Things to do in Menglian

No. 4 of Night Attractions in Pu'er

Nayun Ancient Town

Nayun Ancient Town is located in the Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County of Pu'er City. Nayun Ancient Town has a history of more than 700 years. "Nayun" means "inner city" in Dai language. The houses in Nayun Ancient Town are buildings of different styles of the Dai and Han nationalities. From ancient times to modern times, Menglian served as chieftain for 28 successive dynasties and ruled for 660 years. The ancient town of Nayun is a sacred place in the eyes of the Dai people in Southeast Asia, because the Dai Tusi Yamen of the past dynasties—Menglian Xuanfu Division Office is located here. Nayun consists of "three cities and two towns" (upper, middle and lower cities, Mangfanggang and Mangfangmao). In the Tusi era, the upper city of Nayun Ancient Town was where the chieftains and their slaves lived, the middle city of Nayun Ancient Town was the residence of officials and their families, the lower city of Nayun Ancient Town was the residence of lower-level officials, and Mangfanggang and Mangfangmao were The stockade where forestry officials and hunters lived, the Menglian Xuanfu Office was located at the top of the Shangcheng, and the Shang and Zhongcheng Buddhist temples also stood majestically near the Xuanfu Office. The Menglian Xuanfu Office was burnt down in the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt from 1878 to 1919. Although Nayun Ancient Town has a long history, it still retains the characteristics of the ancient city of the Dai people. It contains rich and colorful Dai Tusi culture, as well as religious buildings, food, clothing, festivals, music, dance, folk customs and other cultures. It has precious historical value and art. Value, in recent years, more and more ethnic minorities at home and abroad, and Dai guests from neighboring countries such as Thailand have visited Nayun Ancient Town to trace the origin of the ancients.

No. 5 of Night Attractions in Pu'er

Menglian Golden Tower

Menglian Shwedagon Pagoda is located on the Nanlei River in Menglian County, Pu'er City. It consists of 8 small towers surrounded by a main tower. The main tower is 31.68 meters high. Each tower is hung with wind chimes. The light and crisp clanging sound makes people feel a different kind of Buddhist rhyme. The Shwedagon Pagoda and the Menglian Xuanfu Secretary's Office are far from each other, which is a symbol of the unity and progress of the Menglian ethnic groups. According to rumors, the origin of Menglian Jinta is closely related to the Menglian Propaganda Department. Menglian Xuanfu Department Office, called "Hehan" in Dai language, is the Golden Temple. A long time ago, it was felt that there should be a tower that complements the Golden Temple, and this tower was built here in 1997. After the completion of the Golden Pagoda, and the "Golden Palace", it will complement each other. Among the annexed buildings of Menglian Shwedagon Pagoda, there are four square pavilions surrounding the base of the pagoda. "Fang Pavilion" is called "luxury ohla" in Dai language, which means "the pavilion that guides the way", which is a guide for people. The four square pavilions are placed in different directions from east, west, north and south.

Menglian Xuanfu Department Office

Menglian Xuanfu Department Office was originally built in the fourth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1406) and was destroyed in the twenty-seventh year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1762). The existing buildings were rebuilt in the fourth year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1878). They face south, are nestled against the mountains and near the water, and comprise a gate hall, council hall, main hall, east and west wing rooms, kitchen, granary, and more. Through several rescue protection and restoration efforts, the ancient building complex, cultural relics, ancient trees, and environment of this attraction have been completely preserved. Menglian Xuanfu Department Office is a representative example of Qing Dynasty government offices in Yunnan. It is a building complex that combines Dai and Han styles and is one of the best-preserved and largest chieftain government offices in the border ethnic regions of Yunnan. It possesses high historical and architectural value and enjoys a high reputation among Dai communities in Southeast Asia.

Mengma Waterfall

Menglian Zongfosi

Menglianzong Buddhist Temple is located in Nayun Ancient Town. It is a place for local Buddhists to worship and pray for blessings. The building is a characteristic style of Southeast Asia and Southwest China, which is very charming. It is a good place to take pictures and pray for blessings.

2026 Global 100 - Family-friendly Attractions

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

The Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is located in Yilun Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna. The park is divided into two parts: the eastern area and the western area. The West District is the main attraction. It includes more than 20 specialized botanic gardens. The “Exotic Flower Garden" is the most popular among tourists. Eastern District is a large area of ​​old-growth tropical rain forest. Most areas are paved with viewing trails, suitable for travelers who enjoy hiking.

No. 4 of Best Things to Do in Yunnan

Manting Imperial Garden

Manting Imperial Garden is located in southeastern Jinghong, Yunnan Province. This natural village-style park is also the oldest urban park in Xishuangbanna. At Manting Imperial Garden, travelers can explore the vine plant area and peacock garden to see diverse flora and fauna, admire the charming Dai and Thai-style architecture, and enjoy ethnic minority song and dance performances in the evening.

2026 Global 100 - Family-friendly Attractions

Wild Elephant Valley

Located in the heart of the Mengyang sub-reserve of the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, Wild Elephant Valley is one of the main habitats for wild Asian elephants in China. Situated at the junction of the eastern and western sections of the Mengyang area, it serves as a corridor where wild Asian elephants gather and interact, which is how it got its name. A visit to Wild Elephant Valley offers two main experiences: learning about Asian elephants and immersing yourself in the tropical rainforest. The attraction features walking trails winding through the rainforest and an elevated elephant-watching boardwalk. Strolling along these paths, you can take in the atmosphere of the tropical rainforest and spot rare tropical plants along the way. You may also come across footprints, dung, and other traces left by wild elephants, and with some luck, even catch sight of a herd roaming through the forest. The Elephant Science Park is the core experience area of the attraction, where visitors can observe the daily behaviors and habits of Asian elephants up close through natural behavior displays. At the entrance of the park, there is an elephant canteen where visitors can hand-feed bananas, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables to the elephants, enjoying the fun of close interaction with Asian elephants. The elephant observation deck area is a zone where wild Asian elephants frequently roam. It was established by researchers for monitoring and research, and is now also an ideal spot for visitors to wait for wild elephants to appear. The Asian Elephant Museum within the attraction systematically introduces the species knowledge and conservation status of Asian elephants through science exhibitions. Riding the tropical rainforest sightseeing cableway offers a panoramic view of the rainforest with its intertwined vines, and with luck, you may even spot wild elephants foraging and playing beneath the cableway; the elevated patrol and elephant-watching boardwalk allows visitors to safely observe the rainforest ecology from the canopy layer, and even when encountering wild elephants, they can watch safely from above. In addition, small attractions such as the butterfly garden, snake and lizard garden, and orchid garden each have their own distinctive features and can be visited along the way.

No. 1 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Pu'er

Jingmai Mountain Tea Forest Cultural Scenic Area

Jingmai Mountain Tea Forest Cultural Scenic Area, a national 4A-level tourist attraction, will be included in the World Heritage List in 2023 and become a global tea-themed world cultural heritage site. The scenic spot is located in the southeast of Huimin Town, Lancang County, Pu'er City, Yunnan Province, 54 kilometers away from Lancang County, covering an area of ​​81.3 square kilometers, of which 29 square kilometers are tourist areas and 52.3 square kilometers are tourist resource protection buffer zones.

No. 13 of Best Things to Do in Yunnan

Xishuangbanna Primeval Forest Park

Xishuangbanna Primeval Forest Park is located in the eastern part of Jinghong, north of the Lancang River, and is a well-preserved tropical valley rainforest south of the Tropic of Cancer. The park boasts a wide variety of plant species, and along the rainforest trails, visitors can observe unique botanical wonders of the tropical rainforest such as buttress roots, strangler figs, cauliflory, and single trees forming a forest. The park covers a large area, so electric bikes are used for touring, with multiple stops along the way. Peacock mountain villa is a major highlight in the park. When the keeper blows the whistle, hundreds of peacocks glide in flocks from the opposite mountain forest down to the lake surface to feed, creating a spectacular scene. Visitors can also feed the peacocks up close in the breeding area. The Aini village recreates the traditional village life of the Aini people, a branch of the Hani ethnic group, where you can watch ethnic song and dance performances and join in water-splashing interactions. Jiulong flying waterfall is often accompanied by folk music performances, and the Manshuanglong white pagoda and the monkey breeding base are also worth a visit along the way.