Mengla: The Beginning or the End?

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Scott Ferguson

Mengla: The Beginning or the End?

Jinghong is the capital of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous region in the deep south of Yunnan. The Mekong River flows through Jinghong and the city receive many Chinese tourists, though not so many foreigners. Most streets are lined with palm trees and there are many delicious foods to try, particularly foods of the Dai ethnic group. Overall, I really enjoyed the slow pace of life here. I spent my final night in China in Jinghong. The next day, as I travelled to the border with Laos, my bus stopped for lunch in Mengla and that’s when things became very interesting.

Street scene in Jinghong where the weather was a tad steamy and I felt my eyeballs perspire.

 

Much of the architecture in Jinghong more resembled that seen in Thailand than in China. Indeed, Jinghong was once part of Thailand.

 

Cooling off at an outdoor patio with a fresh iced juice in Jinghong.   Soon after, I enjoyed a delicious grilled fish with lemongrass and chilis.

 

The street scene in Mengla before the fight broke out. This image was taken from the restaurant.

 

Another steamy dog day afternoon on the streets of Mengla before the fight broke out next door to the restaurant. This pooch was looking for some shade to lie in.

 

Typical street scene in Mengla, a pleasant enough place and entirely devoid of tourists.

 

Quiet streets of Mengla as our bus rolls out of town toward the border with Laos.

 

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