A good place to travel in winter, the thousand-year-old Dai village in Xishuangbanna is only separated from Myanmar by a river

Number of days:7 days
Time: November
Average cost: 4500 yuan
With whom: Couples
Updated: 2020.12.05

Due to historical reasons, there are many ethnic groups in the world that are separated by national borders and have to live in two or more countries, that is, "the same ethnic group but different nationalities", a phenomenon called "cross-border ethnic groups".

There are many cross-border ethnic groups in our country, and the Dai ethnic group is one of them. In addition to living in the Xishuangbanna area of Yunnan, our country, the Dai people are also widely distributed in Myanmar, Laos and other countries. Due to the common culture, language and customs, in some border villages, Dai transnational marriages are very common, and Meng Jinglai is one of them.

China-Myanmar No. 1 Village Mengjinglai Scenic Area

Explore the ancient "shadow of the dragon"

Drive from Jinghong, southwest, more than two hours , and came to the thousand-year-old village located on the border of China and Myanmar - Mengjinglai.

Mengjinglai is a Dai village with a long history of more than 1,300 years, and because it is only separated from Myanmar by a river, Mengjinglai has always had the reputation of "the first village in China and Myanmar". A few kilometers away from the village gate is the natural border on the China-Myanmar border - the Daluo River, and on the other side of the river is Xiaomengla in Shan State, Myanmar, and the two places face each other across the river.

China-Myanmar First Village Meng Jinglai Scenic Area

Walking to the gate of the magnificent village, the first thing that catches your eye is the plaque written in Chinese and Burmese characters by the "old governor". Being able to win the autograph inscription of the 40-year-old governor of Xishuangbanna is enough to prove Mengjinglai's unique status.

In the Dai language, "Meng" is a village, and "Jinglai" is the shadow of the dragon.

Legend has it that the Dai king Zhao Shutun came here to chase a golden deer, and later people found that the shadow of a dragon could be vaguely seen here, so people came here one after another, hoping to wait for the dragon to come again, and over time a village was built here, named "Mengjinglai".

China-Myanmar First Village Meng Jinglai Scenic Area

In 1802 AD, in order to commend 102 eminent monks, the then King Dai built 101 pagodas of various sizes here, but unfortunately they could not be preserved. Later people restored 58 of the pagodas, which now stand at the entrance of Mengjinglai Village.

This Tallinn is the largest Tallinn in Xishuangbanna, and a golden pagoda is scattered in the forest, large or small, which is particularly dazzling in the sun.

Most of the

Dai people believe in Buddhism, so Buddhist elements such as pagodas, temples, and academies can be seen everywhere in the village. During many Buddhist festivals, not only people from nearby villages will come to participate, but also many believers will come to Myanmar opposite.

China-Myanmar's first village Meng Jinglai Scenic Area

Walking through the bamboo buildings of the Dai family

When some traditional culture has long changed, Mengjinglai always retains the most original style.

The

rows of Dai bamboo buildings are distributed in the dense bamboo forest, the bamboo buildings are the traditional buildings of the Dai people, mostly two-story, the lower floor is closed to livestock and stacked agricultural tools and debris, the upper floor is inhabited, and the houses above the ground have the functions of summer escape, moisture prevention and flood control.

China-Myanmar's first village, Mengjinglai Scenic Area The

sun is hot at noon, and sugar pressing experience activities are being carried out in the village.The villagers put a few sugarcanes in the middle of the two wooden stakes, and then pushed the old wooden sugar press to squeeze the sugarcane, accompanied by a "squeak" sound, the residue of the sugarcane went out from the other side, and the sugarcane juice slowly flowed down the groove under the machine into the cup.

China-Myanmar First Village Meng Jinglai Scenic Area

Take a bite of your own squeezed sugarcane juice, which is truly refreshing and sweet.

The sweetness in the mouth of the first village of China and Myanmar has

not yet dissipated, and we came to a papermaking workshop again.

The

Dai people are the only ethnic minority in Xishuangbanna that has their own script, which makes the Dai people very proud, but they are proud not only of the words themselves, but also of the ancient carrier of inheriting the text - paper.

The

traditional papermaking of the Dai people is first boiled to the bark, and then the bark fibers are made into pulp, and then through the steps of fishing paper and drying.

China-Myanmar First Village Meng Jinglai Scenic Area

This papermaking technique is very similar to the way papermaking was invented at the beginning, because no chemical reagents were added, The paper produced in this way is white and tough, and is durable.

The

two sides of the Daluo bank are connected

Through the

village, walk to the head of the village, and come to the banks of the Daluo River.

The Daluo River flows from the west side of the village, forming a natural border, and Boundary Marker No. 229 stands on the riverside, and on the other side of the river is Myanmar.

Mengjinglai Scenic Area, the first village of China and Myanmar

Due to the common culture, language and customs, many Shan people in Myanmar came to Mengjinglai and married local villagers. Such transnational marriages are very common in Mengjinglai, forming the phenomenon of Dai and Shan mixed living.

China-Myanmar First Village Meng Jinglai Scenic Area

The Shan people in Myanmar are actually of the same origin as the Dai people in our country, in addition to China and Myanmar, the Dai people are also distributed in India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and other countries. After World War II, governments named the Dai people distributed in their respective territories, which were named "Dai" in our country and "Shan people" in Myanmar.

Xiaomengla, on the other side of the Daluo River, is one of the main residences of the Shan people in Myanmar. In fact, Xiao Mengla is another name for Mengla, the capital of the Fourth Special Zone in the eastern Shan State of Myanmar, but because there is a Mengla County in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, and the pronunciation of the two place names is similar in Chinese, the people on both sides of the border habitually call Mengla in Myanmar "Little Mengla".

China-Myanmar First Village Menglai Scenic Area

Thanks to the rise of border tourism in Xishuangbanna, our country, Xiaomengla, a barren land in the past, Today, there are many buildings, the economy is prosperous and developing, and it is a lively scene.

Before the epidemic, several Xiaomengla one-day tour groups departed from Xishuangbanna every day, and only needed to apply for a border pass with their ID card to clear customs, which was very convenient. It's a pity that the current Daluo port has been closed, and border travel has to be suspended.

Although the epidemic has pressed the pause button on the exchanges between the border residents of the two countries, the border residents of the two countries are inextricably linked. I believe that in the near future, everything will return to normal.

China-Myanmar First Village Mengjinglai Scenic Area When

I left Mengjinglai, it was dusk, and the golden sunset sprinkled on the river and the pagoda, which was also implanted in my dream.

Practical information Tips:

Geographical location: Meng Jinglai, Daluo Town, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan

Province Traffic strategy: From Jinghong city via Menghai Road - Xijing Line - Provincial Highway 320 to Meng Jinglai Scenic Area

Ticket cost: 50 yuan / person

Opening hours: 8:00-18:00

Precautions: During the epidemic, travel to the border area must be filed in advance at the Jinghong Police Station, or led by the local guarantee, during special periods, it is not recommended to go by personal car, there is a possibility of being persuaded back, it is recommended to sign up for a tour group, the cost is not expensive, and you can also visit the nearby unique forest scenic spots.

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