Hesha Scenic Area in Ruili Border Village

　　 Hesha Village is a beautiful Dai ethnic village that was honored with the title of "One of China's Top Ten Most Beautiful Villages" by CCTV in 2015. It is situated in Ruili City, Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province. "Hesha" means "golden resting place" in the Dai language. According to Dai historical records, it once served as the capital of the ancient Mengmao Kingdom, and there are also legends that it was originally a habitat for mandarin ducks.

　　 The Hesha Zang Temple, the Water-Splashing Square, and most of the residential buildings maintain uniquely distinctive ethnic architectural styles, collectively showcasing the essence of Dai ethnic architecture. These blend harmoniously with the village’s rich ethnic culture and the beautiful surrounding pastoral scenery. Films and TV dramas such as "Princess Peacock," "Journey to the West," "The Number One Sword Under Heaven," and "Legend of the Dance Music" were filmed here.

　　 The Hesha Zang Temple was built in the late Qing Dynasty and enjoys great popularity among worshippers. The late abbot, Wubinya Wensha, was renowned in the Buddhist communities of South and Southeast Asia. Hesha is the birthplace of the peacock dance, a national intangible cultural heritage. Yue Xiang, the national intangible cultural heritage inheritor known as the "Peacock Prince," established a heritage base in the village. To date, he has trained over a thousand inheritors of the peacock dance. The farmers of Hesha Village are also highly productive in folk painting. Ruili is known as the "Hometown of Chinese Farmer Paintings," with Hesha Village being one of its most typical representatives. Many walls in the village are adorned with vibrant and richly detailed paintings by Dai farmers, reflecting various aspects of life and expressing the Dai people’s aspirations for a better life. In 2011, a farmer painting exhibition room established by Ruili City was set up in the home of Tun Ye, a resident of Hesha Village.

　　 The Village Heart Water-Splashing Square also allows every visitor to this distinctive Hesha village to experience the most solemn and sacred atmosphere of the Dai ethnic "Water-Splashing Festival." Visitors can get up close and personal with young Dai women (known as "Xiaobushao") to feel the joy of the festival and immerse themselves in the colorful, lively, and long-standing Dai culture.

　　 Source: China Honghe Tourism Network