On January 8, Ruili Port, located in Dehong Prefecture, southwest Yunnan, finally resumed customs clearance after being closed for nearly three years!
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the border city of Ruili has been closed for nine times in two years, and the report that no case has spread to other provinces has been brushed on the screen for a time, which makes the people of the whole country sad and heartache. Ruili, Mangshi, Wanding… behind these beautiful names, there are the same beautiful tropical scenery, rich ethnic customs, enthusiastic people, and amazing taste. This winter, we finally don’t need to travel around Dehong. Let’s go to see the Great Golden Tower and eat Paoluda~
Dehong
Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture has strong ethnic customs. Temples and pagodas of Theravada (that is, Theravada Buddhism, or “Theravada Buddhism” among the people) are scattered all over the cities and villages, and the signs of the Jingpo Green Leaf Banquet can be seen everywhere. Various ethnic festivals are very lively – you can go to the street to experience the celebration of splashing water, dance with graceful postures, or drink water and wine, immersing yourself in enthusiasm and joy.
Fancy Food
The cuisine of Dehong is represented by Dai flavor. Dai taste is heavy in sour, bitter and spicy, and likes to eat raw and cold food. In addition to Dai cuisine, Dehong Dai cuisine also incorporates dishes from Jingpo, Achang and other ethnic groups.
Sapie
Generally speaking, any cold meal mixed or dipped in (lemon) sour water or bitter water can be called Sapie, but strictly speaking, the sour one is called Sa, and the bitter one is called pie. It’s called “Sapie”.
Strictly speaking, sapie refers to mashing lean raw beef (or mutton, fish, etc.) (A section of the duct that secretes bile in the small intestine) boiled “bitter water”, and finally dipped with rice noodles, vegetables, etc. A way of eating. The Sapai of the Dai people in Dehong is the most famous, and the most common Sapai are lemon and bitter.
The first attempt might as well start with lemon sprinkle, but many people end up wanting bitter sprinkle.
Pauluda
Paluda, a coconut milk dessert from Myanmar, is actually sago coconut milk with rusks. Although it is often eaten in various parts of Yunnan, many people think that Dehong paoluda tastes better.
Mangshi, the capital of Dehong Prefecture
The name of Mangshi is not because it is rich in mango, but because it evolved from the Mangshichang lawsuit set up in the Yuan Dynasty. Its Dai name is “Menghuan”, which means the city of Meng people. As the capital of Dehong Prefecture, Mangshi was also called “Luxi” before 2010, and some information may need to be checked by this name.
As soon as you enter Mangshi, the flavor of Southeast Asia will spread. Walking on the street, there are Paoluda and Chicken Feet under the osmanthus tree in Myanmar on one side, and the incense from the pagoda and temple on the other side.
You may be able to visit all the scenic spots in the city in one day. You can stay for a few more days before you have the chance to experience its leisureliness, taste its delicious food, and discover the scenery and customs of the surrounding mountains and towns. This orderly city is very small, and all scenic spots in the city are within walking distance.
Menghuan Gold Pagoda
This is the brightest building in Mangshi. You can overlook the panoramic view of Mangshi and Myanmar from the top of the tower. At the foot of the mountain is a monument to the anti-Japanese war in western Yunnan.
Before entering the winding mountain road, there is a fork road leading to Peacock Lake, which is an artificial reservoir with wide lake surface and beautiful scenery.
Another silver tower is located on the top of the hill opposite the Big Gold Tower. Local people like to take a walk in the Jinta and the lake in the morning and evening. It takes about 20 minutes to go up the hiking trail from the foot of the mountain, or you can take a taxi directly to the main entrance of the Golden Tower.
Tree-wrapped tower
Its official name is “Iron City Buddha Pagoda”, which is located in the old city of the Tusi era. After 200 years of growth, a banyan seed accidentally fell into the pagoda and finally wrapped the pagoda. Under the tower is a freshly burned incense candle, and the head of the divine beast is hung with drops of condensed wax oil, so that human belief and natural power blend.
There are several Buddhist temples within a ten-minute walk to the east: Bodhi Temple and Guanyin Temple are adjacent to each other, both of which are affected by the Han Dynasty, and the incense is very strong. The shrine of the god of wealth is enshrined under the banyan tree at the intersection of the latter, and the incense is not lost to the tree pagoda; The Wuyun Temple is a typical Buddhist temple in the upper part of the southern legend. It retains Dai water wells and ancient stage, and Dai plays are performed during festivals; Foguang Temple is only open on religious festivals, and there is a snack street next to it.
Mengbannasi
This tropical park, which covers an area of more than 500 mu, is located in the south of the city, with trees and trees forming forests and peacocks walking around. It is a leisure place close to plants. The most valuable thing to see in the park is the Shuhua Jade Exhibition Hall, which displays various “trees” that have undergone long-term geological processes.
Heihe Laopo
This meadow hillside is a good place for hiking and camping. You need to climb 6 kilometers of plank road to climb the mountain, and you can enjoy the alpine meadow and primitive forest scenery along the way. Summer is the best season, with blooming flowers and flocks of cattle and sheep. Camping has the opportunity to see the mountain sunset and the fairyland-like morning clouds. You can rent tents on the mountain.
Mangbang Hot Spring
If you want to say that the hot spring, which is built naturally but can also give consideration to privacy, is probably the banyan hot spring in Mangbang Village. The wild hot spring at the foot of the mountain has always been known by few people. It is the only place for local villagers to enjoy. The hot spring spring is under a big banyan tree, which grows year after year and forms a modest tree hole bathing pool under the tree root, which naturally separates the hot spring into two “spaces” inside and outside. It’s really a great enjoyment to put on a tent and camp, bubble in hot springs and see stars under the night sky.
Can’t stop eating in Mangshi
Mangshi is a food city, and Dai and Jingpo snacks are more distinctive. If you have enough time, you might as well go to Mangshi No. 1 Comprehensive Market (No. 20, Menghuan Road) to visit local specialties, and you may be able to buy dry buses in the hidden menu.
Breakfast restaurant rotten road breakfast has become a popular website in Mangshi. You may have to wait in line or you may not be able to eat it, but the taste of this bowl of bait silk does not live up to your long journey. Don’t forget to use that strange branch – gently rub it with a knife to make a finishing touch on your bait: pepper.
Sitting under the longan tree on the street, eating pickled chicken feet and Paoluda is Menghuan’s old milk (n ā i) The signature scene of cold drinks is also the best way to experience the authentic snacks in Mangshi. After eating, you can go to the alley on the left side of the store to have a look. There is a wonderful food square Best food hidden here. You can eat local snacks such as fried chicken feet with liquorice and glutinous rice rolls.
Kangjia Myanmar Sapiao is an authentic old shop that allows you to eat various kinds of Sapiao: entry-level lemon sauce, entry-level cooked bitter sauce, professional-level raw sauce, as well as various kinds of baked buns, roast meats, fried bones. If you can’t get used to it, there are also ready rice noodles here. Lin’s Garden, a few steps away, is full of people every day. Each person has a bowl of round bait.
Dehong is one of the coffee producing areas in Yunnan. Plum Coffee Baking Studio is a professional boutique coffee shop that makes people overjoyed. When you see a crumbling “nail house” on a weedy wasteland, don’t doubt it! Most of the local coffee beans in Yunnan are used in the shop. The boss bakes and brews coffee himself. He has a lot of experience with coffee and the shop staff are also very enthusiastic.
Ruili, the frontier of commerce and trade
The city of Ruili is full of stones and neon lights. It is full of dreams of gold rush. There are jade shops of all sizes, signs of “gambling stones”, jade merchants with different accents and Burmese who come to work to improve their lives.
The old streets and alleys in the city are undergoing transformation, and the villages and fields around the city are also slowly disappearing. The construction of the golden temple pagoda has stalled in the middle of the year, and the whole city seems to be struggling to move forward in the pull of progress and stay.
Fortunately, Jingpo children are still singing hymns under banyan trees. The Dai village in the distance is still charming. The rainforest waterfalls are still falling and the country is always bustling.
Ruili’s largest port is just 6 kilometers away from the south of the city. If you don’t leave the country, all you can do is take a picture in front of the country. There is a small-scale jewelry market next to the port every morning. Many people like to buy cheap cigarettes at duty-free stores (smoking is harmful to health).
From Ruili to Wanding
From Ruili to Wanding in the east, there are several scenic spots, all of which take about one day to visit. Except for Mori Rainforest, other scenic spots are on the roadside, so you can take the shuttle bus to play all the way.
Gelejin Tower
Surrounded by trees, 16 small towers surround the central main tower on the broad tower base. The Buddha statue in yellow cassocks welcomes the visitors from China and Myanmar. They are accompanied by the powerful beast of Southern Buddhism and the free peacock. It is said that the Buddha statue was built in the Mengmao Kingdom era, with a history of more than 600 years. This is the belief center in the surrounding area. Whenever there is a Buddhist event, the Dai people in the surrounding villages and even Myanmar will gather here to worship the Buddha barefoot. There is a three-day Buddhist meeting during the Water-sprinkling Festival. There is a swimming pool in the reservoir 1 km north of the Jinta.
The Jinta is about 5 kilometers away from the city. You can easily go there by bike. You need to walk 700 meters to Ruili Avenue on the return trip. Going out of Le Jin Pagoda to Wanding, I will pass through the single tree in Mangling Village. A huge banyan tree has many air roots hanging down and looks like a forest.
Moli Rainforest
A trickle of streams flows in the lush subtropical forest. The path goes up along the stream. The trees above the head block the sun, and the road under the foot is wet and slippery. All kinds of vines crisscross the path. The trunk of the fallen tree is wet as if it had just been fished out of the water.
It takes about half an hour to walk, passing a small temple and trees and stones, and ending at the Zaduo Waterfall (also known as Mori Waterfall), which is more than 30 meters high. There are two hot spring swimming pools, one large and one small, near the parking lot. The water quality is clear and there is no extra charge. Take the operation plane to Wanding and get off at the fork road on the west side of Wandui Bridge, and then walk 5.5 kilometers along the riverside road, of which more than 1 kilometer is the way up the mountain.
Wanding
Wanding was once one of the most important ports in the southwestern border of China. It has witnessed the figure of the Long March Army in the “World War II”, the blood of the Nanyang machinists, and the intersection of the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway and the Stilwell Highway. Now, the main traffic and border trade ports between China and Myanmar have been transferred to Sister Jiao, and Wanding is now at ease. A small river has become a natural border line, with Wanding on one side and Jiugu in Myanmar on the other. The legal passage through the border is Wanding Bridge, and the old bridge on the side of the steel structure wooden bridge is the remains of the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway.
Wanding Border Pass Cultural Park is only a hundred meters away from Wanding Bridge, and you will pass it first when you go to the bridgehead. The dozens of “World War II” jeeps, motorcycles and other antique cars in the Antique Car Museum and the swords of various nationalities in the National Antique Weapons Museum can be seen. The ticket purchase window is located in the Antique Car Museum. After the ticket purchase, the staff will lead to each museum and open the door.
In Wanding China-Myanmar Friendship Memorial Hall (free and often closed), there is an exhibition of the Sino-Myanmar diplomatic relations. The Nanyang Mechanic Monument is designed to commemorate more than 3200 Nanyang overseas Chinese machinists (drivers and car repairers) who returned to China in 1938 to serve the War of Resistance Against Japan. At that time, Guangzhou was occupied, and international aid to China depended on the inbound transportation of Wanding.
From Ruili to Nongdao
Ruili to Nong Island is an idyllic road. Ruili River is on the south side of you. Along the way are Dai villages in China and Myanmar. The Buddha Pagoda in Zang Fang comes into sight, and the banana field and the phoenix tail bamboo pass by in turn. Take the No. 1 bus at the bus station square next to Ruili South Passenger Station to the scenic spots such as Shoushazang House, Yizhai, Liangguo, Dajishou, etc. Most of the elderly people in the village can only speak Dai. If you want to explore folk customs, you may need to bring a translator. The Water-sprinkling Festival in the village is more simple and natural, which is obviously much more interesting than Ruili City.
Shout for Sha Zang’s room The village shouts sand; Shousha Zang House is the most magnificent Zang House in Ruili area. It is 7 kilometers away from the urban area. Get off at the entrance of Shousha Village and walk for 3 minutes towards the magnificent top of the pagoda. There are inheritors of peacock dance in the stockade. If you are lucky, you can see the most authentic Dai peacock dance.
One village and two countries
The two villages in Yinjing Village are 11 kilometers away from the urban area, and the biggest selling point is the border line between China and Myanmar. In the Dai style buildings near the lotus pond, there are women of Budao nationality (long-necked nationality) with gold collars around their necks who demonstrate weaving techniques, sell fabrics, or take photos with visitors.
You can overlook the stockade by climbing the Mangxiu Golden Pagoda at the end of the lotus pond. If you don’t enter the scenic spot, you can also go directly to the gate of the country and stand beside the border armed police to have a look at the 71 boundary marker and the border people.
Dadenghan
Dadenghan is 20 kilometers away from Ruili. It is known as the “Dai Rural Park”.
Nongdao Town
The ruins of Leiyun Aircraft Factory; continue eastward to reach Nongdao Town. Two kilometers to the west of the town, there is the site of Leiyun Aircraft Factory during the Anti-Japanese War, which is now a ruin. Nongdao is close to the national border, opposite Shan State and Kachin State in Myanmar.
Comments