[2025 Menghai Attraction] Travel Guide for Mengjinglai (Updated Apr)

🌴Natural Wonders Xishuangbanna's tropical rainforests, including the pristine forest in Mengla and Wangtianhu Scenic Area, are famous for their 100-meter-tall emergent trees. Visitors can experience the canopy walkway for a bird's-eye view of the rainforest's secrets. Wild Elephant Valley is a habitat for Asian elephants where visitors can observe wild elephant herds up close. The majestic confluence of the Lancang and Nu Rivers forms the Three Rivers Junction, where bamboo rafting and water adventures are popular activities. Additionally, the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences houses 13,000 plant species from around the world, earning it the title "Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants." 👸Cultural Melting Pot This region is home to multiple ethnic groups, primarily the Dai people, along with the Hani and Jino peoples. The Water Splashing Festival (Dai New Year) is the grandest celebration, featuring spectacular water ceremonies and peacock dance performances with exotic charm. The Dai Village preserves five original Dai villages where visitors can participate in traditional brocade weaving and palm leaf scripture making, experiencing thousand-year-old cultural heritage. The Jino Township's drum dance and the Pu'er tea culture in the ancient tea mountain villages showcase the unique charm of different ethnic groups. 🇲🇲Cross-border Experiences and Special Tours Leveraging its geographical advantage, Xishuangbanna offers "Southeast Asian Cultural Resonance Tours." At the Mengjinglai Scenic Area on the China-Myanmar border, visitors can cross the boundary river to experience the cultural fusion of both countries. The 2025 ASEAN visa-free policy will make cross-border tourism more convenient, allowing 6-day visa-free visits to tropical rainforests, tea and coffee plantations, or hot springs with Dai traditional medicine wellness experiences. 🍲Tropical Culinary Delights The cuisine is predominantly Dai style, featuring appetizing sour and spicy pineapple rice, lemongrass grilled fish, and banana leaf-wrapped dishes, complemented by tropical fruit feasts (including mangoes and durians) that leave lasting impressions. The night market's barbecue stalls and pounded chicken feet are the soul of nightlife. Xishuangbanna is both a paradise for nature lovers and a playground for cultural explorers. Whether you're seeking rainforest adventures, immersing in ethnic festivals, or enjoying the laid-back tropical watertown lifestyle, this place offers "elephant-sized happiness" to heal every traveler.

| Discover the Real Thai Beauty. 💁🏻‍♀️ Menghai was not originally in my travel plans. However, since I came down from Jingmai Mountain, and it's so close, and I had two days of vacation left, I decided to head south and 🚗 drive to Menghai. This is an extra addition to the Yunnan Treasure Small Town series - Menghai. DAY1️⃣ Jingmai Mountain - Menghai On the road, we stumbled upon the ⛩️ Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion. You can enter for a cleaning fee of three yuan, and you'll instantly feel like you're back in Southeast Asia. Navigate directly to 🔍 Zhang Guiying's Three Kilometer Roasted Chicken Restaurant. I finally had the most authentic Menghai roasted chicken, it was so delicious! It's only thirty yuan per chicken, highly recommended. For accommodation, 🏨 go directly to the Mengbala Scenic Area. There are options for every budget, from Banyan Tree to homestays. ♨️ I finally chose the Pu Yu Hot Spring Homestay (Xishuangbanna Menghai Mengbala International Resort Branch) and selected room 201. You can soak in the hot spring on the balcony, but the disadvantage is that the hot spring water flow is small, so you need to fill it two hours in advance. In the evening, I went out for a walk. Mengbala feels like a failed villa real estate project. DAY2️⃣ Menghai - Daluo Continue to stroll around Mengbala. 🔍 Meng Huan Love Manor, free entry, with tent hotels, helicopters, and off-road motorcycles. ⚠️ There is a peacock release every day at 10:00 and 16:00, where you can see peacocks displaying their feathers. 🚗 Since we came all the way here, let's go to Daluo Town to have a look. It's an hour and a half drive. 🔍 Xishuangbanna Mengjinglai Tourist Scenic Area, the No. 1 village between China and Myanmar, became famous because of "Where Are We Going, Dad?" ten years ago. The ticket is 50 yuan, and you can take a walk around the village, where there is the 229 boundary marker. 🍱 Have lunch in Daluo Town. Yunnan people know that the best place to find authentic local food is the farmers market. I found a Dai-flavored cold dish shop, and I knew I had found the right place just by looking at the menu and the bar. The pork knuckle/chicken rice and various cold dishes were all delicious. 🔍 Daluo One Tree Forest Scenic Area, 35 yuan for the ticket + 50 yuan for the battery car, to see the China-Myanmar Friendship Golden Pagoda, the site of the Chinese Expeditionary Force's Anti-Japanese War, the 220 boundary marker, and finally the One Tree Forest. To be honest, these two scenic spots are old scenic spots, and there is not much surprise, but since we came all the way here. Return trip, 🚗 go directly to Xishuangbanna, and check in to 🏨 Ji Hotel (Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower Garden Branch). When staying at Ji Hotel, you must complete ☞ self-service laundry and eat the buffet breakfast. There is a barbecue restaurant downstairs. The next morning, I went to the nearby farmers market to buy glutinous rice, glutinous corn, fried beef skin, and splashing water cakes, and went home with a lot of gains.

[Transportation Upon Arrival] Direct buses are available from the airport and train station to Gaozhuang, passing by the Splashing Water Square, for CNY 5 per person. You can also take the bus (pay attention to the direction) or a taxi. Jinghong city is not big, so it's easy to get around. Remember to wear a helmet when riding a shared electric scooter. 🛵 Day 1: Arrive in Xishuangbanna → Jinghong Big Golden Pagoda → Starlight Night Market. 🌟 Day 2: Manting Park → Total Buddhist Temple → Riverside Night Market. 🌙 🌴Natural Wonders Xishuangbanna's tropical rainforests, such as the primeval forest in Mengla and the Wangtianshu Scenic Area, are famous for their towering Wangtian trees. Visitors can experience the treetop canopy walkway and overlook the rainforest. Wild Elephant Valley is a habitat for Asian elephants, where visitors can observe wild elephant herds up close. The magnificent confluence of the Lancang River and the Nu River forms the Sanjiangkou, where bamboo rafting and water adventures are popular activities. In addition, the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences houses 13,000 plant species from around the world, earning it the title of "Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants." 👸A Melting Pot of Ethnic Cultures This is a multi-ethnic area, mainly inhabited by the Dai people, as well as the Hani, Jinuo, and other ethnic groups. The Water Splashing Festival (Dai New Year) is the grandest festival, with a water splashing ceremony and peacock dance performances that are full of exotic charm. The Dai Garden preserves five original Dai villages, where visitors can participate in traditional brocade weaving and making scriptures on palm leaves, experiencing the inheritance of a thousand-year-old culture. The Jinuo drum dance and the Pu'er tea culture of the tea mountain ancient villages showcase the unique charm of different ethnic groups. 🇲🇲Cross-border Experiences and Unique Travel Taking advantage of its geographical location, Xishuangbanna offers a "Southeast Asian Charm Resonance Tour," such as the Mengjinglai Scenic Area on the China-Myanmar border, where visitors can cross the border river and experience the cultural blend of the two countries. The visa-free policy for ASEAN countries, to be implemented in 2025, will further facilitate cross-border tourism. Visitors can enjoy a 6-day visa-free tour of the tropical rainforest, tea and coffee plantations, or soak in hot springs and experience Dai medicinal wellness.

I have been traveling in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna for more than two months. Today I plan to go back, and I placed a ride-sharing order as usual. I planned to go to Jingmai Mountain, then to Lincang, and then to Tengchong, and then continue to go up. As a result, I received an order from Mengzhe Town, and I took it because it seemed to be heading towards Jingmai Mountain. It is about 70 kilometers from Jinghong to Mengzhe Town. Half of it is on the highway, and the other half is on national and provincial roads. It is quite easy to walk. It took more than an hour to drop the passengers off. I found a place called Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion and the Lost Buddhist Kingdom nearby, all in the same place, so I walked back a few kilometers and went to check in again. There is a parking lot at the entrance, which is free but not very big. There is a Buddhist temple up a flight of stairs next to the parking lot. The Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion is inside the temple. It looks pretty good and seems very old. There are children taking classes in the Buddhist temple. I don’t know what they are chanting, but the monks chant a sentence and the children follow. I watch for a while and get a feel for what Buddhism is all about. After visiting the Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion, we were ready to continue to Jingmai Mountain, but found that it was a bit far and would take another two or three hours. However, we saw that the Mengjinglai Scenic Area, the first village between China and Myanmar, was not far away and could be reached in an hour, so we drove to Mengjinglai. The road is quite easy to walk on, most of it is downhill, and we arrived quickly. We arrived at the gate at 6pm and found a free parking lot right at the door. I will go in and visit tomorrow. There is only a river between here and Myanmar, and a few kilometers away is the Daluo Port on the China-Myanmar border. There aren't many people parking here at night, but there are a few Sichuan-brand cars with their lights on and people chatting loudly, it's so noisy, just like being in a teahouse!

❄️ In winter, Menghai is like a snowy paradise on earth. It is a place of seclusion and tranquility, but also full of warmth and vitality. It is definitely worth a visit. Check out this winter travel guide to Menghai below.👇 📍 Location: Menghai is located in the west of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, in the southern section of the longitudinal valley area of the Hengduan Mountains. ✈️ How to get there: - You can fly to Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport first. There is a direct bus from the airport to Menghai, which takes about 1.5 hours. It is very convenient.😃 If you are traveling with a group, taking a taxi is also a comfortable option. The cost of a shared taxi is only a few dozen yuan per person. - If you are traveling from a nearby city, you can take a high-speed train to Xishuangbanna Station, and then transfer to a bus to Menghai. There are many trains available, so you can arrange your itinerary flexibly.🕙 👘 Local customs: - Menghai is a multi-ethnic area, with the Dai people being the majority. When entering a Dai village, do not touch the heads of children.👶 In the local culture, the head is considered sacred. - If you happen to visit during a traditional Dai festival, such as the Water Splashing Festival (even though there are fewer large-scale water-splashing activities in winter, there are still small-scale blessing activities), be polite and do not bump into others. 🏞 Must-see attractions: - 🌟Mengjinglai: Known as the "First Village on the China-Myanmar Border," it is a place full of Dai culture. Traditional bamboo houses are everywhere, and walking among them feels like traveling back in time.✨ You can also try Dai pottery and papermaking, which are very interesting. - 🌟Daluo Port: Standing here, the border is within reach, and you can see the scenery of Myanmar on the other side.😎 The trade market at the port is bustling, with a wide variety of exotic items to choose from. - 🌟Nannuo Mountain: In winter, the tea mountain is shrouded in mist, like a fairyland.🧚 The tea trees are lush and green. Visit a Hani tea farmer's home and enjoy a few cups of fragrant Pu'er tea to warm up and relax. - 🌟Manting Park: Although it is located in Jinghong, it is not far from Menghai. It has the style of a beautiful royal garden. In winter, the flowers are still in full bloom, and every photo you take is a masterpiece.📸 There is also a lively bonfire party in the evening. - 🌟Menghai Tea Culture Museum: A must-visit for tea culture enthusiasts! Learn about the history of Pu'er tea. The museum's collection of old tea and ancient tea sets tells the story of tea culture.🍵 🍱 Food: - 🥘Lemongrass Grilled Fish: The fish is stuffed with lemongrass and other spices, grilled until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender and juicy, with a unique herbal aroma in every bite. - 🍜Rice Noodles: Start your day with a bowl of hot rice noodles. They are soft and smooth, served with meat sauce, pickled vegetables, crushed peanuts, and other condiments for a rich flavor. - 🍖Grilled Chicken: The local chicken is grilled until golden and crispy. Tear it apart with your hands and enjoy the crispy skin and tender meat. Dip it in special chili powder for an extra kick. - 🥥Coconut Purple Rice Porridge: In winter, a cup of warm coconut purple rice porridge is perfect. It is rich in coconut flavor, with soft purple rice, sweet and filling. - 🍲Dai Hot Pot: Dip beef and various seasonal vegetables in a spicy and sour broth, and enjoy with special Dai dipping sauce. It is hot and appetizing, perfect for warming up in winter. 🛏 Accommodation: - If you want to stay in a lively area, there are many business hotels in Menghai County, with complete facilities, convenient for travel and dining.😃 - If you are looking for something unique, choose a Dai-style homestay. Stay in a bamboo house, wake up to the sound of birds, and experience the purest Dai life. 💖 A winter trip to Menghai offers beautiful scenery, delicious food, and unique culture, enough to soothe the soul of any traveler. Pack your bags and set off, and let Menghai leave you with unforgettable winter memories.

【Opening】: No. 112 Farmhouse is located in Mengjinglai Scenic Area. Mengjinglai is a Dai village with dining and accommodation, making it perfect for vacation and leisure. The farmhouse recommended today is run by the villagers themselves. The taste is very authentic! The prices are quite reasonable, and the location is very easy to find. Just go straight after entering the scenic area, turn left after seeing the temple, and you will see their house number. 🍤【Special Dishes】: Peacock Feast, Hand-Grasped Rice. If it's your first time trying Dai cuisine and you don't know what to order, you can directly choose these two sets. They are very comprehensive and eliminate the difficulty of choice. The taste tends to be sour and spicy. You can tell the owner your taste preferences and adjust accordingly. The dishes are colorful, fragrant, and delicious. I really love Dai cuisine. ⛲【Restaurant Environment】: It's just the villagers' own home, a traditional Dai stilt house, kept very clean, ventilated on all sides. The tables and chairs are Dai bamboo woven furniture. You sit around a round table, the table can rotate, and the chairs are low. 👩【Restaurant Service】: The chef is a Dai couple. Their children help serve dishes after school, creating a very loving and happy atmosphere. You can tell the owner any taste preferences, and the owner is very nice. Maybe it's because of this atmosphere that the dishes make the diners feel happy too~

I have finally arrived at the other side of the Anywhere Door - Xishuangbanna. Due to the domestic TV variety show 'Where Are We Going, Dad?' one episode came to the mysterious and colorful China-Myanmar border, where lies a traditional Dai village - Mengjinglai, which still retains the traditional living forms and lifestyle of the Dai village. It became famous overnight and turned into a popular tourist destination in Xishuangbanna. Mengjinglai is located within Menghai County of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, near the China-Myanmar border, 5 kilometers away from the Daluo Port. The clear Daluo River flows past the west side of Mengjinglai village, forming a natural national boundary. Across the river is the capital of the Fourth Special Region of Shan State in Myanmar, the famous tourist city - Xiaomengla, shining in the distance. Mengjinglai is a typical traditional Dai village, adjacent to Myanmar, with frequent exchanges and intermarriages with the Shan people of Myanmar, resulting in a mixed Dai-Shan living phenomenon, hence the name 'The First Village on the China-Myanmar Border'. Mengjinglai is not a very large Dai village, with just over a hundred households, yet it still maintains the village's simplicity and elegance. The Dai people are warm and hospitable, and the villagers continue to preserve their ancestors' ancient crafts such as papermaking, blacksmithing, pottery, sugarcane pressing, and brewing, which are living Dai folk handicrafts. Surrounding the village are over a hundred acres of paddy fields and several fish ponds, presenting a beautiful pastoral scenery. Since Mengjinglai is a traditional Dai village, there are Buddhist temples, pagoda forests, bodhi trees, and ancient springs scattered throughout, exuding a strong Southern Buddhist cultural atmosphere. 📍Detailed Address: Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Menghai County, Daluo Town, Mengjinglai 🚉Transportation Tips: 🔺Mengjinglai is 120 kilometers away from Jinghong City, the capital of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, and public transportation is not very convenient 🔺Self-driving, joining a tour group, or hiring a private car 🕙Business Hours: 09:00-17:00 (Entry stops at 16:00) ⏳Recommended Visiting Time: 3-4 hours 🎫Ticket Price: 50 yuan

Step into Mandou Village located in Gasa Town, and you can savor the ancient Dai village that has a history of a thousand years. The well-preserved stilt-style architecture in the village, along with its natural environment nestled against the mountains and waters, is very comfortable. The bustling morning market at the entrance of the village introduces you to the local life and authentic lifestyle of the Dai people, hidden within the hustle and bustle of the streets. Mandou Village is not large, and it doesn't attract too many tourists, so here you can experience the original and simple Dai culture, which has a history of over 1000 years. When you come to Xishuangbanna, this village is a must-visit! 🎈Travel Tips🎈 📸Photo Spots Recommended ✅By the pond at the entrance ✅The thousand-year-old well ✅The heart of the village ✅The village temple ✅The Bodhi tree ✅Morning market, especially good for cultural photography ✅Dai-style stilted buildings, very photogenic ✅Mandou courtyard, great environment, also good for check-ins 💰Ticket Information ✅Free 🚗Transportation Information ✅Recommended to take a taxi (about 15-20 yuan) ✅Self-driving, navigate to Mandou Village 🚩Nearby Attractions Recommended ✅Prajna Temple (After visiting the village, you can go directly to Prajna Temple for check-ins) 📸Travel Route Recommendations ✅Route one: Gasa Mandou—Xishuangbanna Ethnic Museum—Manting Royal Garden ✅Route two: Olive Dam Pier (Lancang River Crossing Campaign Monument)—Manyuan Village—Dai Ethnic Garden ✅Route three: Jinghong—Daluo Mengjinglai, Single Tree Forest Scenic Area, Daluo Port—Mengbala Tourist Resort 📍PS: The above routes are for reference only

1⃣️Why is Mengjinglai so popular? The phenomenal domestic variety show 'Dad, Where Are We Going?' was incredibly popular when it aired. It can be said to have set a record for domestic parent-child programs that has yet to be broken, whether in terms of ratings or topic discussion. Not only did this program make many 'daddy stars' and their children famous, but it also brought fame to many filming locations. Mengjinglai, a typical traditional Dai village located in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, on the China-Myanmar border, 5 kilometers from the Kunluo Highway to the Daluo Port, became a popular tourist destination in Xishuangbanna after the parent-child variety show became popular. 2⃣️Where is Mengjinglai? Mengjinglai has been low-key for a long time. It is precisely because of this low-key that it can still continue and retain its traditional living form and lifestyle, becoming a typical traditional Dai village that tourists yearn for. Mengjinglai, located in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, is only 5 kilometers away from the Kunluo Highway to the Daluo Port because it is located on the China-Myanmar border. The clear Daluo River flows through the west side of Mengjinglai Village, forming a natural border line. Across the river is the capital of the fourth special zone of Shan State, Myanmar, and the famous tourist city - Xiaomengla. 3⃣️Why is Mengjinglai called the first village in China and Myanmar? There are many Dai villages in Xishuangbanna, but due to modern development, many Dai villages have undergone earth-shaking changes, so many tourists can't find the original Dai villages. However, Mengjinglai still retains the characteristics of the Dai village. Even after the variety show became popular, it still maintains its original state and is still a typical traditional Dai village. Mengjinglai is not a big village, with only over a hundred households and more than 500 people. Because it is adjacent to Myanmar and has frequent exchanges with the Shan people in Myanmar, there is freedom of marriage here, and intermarriage is allowed, forming a rare Dai-Shan mixed residence phenomenon, hence the name 'the first village in China and Myanmar'. 4⃣️What does Mengjinglai retain? Audiences who have watched the third season of 'Dad, Where Are We Going?' must be quite familiar with Mengjinglai. In the program, we can see that the village is simple and elegant, the Dai people are hospitable, and the 114 Dai households in the village still retain their traditional living forms and lifestyles, as well as the ancient papermaking, blacksmithing, pottery making, sugar pressing, and brewing techniques passed down from their ancestors. There are more than a hundred acres of paddy fields and fish ponds scattered around the village, presenting a beautiful rural scenery. Since this is a traditional Dai village, there are Buddhist temples, pagoda forests, and bodhi trees standing among them, and the village is filled with the strong cultural characteristics of Theravada Buddhism. 5⃣️What touches tourists in Mengjinglai? In 2016, the second stop of the third season of the popular parent-child variety show 'Dad, Where Are We Going?' on Hunan Satellite TV came to Mengjinglai in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna, known as 'the first village in China and Myanmar'. Although this was the first time Mengjinglai appeared on a satellite TV variety show, and the show helped people learn about it, the real reason that attracted people to check in was the original characteristics of the traditional Dai village in Mengjinglai, which still continues and retains its traditional living form and lifestyle. It has become a window for us to understand it and a popular tourist destination.

The second day of the Lunar New Year is the release of the lotus flower and the bathing of the lotus. The protagonist of the release is the monk, and the protagonist of the lotus bath is these beautiful girl, not beautiful, you!

In the morning, the scene was taken to Buddhism (the border of Xishuangbanna near Myanmar). There were 120 South Buddhist monks who participated in the filming, and the mind and eyes were double shocked.

# With the feeling of the stockade, is closer to the local life. is located in Menghai County, on the border between China and Burma, so after coming to the Daluo port, it brought the stockade five kilometers away, because the Luojiang River flows through the stockade. Formed a natural borderline, Myanmar is on the opposite side. If you are lucky, you can see the Burmese walking on the other side. Therefore, this stockade is also called the first village of China and Myanmar, and there are more people coming. We are coming from Jinghong all the way. It is about 130 kilometers to the scenic spot in Bohai. About 2 hours, there are many two-generation and three-generation stockades in the village. There are also Buddhist temples, linden trees, spring waters, etc., which radiate the characteristics of local Buddhist culture, so it is a good experience. Each stockade seems to have handicrafts, although I dont know if its set up to welcome tourists to do business, its still there. In short, we can see the ancient pottery, handmade papermaking here. Weaving, ironing, making wine, the most interesting thing to squeeze sugar cane, the large juicer is really fun, we can spend 20 dollars to buy a cane to experience the manual juice, very fun. The holiday people are really a lot. There is also a boundary pillar in the innermost part of the stockade, which is different from the one at the Daluo port. If you like to eat fruit barbecue, don't miss out there is a place to play, it is the meaning of the market, buy local fruit is cheap, don't want it. When you are young, playing for 2 hours is very comprehensive. #Where to go to New Years Day