Menglian Tusi Border Tourism Area

Menglian Tusi Border Tourism Area

The Menglian Tusi Border Tourism Area is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

The Menglian Xuanfu Tusi Office is the only ancient architectural complex in Yunnan that blends Han and Dai architectural styles. Covering an area of over 12,000 square meters, it includes the main hall, council hall, rear hall, side rooms, entrance hall, and other auxiliary buildings. It is surrounded by a wall over two meters high, with four side gates on all sides. The main building, the council hall, is a triple-eaved hip-and-gable roofed stilt-style house. The entire complex is built with wood, and elements such as brackets and upturned eaves reflect Han architectural forms, while the stilt-style buildings and halls showcase Dai architectural styles. The Menglian Xuanfu Tusi Office is one of the best-preserved among the 18 tusi (native chieftain) offices in Yunnan's border ethnic regions and holds high historical and artistic value. In 1965, it was approved and announced by the provincial government as one of the first batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units.

A sloping path climbs along the mountain terrain. On the high ground of the upper town, the double-tiered small hip-and-gable roofed council hall with upturned eaves and brackets stands solemnly before us. Beside the 13 stone steps is a row of four tall, dense palm trees, and eight golden pillars shine brilliantly in the sunlight, dazzling to the eye. It reminds one of the fact that in the Dai language, the Xuanfu Tusi Office is called “Hekan,” meaning “golden palace.” Stepping inside, the triple-eaved hip-and-gable roofed stilt-style council hall comes into view, measuring 23.2 meters long, 16.1 meters wide, and 10.2 meters high, with seven bays in width and five in depth, grand in scale and highly imposing. The dark red wooden floor on the first level is polished clean, reflecting the light from outside the eaves, as if shimmering like water. Six rows totaling 47 golden stilt columns, hidden under the eaves, suppress their dazzling brilliance and reveal a warm hue, simple and pleasing to the eye. On one side of the hall are several wooden drums of various styles, narrating vivid details of history long past.

Ascending to the second floor of the council hall, this is where the chieftain held councils. At the very front of the room stands an over one-meter-high shrine-like platform, which is the tusi’s “throne.” On both sides of the throne are high-standing flags and ceremonial paraphernalia, among which two gold umbrellas inlaid with gems are particularly eye-catching. One can imagine that in those days, the Dao family tusi summoned the chiefs of the Dai, Lahu, and Wa ethnic groups here for council, and the echoing responses seem still to linger, though centuries have passed. The lighting here is dim, accentuating an air of solemnity and antiquity.

Passing through the council hall leads to the back garden, where a variety of tropical plants and flowers are planted. In the sunlight, vibrant blooms flourish. Large red bougainvillea climb the walls, while tree tomatoes quietly hang clusters of fiery red and orange-yellow fruits from the top of the wall, decorating the gray-brown surface with splashes of brilliant color. The main hall is connected to the council hall via a small arched bridge. This one-story-with-attic, double-eaved flush-gable roofed building served as the residence of the Dao family tusi and his wives. The side rooms on both sides are also one-story-with-attic, flush-gable roofed structures, arranged symmetrically along corridors, forming a harmonious whole with the main hall. Compared to the council hall, the main hall is distinctly more luxurious, with countless golden pillars complementing the intricately carved, richly ornate golden brackets under the eaves, set against the dark red wooden structure, making the title “golden palace” truly fitting. In the glass display cabinets of the side rooms are displayed Qing dynasty imperial gifts such as blue-patterned embroidered python robes and black silk six-rank official court attire, as well as seals, Dai-language scriptures, tusi household items, and more. These items hold significant historical and artistic value and provide precious cultural relics and historical materials for the study of local ethnic history.