Ximeng Wa Ethnic Eco-Tourism Area

Ximeng Wa Ethnic Eco-Tourism Area

Ximeng Wa Ethnic Eco-Tourism Area is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Ximeng Wa Autonomous County is located in the southwest of Yunnan Province and the west of Pu'er City. It is bordered by Lancang Lahu Autonomous County to the east, northeast, and southeast, neighbors Menglian Dai, Lahu, and Wa Autonomous County to the south, and adjoins Myanmar to the west and northwest, with a border line stretching 89.33 kilometers.

Ximeng is a border ethnic autonomous county primarily inhabited by the Wa people, along with other ethnic minorities such as the Lahu and Dai. Ethnic minorities make up 94% of the county’s total population, with the Wa accounting for 72%, making it one of only two Wa autonomous counties in China.

In the 1950s, Ximeng's social structure was still in the late stages of primitive society and the early stages of slave society, with production and lifestyles characterized by "slash-and-burn agriculture," "wood carving for record-keeping," "knotting for counting," and communal sharing of food and drink. Primitive crafts such as pottery, musical instruments, paintings, and textiles/dyes possess high scientific research value and aesthetic appeal. The region’s rich folklore and songs and dances still retain the unique style of the primitive Wa tribes.

Ximeng County boasts numerous tourist attractions, including the Mengsuo Longtan - Longmoyia Scenic Area, Likan Waterfall Scenic Area, Muyiji Sacred Valley Scenic Area, the Wa King Banyan Tree, Pazhai Eco-Natural Folk Village, Wa Mountain Sea of Clouds, Wa Mountain Heavenly Lake, the ruins of the Sanfozu Buddhist Temple, and the first village at the national border — Nadaoba in Mengka Town. The area also hosts a variety of colorful festivals and activities, such as the Wooden Drum Festival, the New Rice Festival, buffalo sacrifices, and ritual worship ceremonies.

The Wa people, the predominant ethnic group in Ximeng, are often referred to as the "Indians of the East." The Awa culture, forged through centuries of history, carries forward the bold spirit of the Awa people and the value of primitive equality.

Ximeng once gained nationwide fame through the song "The Awa People Sing a New Song," which resonated across the country and introduced the Wa people — an ethnic group emerging from the late stages of primitive society — to the world.