Malipo County Administrative Divisions

Malipo County (麻栗坡县) lies in southeastern Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (文山壮族苗族自治州), Yunnan Province. Bordering Vietnam, it is the birthplace of the Laoshan Spirit and an important overland gateway linking southwestern China with northern Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

The county covers approximately 2,357 square kilometres and had a permanent population of about 228,500 at the end of 2025. Its county government is based in Mali Town. Malipo administers 4 towns and 7 townships, including one ethnic township, with 107 village-level committees or communities and 1,973 villagers’ or residents’ groups. Malipo County Government

Malipo’s tourism resources can be described through three themes: red heritage, green ecology and border culture. Revolutionary memorials and former battlefield sites form the historical core, while tea mountains, cloud seas, karst caves, waterfalls, ethnic villages and the China–Vietnam frontier provide diverse cultural and natural experiences.

Administrative Division Overview

The four towns are Mali Town, Daping Town, Donggan Town and Tianbao Town. The seven townships are Mengdong Yao Ethnic Township, Xiajinchang Township, Babu Township, Liuhe Township, Yangwan Township, Tiechang Township and Majie Township.

Among them, Mali Town functions as the administrative and service centre. Tianbao is the principal port and border-tourism area, Donggan is known for border villages and Bailuo cultural heritage, while Mengdong is associated with Yao culture, waterfalls and the ancient tea industry.

Malipo also has Tianbao Farm, Babu Farm and Laojunshan Forest Farm. These are state-owned agricultural or forestry management units rather than statutory township-level administrative divisions, so they are presented separately from the county’s official four-town and seven-town structure.

Tourism Resource Distribution

Mali Town: County Centre and Revolutionary Heritage

Mali Town (麻栗镇) is the political, economic, cultural and transport centre of Malipo County. It provides the county’s widest selection of hotels, restaurants, shops, medical services and passenger transport, making it the best base for exploring surrounding destinations.

The town’s most important cultural attraction is Malipo Martyrs Cemetery (麻栗坡烈士陵园), a solemn memorial site commemorating those who died defending the frontier. Related exhibitions and memorial facilities introduce the historical background of the Laoshan region and its importance in modern Chinese history.

Mali Town also contains developing rural-tourism destinations. Shijiawan Village in Cizhuba Village Committee (茨竹坝村委会石家湾村) is known for its highland cloud seas, sunrise and sunset landscapes. Viewing platforms, camping areas and locally operated accommodation have gradually transformed the settlement into a mountain-photography destination.

Nanyou Village (南油村) is noted for its living Zhuang culture, traditional farming and embroidery. Visitors may encounter Zhuang textile patterns, handicraft workshops, village customs and agricultural experiences. Cultural activities should be arranged with local communities in advance.

Daping Town: Rural Leisure and Highland Villages

Daping Town (大坪镇) is characterised by mountain agriculture, ethnic villages and developing rural-tourism resources. Some villages have been promoted through provincial-level rural tourism and countryside revitalisation programmes.

The area is suitable for visitors interested in quiet village life, agricultural landscapes and community-based tourism. Accommodation and formal visitor services remain limited outside the town centre, making private transport and advance local arrangements advisable.

Donggan Town: Border Villages and Bailuo Culture

Donggan Town (董干镇) occupies an important position in Malipo’s eastern border area. Its tourism resources combine frontier landscapes, ethnic minority culture and traditional villages.

Chengzhai Village (城寨村) is particularly associated with the Bailuo branch of the Yi people (彝族白倮人). Traditional clothing, architecture, rituals and community customs give the village considerable value for cultural tourism, anthropology and educational travel.

The surrounding mountains also contain boundary markers, frontier settlements, forest scenery and rural markets. Because some places are close to sensitive border areas, visitors should confirm access requirements and avoid photographing military or border-control facilities.

Tianbao Town: Port Culture and Laoshan Heritage

Tianbao Town (天保镇) is Malipo’s principal border-tourism destination. It contains Tianbao Port (天保口岸), a national-level land port opposite Thanh Thuy Port in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. The port lies approximately 34 kilometres from Malipo County Town and serves as an important channel for trade and regional exchange. Yunnan Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission

The town is also associated with Laoshan Mountain (老山) and the wider Laoshan Heroic Sacred Land Scenic Area (英雄老山圣地景区). Battlefield remains, trenches, observation positions and military exhibitions preserve the area’s modern frontier history.

The Tianbao area is developing additional border-leisure attractions, food markets and water-based recreation. Visitors can sample Vietnamese-influenced rice rolls, chicken rice noodles, coffee and tropical products, although cross-border travel and entry to controlled areas remain subject to current immigration and security regulations.

Mengdong Yao Ethnic Township: Yao Culture, Waterfalls and Ancient Tea

Mengdong Yao Ethnic Township (猛硐瑶族乡) is Malipo County’s only officially designated ethnic township. Its mountainous terrain, forests, waterfalls and Yao villages make it one of the county’s strongest areas for ecological and ethnic cultural tourism.

Mengdong is also a major production area for Laoshan ancient-tree tea. Ancient tea gardens, village plantations and processing workshops provide opportunities to learn about tea cultivation, hand-processing and tasting. Visits to tea gardens or production facilities usually require advance arrangements.

The township’s steep terrain and abundant rainfall create dramatic natural scenery, but roads can become slippery or foggy during the rainy season.

Xiajinchang Township: Tea Mountains and Forest Ecology

Xiajinchang Township (下金厂乡) is another important ancient-tea-growing area. Its tourism potential centres on mountain tea gardens, forest ecology, traditional agriculture and quiet rural scenery.

The township is appropriate for specialist tea tours, agricultural study programmes and nature-oriented travel. As formal tourism services are still developing, guided visits are preferable to independent sightseeing.

Babu Township: Warm Valleys and Ethnic Village Life

Babu Township (八布乡) lies within Malipo’s lower-elevation subtropical zone. Its warm climate supports tropical and subtropical crops, producing a landscape that differs noticeably from the higher parts of the county.

Visitors can experience river valleys, traditional markets, ethnic villages, agricultural products and frontier countryside. Babu Farm (八布农场) is located within this broader area but functions as a state-owned agricultural management unit rather than a separate township.

Liuhe Township: Border Countryside and Traditional Agriculture

Liuhe Township (六河乡) is a mountainous border township characterised by scattered settlements, agricultural terraces, forested slopes and traditional village life.

Its tourism value lies primarily in rural landscapes and community culture rather than large developed attractions. It is better suited to photography, research, self-driving and small-group cultural tours arranged with local contacts.

Yangwan Township: Fruit Agriculture and Border Markets

Yangwan Township (杨万乡) is known for warm-climate agriculture and locally produced citrus fruit, including sugar mandarins. Seasonal orchards, rural markets and subtropical valley scenery provide opportunities for agricultural and village-based tourism.

Visitors traveling during the harvest season may be able to participate in fruit picking or visit agricultural cooperatives, subject to advance arrangements.

Tiechang Township: Cured Pork and Highland Rural Culture

Tiechang Township (铁厂乡) is closely associated with Tiechang cured pork, one of Malipo’s best-known traditional food products. The meat is prepared from locally raised pigs and traditionally cured or smoked during winter.

The township’s rural tourism potential combines culinary traditions, mountain agriculture, village markets and cool highland scenery. Food-culture tours can include household curing methods, local meals and seasonal agricultural products.

Majie Township: Mountain Markets and Frontier Landscapes

Majie Township (马街乡) is a mountainous township with rural markets, agricultural settlements and frontier landscapes. It provides a relatively undeveloped environment for travelers interested in local daily life and regional trade.

The correct English rendering is Majie Township, not “Najie Township,” which appears in some older English-language materials.

Ethnic Groups and Cultural Villages

Malipo is home to eight principal resident ethnic groups: Han, Zhuang, Miao, Yao, Yi, Dai, Mongolian and Gelao. Ethnic minority residents account for approximately 40.6% of the county’s population.

Mengdong is the county’s statutory Yao ethnic township, while Zhuang, Miao, Yi and other communities are distributed across multiple towns and townships. Chengzhai Village in Donggan Town is especially important for preserving Bailuo Yi culture, while Nanyou Village near the county centre represents living Zhuang embroidery and agricultural traditions.

Travelers should ask permission before photographing residents, religious activities, private homes or traditional ceremonies. Festival dates commonly follow ethnic or lunar calendars and should be reconfirmed before travel.

State-Owned Farms and Forest Management Areas

Tianbao Farm

Tianbao Farm (天保农场) is located within the Tianbao area and has historically supported agricultural production and border economic development. It is not an independent township-level division.

Babu Farm

Babu Farm is associated with subtropical agricultural production in the Babu area. Like Tianbao Farm, it is a state-owned management unit rather than a township government.

Laojunshan Forest Farm

Laojunshan Forest Farm (老君山林场) is primarily connected with forestry management, ecological conservation and watershed protection. Access to particular forest areas may be restricted for environmental or fire-prevention reasons.

Travel Planning by Administrative Area

For a short trip, visitors can stay in Mali Town and combine the county centre, the Martyrs Cemetery, Laoshan and Tianbao. Travelers with additional time can select one specialist direction: Cizhuba for cloud-sea photography, Mengdong for Yao culture and tea gardens, Donggan for Bailuo heritage, or Babu and Yangwan for warm-valley agriculture.

Public transport between townships is available but may not reach individual villages or tourism sites. Private vehicles or locally arranged transport provide greater flexibility. Border checks, temporary road works and seasonal weather may affect access, so identification documents and updated road information are essential.

Complete Township-Level Administrative Division Table

According to the official division codes published by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, Malipo County contains 11 township-level administrative divisions: four towns and seven townships. Yunnan administrative division codes

Other Management Units