The ethnic mix of Yunnan's little-known Menglian County

The landscape and culture of southwestern Yunnan's Menglian Dai, Lahu and Va Autonomous County (孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县) very much resemble those of Xishuangbanna. Hills rise around alluvial plains and the major towns lie along rivers. The Dai minority nationality dominates the plains population — wet-rice cultivators who live in stilted houses and practice Theravada Buddhism. Other ethnic minorities, from the Tibeto-Burman and Mon-Khmer linguistic groups, inhabit the hills, growing dry rice, sugarcane or tea.

Menglian — the Chinese word for the original Dai Muang Lem — was never administratively part of Xishuangbanna, though. The southern part of Lancang Lahu Autonomous County (澜沧拉祜族自治县) separates Menglian from Xishuangbanna and even today travelers from the latter have to go to Lancang City first, then go southwest to Menglian.