A Must-Visit Happy Place: Mengding
The graceful Dai people are so relaxed. My recent days in Mengding have been like this… It feels like they celebrate more than 180 days out of the year!
Mengding, a fertile basin where music flows, is located in Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County, Lincang City. It's a charming little town near the national border. With long sunshine hours, a super comfortable temperature, and a sea of green rubber trees, fruits and vegetables thrive in this environment. Just look at the tempting pictures the art academy owner sent me today: the sweet berries are almost ripe and ready for picking at Nanting Art Academy, and the deer dance is in full swing.
Nanting Art Academy: Arriving in Mengding at night, I casually looked for unique accommodation. The town's lighting wasn't great, and Pang Rong's large vehicle felt very cramped navigating the narrow alleys. While on the phone with the owner, I directed Pang Rong, sometimes near the Buddhist temple, sometimes under the light strips, until finally, a gate that seemed vaguely familiar appeared before us. Because it was so dark, Pang Rong's cortisol levels were probably rising steadily. He accidentally bumped his beloved wife pretty hard. Reversing and turning around, we found the gate right around the corner! Now the gate is complete, and it looks like this…
Stepping into the art academy felt like entering a fairytale castle. Traditional Dai stilt houses peeked out from the trees, along with a small suspension bridge, a large orchard, and beautiful colored wood carvings… Even without eating or staying, it's worth a visit just for the photos. Look at the room I checked in to, doesn't it fit the fairytale castle vibe? Honestly, the room's amenities could be improved. Also, with such a wonderful ecological environment, mosquitoes are inevitable, which is a slight headache. Compared to the check-in experience, the outdoors are more appealing.
The owner is incredibly interesting. Sitting in his cultural and creative store, admiring his imaginative works, listening to his fantastical stories, and enjoying fresh fruit picked from the orchard, it's customary here to leave doors unlocked at night. However, I was afraid of being carried away by mosquitoes, so I closed my door tightly. This place reminds me of another interesting place—Geyasi Valley in Nandan, Guangxi, the home of the Bai Ku Yao people. Both are worth a visit.
Leaving the art academy, I strolled around the town. The market is interesting, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Girls would probably like it, with its jumble of dazzling goods.
Dongjing Buddhist Temple: The discovery of Sakyamuni's "relics" has shrouded it in mystery, making it a Buddhist holy land for salvation and universal deliverance. As a result, Dongjing Buddhist Temple is famous throughout Southeast Asia, attracting Buddhist pilgrims. The temple is backed by a large rubber forest. Walking up the steps to the platform on the right side of the temple, you can see the solemn Dongjing White Pagoda, the largest Buddhist pagoda in Lincang.
Mangtuan Village: The first village of ancient papermaking, it still retains the complete papermaking process from the Eastern Han Dynasty, when Cai Lun invented paper.
My dad came here specifically for the border crossing. The newly built Qingshui Port is indeed imposing and is said to be a major sugarcane transportation hub😀, but it looks quite deserted. The boundary marker park is more interesting, like a forest adventure, traversing through dense jungle with no end in sight. If it weren't for a handsome tour guide leading a few tourists ahead, I might not have dared to enter! I followed them for about twenty minutes, and finally stood on a tall pavilion, taking in the border scenery and gazing at life across the border in Myanmar.
At 99° east longitude, it gets dark a little later in Mengding. It's a leisurely, niche place. I casually strolled through the streets and small scenic spots. If you happen to be in the area, you must see this beautiful picture of "prosperous border residents, beautiful border scenery, stable border region, and strong border defense."