https://nz.trip.com/moments/detail/mengzi-1201-131647909
CM. Nichole 28Singapore

As green as ever, the whistle of a century echoes

**Bisezhai: A Trans-Century, Sino-Vietnamese Romance** Nestled among the mountains of Mengzi City, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, lies a French town forgotten by time: **Bisezhai**. It is the meeting point of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway and the Gejiu-Bisezhai-Shiping Railway. A century ago, it was known as "Little Paris of the Orient." Today, it still retains mottled yellow walls and red tiles, a stationary French clock, and rails stretching to the horizon, like a living railway epic. --- ### **🚂 Stroll along the Century-Old Railway and Encounter French Romance** Bisezhai is one of China's earliest railway stations in modern times. Meter-gauge and narrow-gauge railways coexist here, telling the story of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway's glorious past. The three-faced clock on the platform, which has stopped, freezes a certain afternoon moment in time, while the French-style buildings with red tiles and yellow walls, the former site of the Ge Lu Shi Hotel, and the French inscriptions on the water tower all reveal the prosperity of the past. 📸 **Recommended Spots**: - **Youth Filming Location**: The movies *Youth* and *Forever Young* were filmed here. Put on retro clothes and take a set of nostalgic photos on the platform and railway tracks. - **Tropic of Cancer Marker**: Find the Tropic of Cancer marker engraved by French engineers and feel the intersection of geography and history. --- ### **☕ Sip a Century-Old Coffee and Slowly Enjoy the Old Days** In 1909, a Vietnamese couple opened Yunnan's first coffee shop here: **Annam Coffee Shop**. Today, the coffee shop has been reborn on its original site, using the Vietnamese drip process, paired with the sweetness of condensed milk. Every sip is a taste of a century ago. 🍰 **Leisure Experiences**: - Order a cup of coffee at Bisezhai Time Bookstore, browse books, and feel the literary atmosphere of a 24-hour lit space. - Stroll around the cultural and creative shop "Yun Zhi Li" and bring home the railway memories of Bisezhai. --- ### **🌸 Scenery in All Seasons, Romance Never Ends** - **Spring Flower Sea**: Around May, roses adorn the railway tracks, like a "secret garden at the end of the railway." - **Autumn Sunset**: The setting sun shines on the yellow walls and red tiles. Stroll along the railway tracks, as if walking into a warm-toned oil painting. - **Winter Nostalgia**: Fewer people in the off-season, making it more suitable to quietly feel the vicissitudes of history. --- ### **🍜 Bisezhai on the Tip of Your Tongue** - **Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles**: Mengzi is the birthplace of crossing-the-bridge noodles. A bowl of hot soup noodles contains the romantic legend of a virtuous wife delivering food. - **Dipping Sauce Rice Noodles**: Local flavor from street stalls, paired with Xin'an Old Popsicles, refreshing and cooling. --- **📅 Travel Tips** - **Best Seasons**: Spring and autumn (flower viewing in March–May, pleasant climate in September–November). - **Transportation**: Take the high-speed train from Kunming to Mengzi, then take a taxi for about 30 minutes. - **Play Suggestions**: Half-day nostalgic tour, or combine it with a visit to Jiaji Village Pear Blossoms (March) nearby. --- **"Love at first sight, still moved after a long time."** The romance of Bisezhai is hidden at the end of the railway tracks, in the mellow aroma of coffee, and in every inch of mottled time. Come here to talk to history and let the story continue. ✨ **This holiday, go on a century-old date!**
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*Created by local travelers and translated by AI.
Posted: Apr 30, 2025
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