Mangzhong Village in Menglian County, Puer

Chinese Name:孟连县娜允镇景吭村芒中村

Overview

Mangzhong, nestled between mountains and water, offers picturesque scenery. Surrounded on three sides by hills, it resembles a treasure trove. Mountain streams flow gently, providing a convenient source of drinking water, sanitation, and farming. The lush forest is abundant with wild fruits, and spices enhance the flavor of the large tea trees, making Mangzhong an ideal and desirable home for the Dai people.

Historical and Cultural Significance

The ancient tea gardens are set against the backdrop of newly constructed Dai-style villas. Ancient temples and golden pagodas complement each other, and the new and old buildings blend harmoniously with the rolling green rice fields in the village, creating a vibrant pastoral scene. The traditional and pure folk customs, combined with the enticing Dai flavors, make Mangzhong a hidden gem that, despite being tucked away in the mountains of the East, has gained a wide reputation.

Accessibility

Located 6 kilometers from the county seat, Mangzhong is just a short drive away. The scenic route entices travelers to stop and admire the views. The countryside is crisscrossed with paths and fields of fragrant rice; coffee and nuts grow abundantly, and the branches are full of flowers. The many novel sights in the countryside are too numerous for a small camera to capture.

Village Name and Origin

The village name, Mangzhong, is both charming and intriguing. The name has been associated with the village for over 400 years. The “zhong” in Mangzhong refers to a revered plant, the Red Wood Lotus (locally known as “Red Hair Tree”).

In Dai culture, several trees are worshipped and revered in villages, including the Big Green Tree, Bodhi Tree, Pakong Tree, and Pashang Tree, each carrying its cultural significance.

In Menglian Dai areas, the Big Green Tree is a central figure in every village, while Bodhi Trees are found in temples. The Big Green Tree, standing at the village entrance, is considered the “Sacred Tree” of the Dai villages. Its single trunk supports branches extending outward, with side branches reaching down to the ground and growing into new trunks, creating a canopy of lush greenery. The Bodhi Tree, under which Buddha Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment, symbolizes great wisdom and auspiciousness with its flourishing branches and leaves. The Pakong Tree planted in the village center is believed to bless the entire village with prosperity. Placing a Pakong Tree beside one's home symbolizes the thriving and prosperity of a family or village.

The Red Wood Lotus Legend

The Dai people’s reverence for the Red Wood Lotus carries its own significance. According to legend, a Dai woman once gave all her food to a ragged old man, who was, in fact, the Buddha in disguise testing human hearts. To reward her, the Buddha placed three strands of hair on a Red Wood Lotus tree. That night, a golden light shone from the east. The next morning, curious villagers came and saw a white-horned buffalo kneeling before the tree. For several nights, the golden light continued, and the buffalo worshiped the tree daily. The villagers, finding this significant, invited a master to build a golden pagoda there.

Temple and Its Features

The master who built the pagoda came from Yangon, Myanmar, and the pagoda was constructed as a sister pagoda to the one being built in Yangon. After its completion, Dai people from the border area who could not travel to Yangon for pilgrimage could come to Mangzhong instead.

Mangzhong, surrounded by mountains and water, with its picturesque scenery, resembles a treasure trove. The mountain streams provide convenient resources for drinking, sanitation, and farming. The abundant wild fruits and spices enhance the flavor of the large tea trees, making Mangzhong an ideal and desirable residence for the Dai people. After discussion, the villagers decided to settle near the golden pagoda, naming the village Mangzhong after the glowing Red Wood Lotus.

Attractions in Mangzhong

The quaint Mangzhong Temple stands out with its historical charm. Rebuilt in 1886, the temple covers 1,700 square meters and faces west toward the east. The pagoda, once a sister to the one in Yangon, no longer has the grandeur of its former self. The temple features a small tile roof with three eaves and a wooden structure with an open corridor. In 2003, Mangzhong Temple and Zhongcheng Temple were both designated as provincial cultural heritage sites. The architecture of Mangzhong Temple differs from Zhongcheng Temple, which has a larger, more solemn roof. Mangzhong Temple's steeper roof gives it a lighter, more agile feel.

The murals inside Mangzhong Temple feature gold water prints, depicting elephants carrying luxurious goods, white horses under golden umbrellas, and golden palaces with clouds and dancing figures—an imagined earthly paradise by the artist.

The exterior murals were hand-painted by a monk named Kanglang Sanluo, using pigments ground from colored stones. According to locals, the monk spent sleepless nights painting, leading villagers to believe he was mad. After several revisions, the final mural is considered his most satisfactory masterpiece, illustrating the Dai epic “Thousand Petal Lotus.”

In the story, a wandering man startled a Dai king’s horse, and as punishment, the king ordered him to find the legendary Thousand Petal Lotus. With the help of the monkey king, he crossed a river that dissolved on contact, eventually finding the lotus and its fairy, bringing him happiness and love. The mural is grand and detailed, featuring the pagoda, the Dai king, monks, worshipers, and foreigners, as well as rivers, mountains, forests, flowers, cattle, dragons, and deities. Notably, the mural includes tigers with human faces, bull-headed, horse-bodied monsters, and other fantastical elements.

The mural's style, aside from the Buddha's image, reflects the Dai painters' and monks' depiction of their surroundings—exaggerated and romantic, with earthly scenes prevailing over heavenly ones. The composition is flexible, with some scenes outlined by lines, and others arranged based on the narrative, disregarding spatial and perspective constraints. The result is a straightforward, natural portrayal that is easily understood by those familiar with the content.

Local History and Culture

With its mountains, water, tea, rice, fresh fruits, and delicious delicacies, the ancient lords would often visit Mangzhong's residence when they had free time. Thus, the lords' garden came into being.

Travel Tips

Menglian experiences a long rainy season. When traveling there, it is recommended to bring a raincoat and waterproof jacket, as well as some medications for colds, gastrointestinal issues, or pain relief, such as cold tablets, cold granules, aspirin, and antibiotics.