Nayun, the Last Complete Dai Old Town in China, Menglian, Pu’er

边地月色，照过二十八代土司的窗。Biāndì yuèsè, zhàoguò èrshíbā dài tǔsī de chuāng – The border moon has shone on the windows of twenty-eight generations of chieftains.

孟连娜允古城 Mènglián Nàyǔn Gǔchéng the old town of 娜允 Nàyǔn fills the western side of the county seat of 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县 Mènglián Dǎizú Lāhùzú Wǎzú Zìzhìxiàn Menglian, the Dai-Lahu-Wa autonomous county on the Myanmar border at 普洱 Pǔ’ěr’s far southwestern corner. Founded under the 元 Yuán Yuan dynasty, the town served as the seat of the 孟连宣抚司 Mènglián Xuānfǔsī Xuanfu chieftaincy – a native office that ruled 孟连 Mènglián and much of what is now 澜沧 Láncāng through 28 generations across some 660 years worth confirming – and it is routinely described as the last complete 傣族 Dǎizú Dai old town in China. The plan is the draw: a 三城两寨 sān chéng liǎng zhài “three towns, two hamlets” hierarchy in which 上城 Shàngchéng upper town held the chieftain’s household and its temple, 中城 Zhōngchéng middle town the officials’ families around 中城佛寺 Zhōngchéng Fóshì, 下城 Xiàchéng lower town the clerks and troops, and the 芒方岗 Mángfānggǎng and 芒方冒 Mángfāngmào hamlets the forestry officers and hunters. The showpiece is the 宣抚司署 Xuānfǔsī Shǔ chieftain’s office itself, a 傣汉合璧 Dǎi-Hàn Hébì Dai-Han hybrid rebuilt in the Qing: a walled compound of more than 10,000 m² worth confirming with a 议事厅 yìshìtīng audience hall carried on three dozen great pillars, a 13-step stone stair worth confirming, and a roofline that is Han officialdom at the ridge with Dai 干栏 gānlán stilt-house logic underneath.

The old town itself is free and open around the clock; the 宣抚司署 Xuānfǔsī Shǔ charges a small ticket, quoted anywhere from 10 to 40 yuan depending on season and source worth confirming, and the 上城佛寺 Shàngchéng Fóshì and 中城佛寺 Zhōngchéng Fóshì are free worth confirming. Office hours run roughly 8:30 to 17:30 worth confirming. Getting here is the trip’s main arithmetic: 孟连 Mènglián sits about three hours by expressway from 普洱 Pǔ’ěr city worth confirming, the last 10 km of mountain road narrow and bending; the 普洱客运站 Pǔ’ěr Kèyùnzhàn runs about six direct buses a day, roughly four hours and 50 yuan worth confirming; and 澜沧景迈机场 Láncāng Jǐngmài Jīchǎng is 40 minutes away by car. Stay in the county town, where a plain room runs 100-200 yuan, or in a 傣楼 Dǎilóu Dai-house 民宿 mínsù near the 南垒河 Nánlěi Hé Nanlei River. Walk the town in one circuit: the stone stele at the entrance, the 宣抚司署 Xuānfǔsī Shǔ, the two temples, the 娜允大桥 Nàyǔ Dàqiáo double-decked Thai-style covered bridge, and the 孟连大金塔 Mènglián Dàjīntǎ on the riverbank – a main tower of 32 m worth confirming ringed by eight smaller ones on a 66-m base worth confirming – best photographed between 18:00 and 18:30, when the sun goes gold on the tiles.

Come between November and April, the dry season, and avoid the 雨季 yǔjì, when the mountain road from 普洱 Pǔ’ěr is at its worst; December is the sweet spot worth confirming. The town’s clock is the temple’s: mornings for the 宣抚司署 Xuānfǔsī Shǔ and 上城佛寺 Shàngchéng Fóshì, whose hall on its gilded pillars worth confirming looks straight over the 孟连坝子 Mènglián Bàzi plain; afternoons for the lanes and the 傣锦 dǎijǐn Dai brocade weavers and 手工造纸 shǒugōng zàozhǐ papermakers of 芒方岗 Mángfānggǎng hamlet; the 中城佛寺 Zhōngchéng Fóshì, the middle town’s temple, is the quieter of the two and worth the stop for its Dai-plan hall, and the county 民族历史博物馆 Mínzú Lìshǐ Bówùguǎn two streets over keeps the chieftain’s 蟒袍 mǎngpáo python robes and some 400-odd pieces of regalia worth confirming, the fastest way to understand what the 宣抚司署 Xuānfǔsī Shǔ actually was; evenings for the 大金塔 Dàjīntǎ and, in spring, the 神鱼节 shényújié fish festival, when the Dai new-year rites spill into the river worth confirming. 孟连 Mènglián is also China’s avocado capital worth confirming, which is why the local breakfast experiment – 牛油果拌饭 niúyóuguǒ bàn fàn avocado over rice – is a joke you can eat; the honest Dai plate here is 牛刹别 niúshābié cold shredded beef, 酸牛脚 suān niújiǎo pickled trotters and 包烧 bāoshāo banana-leaf grill. All checked October 2026.

Practicalities

• Rating: 孟连娜允古城 Mènglián Nàyǔn Gǔchéng is the Yuan-dynasty seat of the 孟连宣抚司 Mènglián Xuānfǔsī Xuanfu chieftaincy, on the west side of the 孟连 Mènglián county town on the Myanmar border – the last complete 傣族 Dǎizú Dai old town in China, laid out as a 三城两寨 sān chéng liǎng zhài “three towns, two hamlets” hierarchy.
• Tickets: The old town is free and open around the clock; the 宣抚司署 Xuānfǔsī Shǔ is quoted at 10-40 yuan depending on season, and the 上城佛寺 Shàngchéng Fóshì and 中城佛寺 Zhōngchéng Fóshì are free worth confirming.
• Address: West 孟连 Mènglián county town – about three hours by expressway from 普洱 Pǔ’ěr city, about six direct buses a day from the 普洱客运站 Pǔ’ěr Kèyùnzhàn (four hours, 50 yuan), and 40 minutes from 澜沧景迈机场 Láncāng Jǐngmài Jīchǎng worth confirming.
• Time needed: A slow day and an overnight – mornings for the 宣抚司署 Xuānfǔsī Shǔ and the temples, afternoons for the lanes, and the 18:00-18:30 gold hour at the 孟连大金塔 Mènglián Dàjīntǎ; November to April is the dry season.

Words and Names

宣抚司署 Xuānfǔsī Shǔ the Xuanfu chieftain’s office, a Dai-Han hybrid · 土司 tǔsī native chieftains · 三城两寨 sān chéng liǎng zhài the “three towns, two hamlets” plan · 干栏 gānlán stilt-house construction · 傣锦 dǎijǐn Dai brocade · 牛刹别 niúshābié cold shredded beef · 包烧 bāoshāo banana-leaf grilling · 神鱼节 shényújié the spring fish festival · 南垒河 Nánlěi Hé the Nanlei River · 缅寺 Miǎnsì the Dai-style Buddhist temple

flowcloud would say: 宣抚司署是汉式的顶、傣族的脚，孟连人也一样——一脚踏在中原，一脚踏在边地，中间还供着佛。

Getting there: the west side of 孟连 Mènglián county town on the Myanmar border – about three hours by expressway from 普洱 Pǔ’ěr city, about six direct buses a day from the 普洱客运站 Pǔ’ěr Kèyùnzhàn (four hours, 50 yuan, worth confirming), and 40 minutes from 澜沧景迈机场 Láncāng Jǐngmài Jīchǎng; the old town is free and open around the clock, the 宣抚司署 Xuānfǔsī Shǔ quoted at 10-40 yuan (worth confirming the details), and the gold hour is 18:00-18:30 at the 孟连大金塔 Mènglián Dàjīntǎ. All checked October 2026.