Mengzi, Yunnan: The Home of Rice Noodles on the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway

After our trip to Jianshui, we drove east for an hour to Mengzi, the capital of Honghe Prefecture. When it comes to Mengzi, the first thing that comes to mind is Mengzi rice noodles. This is the birthplace of the world-famous Yunnan rice noodles, and is truly the home of rice noodles. But Mengzi has much more to offer. In the late 19th century, France colonized large parts of Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, establishing the French Indochina colony. They began to infiltrate Yunnan in southwest China. In addition to goods and missionaries, the most important means of infiltration was the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway. This railway, which was considered a world engineering marvel in the early 20th century, extended from Hekou in Vietnam to Kunming in Yunnan. Mengzi in Honghe Prefecture was an important midpoint station. With the opening of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, Mengzi gradually became a window for China's opening up to the outside world. A large amount of French culture came to this southwestern border town via the railway, bringing a strong French flavor and leaving behind many attractions that have become popular tourist destinations. Next, we will explore the city of Mengzi and experience the nature and culture of the home of rice noodles.