Thousand-year-old Dai village, hidden pastoral Manyuan Village

Number of days：6 days
Time: February
Average cost: 9,000 yuan
With whom：parents and children
Updated: 2024.03.05

After leaving Mengyuan Wonderland, we headed to the nearby Manyuan Village.

A village gate, spanning millennia and connecting the past and present, unfolds before your eyes. Entering Manyuan Village in Menghan Town, Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, the millennia-old charm of the Dai village unfolds before your eyes. A white elephant and a well tower at the village gate stand guard over the village. Within, surrounded by green grass and fragrant flowers, rows of wooden Dai buildings create a tranquil and remote village. The fragrance of crops wafts from the flat fields, and a beautiful, ecologically livable rural landscape unfolds.

Dragon Fruit Orchard

Village Entrance

Manyuan Village, formerly known as Manba Mian, boasts a history of 1,292 years and is a typical traditional Dai village. Its location and layout are remarkably Dai-style. The village center serves as the village's public center. Buddhist temples and pagodas are located to the north of the village. Ancient wells and sacred trees are among the most tangible examples of the village's history and culture, earning it recognition as one of China's ten most beautiful villages.

In the heart of Manyuan Village, every Dai house is constructed of bamboo and wood, supported by dozens of wooden pillars. The walls and floors are mostly made of thick bamboo, split and flattened, creating a light and airy feel. The two-story wooden houses have the upper floor for living and daily necessities, while the lower floor, which is wall-free, is primarily used for livestock and storage. The roofs are hip-and-gable, with a steep slope and many featuring double eaves. Various succulents hang beautifully from the railings. Villagers have renovated the original ground floor and converted it into a shop, selling handicrafts, ethnic clothing, and Dai cuisine. The village has also opened several intangible cultural heritage experience centers, including a Dai medicine hall, a pottery hall, a brocade hall, and a bamboo weaving hall, which not only preserve traditional Dai culture but also promote the development of the village's tourism economy.

Dai Ancestral House

In 2020, the quaint village of Manyuan attracted the filming of the variety show "Longing for Life." Following the show's broadcast, Manyuan Village gained widespread popularity and acclaim in China, with the Mushroom House becoming a popular online check-in spot. A 20-yuan ticket allows entry to the Mushroom House. The spacious courtyard is filled with vibrant tropical plants, and overlooking the Mushroom House's farmland, where bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and other crops are harvested. To one side of the courtyard is an open bamboo pavilion, where visitors can relax, enjoy a cool glass of juice, swing on the swings, gaze at the distant countryside, and enjoy the leisurely and comfortable life they long for. Across from the pavilion is an open kitchen, and around the corner is the living room of the Mushroom House, which remains exactly as it was when the filming took place. Tucked away in a corner of Manyuan Village, the Mushroom House feels secluded and serene, truly embodying the rural life that city dwellers crave.

The village is covered by forests over 90%, and every breath you take is filled with the moisture of the rainforest. Within the village lies a hillside called Longshan. The Dai people still preserve traditional Longshan culture, where every blade of grass and every tree is considered sacred and inviolable. Longshan boasts over 100 wild mango trees, each nearly a thousand years old. The ecological environment is beautiful, and villagers have long revered and respected nature, living in harmony with it. Almost all Dai people are religious, and every village has its own temple, including one on Longshan, a magnificent ancient temple. Thousand-year-old mango tree Papaya Garden

The Dai people have a special affection for water. They love, cherish, and revere water, using it to symbolize blessings and purity. In Dai villages, all wells are crowned with uniquely shaped towers, offering protection from wind, rain, and dust. These towers are constructed from bamboo, wood, brick, or stone, and come in animal, pagoda, or circular shapes. From a distance, outsiders might mistake them for Buddhist stupas. Wells used for different purposes have distinct architectural structures. Wells intended for public consumption often feature a pagoda-shaped structure, enclosing the wellhead, leaving only a single intake to prevent contamination. The intake is also adorned with a dragon head, creating a solemn presence. Each well has a bamboo tube as a common water-drawing device, with a long bamboo pole wedged into the top for easy access.

The well tower at the village entrance

Water Well Tower

Every corner of Manyuan Village holds a surprise. Each household is a courtyard, each with its own unique scenery. A vegetable patch in the courtyard, a fruit tree by the side of the yard, are the happiness and hope of the Dai people. Everything in Manyuan Village is simple and gentle. Time seems to slow down here, and everyone who strolls through the village is peaceful and happy.