Five things you must know before going to Mengjinglai

1⃣️Why is Mengjinglai so popular? The phenomenal domestic variety show 'Dad, Where Are We Going?' was incredibly popular when it aired. It can be said to have set a record for domestic parent-child programs that has yet to be broken, whether in terms of ratings or topic discussion. Not only did this program make many 'daddy stars' and their children famous, but it also brought fame to many filming locations. Mengjinglai, a typical traditional Dai village located in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, on the China-Myanmar border, 5 kilometers from the Kunluo Highway to the Daluo Port, became a popular tourist destination in Xishuangbanna after the parent-child variety show became popular. 2⃣️Where is Mengjinglai? Mengjinglai has been low-key for a long time. It is precisely because of this low-key that it can still continue and retain its traditional living form and lifestyle, becoming a typical traditional Dai village that tourists yearn for. Mengjinglai, located in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, is only 5 kilometers away from the Kunluo Highway to the Daluo Port because it is located on the China-Myanmar border. The clear Daluo River flows through the west side of Mengjinglai Village, forming a natural border line. Across the river is the capital of the fourth special zone of Shan State, Myanmar, and the famous tourist city - Xiaomengla. 3⃣️Why is Mengjinglai called the first village in China and Myanmar? There are many Dai villages in Xishuangbanna, but due to modern development, many Dai villages have undergone earth-shaking changes, so many tourists can't find the original Dai villages. However, Mengjinglai still retains the characteristics of the Dai village. Even after the variety show became popular, it still maintains its original state and is still a typical traditional Dai village. Mengjinglai is not a big village, with only over a hundred households and more than 500 people. Because it is adjacent to Myanmar and has frequent exchanges with the Shan people in Myanmar, there is freedom of marriage here, and intermarriage is allowed, forming a rare Dai-Shan mixed residence phenomenon, hence the name 'the first village in China and Myanmar'. 4⃣️What does Mengjinglai retain? Audiences who have watched the third season of 'Dad, Where Are We Going?' must be quite familiar with Mengjinglai. In the program, we can see that the village is simple and elegant, the Dai people are hospitable, and the 114 Dai households in the village still retain their traditional living forms and lifestyles, as well as the ancient papermaking, blacksmithing, pottery making, sugar pressing, and brewing techniques passed down from their ancestors. There are more than a hundred acres of paddy fields and fish ponds scattered around the village, presenting a beautiful rural scenery. Since this is a traditional Dai village, there are Buddhist temples, pagoda forests, and bodhi trees standing among them, and the village is filled with the strong cultural characteristics of Theravada Buddhism. 5⃣️What touches tourists in Mengjinglai? In 2016, the second stop of the third season of the popular parent-child variety show 'Dad, Where Are We Going?' on Hunan Satellite TV came to Mengjinglai in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna, known as 'the first village in China and Myanmar'. Although this was the first time Mengjinglai appeared on a satellite TV variety show, and the show helped people learn about it, the real reason that attracted people to check in was the original characteristics of the traditional Dai village in Mengjinglai, which still continues and retains its traditional living form and lifestyle. It has become a window for us to understand it and a popular tourist destination.