Travel Tips of Self-driving Tour to Menglian County, Puer

Why Here?

   Unique Dai palace culture
   The last Dai ancient town remain in China
   Menglian Grand Golden Tower
   Menglian Divine Fish Festival

Self- driving Map

Menglian Dai, Lahu, Wa Nationality Autonomous Prefecture locates in the southwestern part of Yunnan, under the jurisdiction of Pu’er City, 630 kilometers away from Kunming taking about 10.5 hours driving. Enter Kunming-Mohan Highway at Southern Kunming, enter S309 at Pu’er then to Menglian. Highway covers all the way from Kunming to Pu’er, secondary road covers the way Pu’er to Menglian. As a county that many ethnic groups live in, Menglian maintains the unique Dai palace culture and the last Dai ancient town, and the Divine Fish Festival obtains a magnificent scene.

        1.Kunming-Pu’er: Kunming-Mohan Highway, 418 km, over 6 hours.

        2.Pu’er-Menglian: S309. 206 km, over 5 hours.

First Impression

               Menglian Dai, Lahu, Wa Nationality Autonomous Prefecture locates in the southwestern part of Yunnan. The county goverment seats in Nayun Town. Patina scenery and the water carnival shows different scene of this place. Nayun Town as the mecca of Tusi cultural, and the Theravada Buddhist Temple are bound to the believers at home and abroad, Nanlei River is the wonderland gentle like water.

Recommendation

Day 1

Nayun Town-Menglian Grand Golden Tower(1 km)-Former Site of Menglian Xuanfu Dapartment(7 km)-Mengwai Village(20 km) 

Day 2

Menglian Downtown-Menglian Giant Banyan Tree(50 km)-Guangsan Aini Region Custom Park(75 km)-Menglian Downtown(39 km)

Beautiful Scene

Former Site of Menglian Xuanfu Dapartment

        Located in Nayun Ancient Town, the whole ancient buildings remained what they used to be, with the Dai and Han architectural features mixed. This former site stands for the hereditary Tusi rule system of Dai from Ming an Qing till now over 500 years. Former Site of Menglian Xuanfu Dapartment is now listed as National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. The ticket fare is 10 yuan.

Nayun Ancietn Town

        Located 1 km west to Menglian, Nayun is the last Dai ancient town in China. Nayun still obtain Dai houses and other buildings best preserved in China, Such as Former Site of Menglian Xuanfu Dapartment and Shangyun Dai Village. In the ancient town locate places of historic figures and cultural heritage such as Shangcheng Buddhist Temple and Zhongcheng Buddhist Temple. Ticket-free.

 Menglian Grand Golden Tower

        Located beside the beautiful charming Nanlei River, constructured by a main tower surrounded by other 8 smaller towers. The Grand Golden Tower faces the Former Site of Menglian Xuanfu Dapartment, as the symbol of the union of all ethnic groups in Menglian. The Grand Golden Tower was built in 1997, together with Menglian Xuanfu Dapartment, forms a splendorous contrast. The ticket fare is 5 yuan.

Mengwai Village

        “Mengwai” in Dai language means a plain of convenience. The village is 15 km northwest to Nayun Ancient Town, built among mountains and rivers, with beautiful scene and simple folk. The village was once the Mountain Resort of Tusi in Menglian. Ticket-free.

Cultural Experiences

Ethnic Festival Activity

Gourd Festival

        April 8~10, Lahu People in Lancang celebrate by dancing and exchanging glutinous rice cakes, to express the wish for a bright future of this nationality come out from a gourd.

New Rice Festival

        At the beginning of the 8th Lunar month, villagers from Dongwen and other villages bring newly-harvested crops and other special food to celebrate their grand harvest. Due to the harvest time varies every year, the festival could fall on a random day in early Augest.

Water-splashing Festival

        On the 4th day in the 4th lunar month, which usually falls in mid April, Dai People celebrate the Water-splashing Festival, it’s a grand carnival in Dai regions. People splash clean water to anyone whether they know each other or not, it’s considered a way to bless others and to wash away all the misfortune.

Divine Fish Festival

         During the festival, thousands of Menglian people will go catch fish in Nanlei river. Unique skills in catching fish obtained by local ethnic groups as Dai, Lahu, and Wa, which are rarely seen in urban life, will become a bright spot in Menglian.

Museum

         Menglian Eco Museum of Wa Nationality: located in Damanru Wa Settlement, The museum displays the precious cultural heritage of ethnic minorities in a [FS:Page]original ecology way.

Delicacies

Beef Salad

         A famous Dai flavor dishes which mix beef and ox liver with various spices. The dishes taste spicy and delicious.

 Basha

         Fresh Tilapia cooked with various spices, maintained the delicious flavor of fish and Dai spices. 

Sour Beef Feet Tendon

         To cook beef feet tendon with other spices. The dishes taste soft and tender in bright colors.

Restaurants

Lotus Dai Restaurant

Address: across Xingguang Motor Mall, beside Yan-Lian Highway.  

Average Consumption: 40 yuan

Tel: 0879-8726777

http://you.ctrip.com/food/puer928/8280845.html   

Shangyunjiao Dai Cadence Restaurant

Address: Shangyunjiao in Nayun Town, Menglian.

Tel: 0879-8729142

Sijixiangfan Restaurant

Address: South Ring Rd., Menglian.  

Tel: 13987938960

Mother Fu’s Yonghe Soybean

Address: #111 Baixiang Rd., Menglian.  

Tel: 4006881927 

Mianwei Cold Drink Bar

Address: Menglian Downtown.

Tel: 0879-8871006

Bunong Dai Agritainment

Address: West Ring Rd., Menglian.    

Tel: 13887998181

Daijiale Agritainment

Address: Across Shangyunjiao Buddhist Temple in Menglian.  

Tel: 15331668099

Wayuan Manor

Address: Genmao Village, Menglian.    

Tel: 15891967339

Hotels

Menglian Huacheng Jinyuan Grand Hotel 

Fully equipped rooms, clean and warm 
      Address: 50 meters to Menglian Passenger Station
      Consumption: starting at 138 yuan
      Tel: 0879-8911999
      http://115.28.204.211:8080/yysc/a/yysc/yyscLog/jumpurl?cpid=1088b4869e9d41edb62f81e01adc5635

Education Hotel

Address: Lianhua Rd. 

Tel: 0879-8728958

Xinhai Inn

Address: Haiguan Rd.  

Tel: 0879-8726888

Hengtai Inn  

Address: South Ring Rd.  

Tel: 0879-8724518

Debao Inn

Address: Haiguan Rd.

Tel: 0879-8720788

Xinyin Inn

Address: Padang Rd.  

Tel: 0879-8725222

Shunda Inn

Address: Circle Rd.  

Tel: 0879-8724198

Yinghuang Bussiness Hotel

Address: beside Road S309

Tel: 0879-6888588

Bafang Hotel

Address: Southern Ring Rd.  

Tel: 0879-8724977

Souvenirs

Ethnic Costume and Ornaments

        Main ethnic groups in Menglian include Dai, Hani, Wa, Lahu. Each group obtains different costumes, and wear different ornaments, which are rare souvenirs.

Purple Scented Garlic

 

 

        Known as Gourd Garlic, one of Menglian’s specialties. Obtains a natural fragrance flavor and unique health care function, can be eaten alone, can also be used as ingredients. 

Tea Products

        Menglian County is one of the main origins of Pu’er Tea, it has a long history of planting, producing, and drinking tea.

Chinese Medicinal Herbs

        Menglian obtains over 1000 kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs, such as Amomum, hematoxylin, pangolin, bear bile, monkey bone, antler, bezoar, and Dracaena.

Best Time to Travel

        Better to travel in winter. Scenery season of Daheishan scenic spot lasts from October to February the next year. 

Brief Description for Recommendation

Nayun Ancient Town: The last Dai ancient town remain in China

Menglian Grand Golden Tower: The Great Golden Tower beside Nanlei River

Guangsan Aini Custom Park: To enjoy the Aini customs

Menglian Giant Banyan: The biggest banyan of the world

Mengwai Village: The Summer Resort of Tusi in Menglian