Laos.

去年，大批买房者蜂拥来到这个人口不足100万、位于中国南部边界、与缅甸和老挝接壤的自治州。

They are property buyers -- households with elderly or young family members -- desperate to find a refuge from the toxic³ smog that smothers⁴ northern China every winter.

这些购房者--家中有老人或小孩--希望能找到一个帮他们逃离中国北方每年冬季令人窒息的雾霾的避难所。

Xishuangbanna's property is booming, with 7,578 home units sold in the second half of 2016, a surge of 52 per cent compared with the first six months.

西双版纳房地产市场一派繁荣。仅去年下半年就卖出7578套房屋，成交量比上半年增加52%。

Average prices remained little changed during the period at 4,928 yuan per square metre due to an increase in new units, according to Jinghong Property Info.

据景洪房产信息网表示，由于新房的增加，所以在此期间房屋均价几乎没变，为每平米4928元。

Compared with average property price of 54,000 yuan per sq m in the Chinese capital, that's cheap enough to attract many Beijing visitors.

与中国首都北京每平米5.4万的房价相比，这个价格足够吸引许多北京人前来购置房产。

Yu Hong, a Beijing mother of a two-year old toddler, is one such customer. After buying a home in Xishuangbanna for her parents, she found it the ideal sanctuary from Beijing's choking smog.

来自北京、有一个2岁孩子的于红就是此类客户中的一员。在西双版纳为父母买了一套房子后，她发现此地是逃避北京雾霾的理想居所。

Yu Hong said she's looking to buy a second home in Xishuangbanna."I've been thinking about the purpose of life," she said. "What's the point of earning money if we don't possess health?"

于红表示，她想在西双版纳再买一套房。她说道：“我一直在思考生活的意义，如果没有健康，挣钱的目的何在？”