Ancient Nayun Town has a long history, but still retains distinguishing features of a Dai Nationality ancient town. You will find rich and colourful Dai chieftain culture, along with religious buildings, food, clothing, music, dance and folk customs, combining to create valuable historical and artistic value.
In recent years, more and more guests of domestic and overseas ethnic minorities, especially Dai guests from Myanmar, Thailand and other neighboring countries, have been visiting Nayun Town for antiquities.
Below was our plan fot the two day tour in Nayun.
D1: Nayun Town - Shangcheng Buddha Temple
There is a shuttle from Simao Bus Terminal to Menglian County. On arrival in the county, you can enjoy lunch, before taking an electromobile (2 Yuan/person) to Nayun Town.
Take a wander around the town and you will be able to absorb the Dai culture, including the local typical houses.
A visit to the Shangcheng Temple on Jinshan Mountain is a must. It was a dedicated Buddhist temple for the chieftain family during the chieftain period (free admission). The temple is also a good spot to catch the late afternoon sunset. You can then return to the town for dinner and stay in the Zhenshan Hotel or a local residence for one night.
D2: Menglian Xuanfu Department - Zhongcheng Buddha Temple - Menglian Shwedagon Pagoda
Get up early and go to the famous Menglian Xuanfu Department. Tickets cost 10 Yuan. In addition to the ancient architectural complex and the historical characteristics of the Han and Dai nationalities, it is also worth seeing the Menglian County Museum of National History in the complex.
Near to the Menglian Xuanfu Department, there is a Zhongcheng Buddhist Temple, where you can see a construction of national style and understand the Buddhism faith of the Dai nationality. Tickets cost two Yuan.
After lunch in the town, you can visit the Menglian Shwedagon Pagoda, which faces the Mengliang Xuanfu Department across a great distance. It consists of a main tower, encircled by eight smaller ones, glittering in golden colour. It’s splendid. Then you can take a shuttle back to Simao or stay longer in Nayun Town to discover more about Dai life.
Special Festival in Nayun:
Shenyu Festival:
Shenyu means sacred fish literally. The carnival on the water is held every April and May beside Nanlei River, which runs through the town. "Shenyu Festival" is the second most joyous festival for Dai people after the Water-Sprinkling Festival. There is a saying about the festival. A long time ago, Dai people lived a hard life. The Buddha dispatched the fish to the place where Dai people live. The fish propagated in the river where the fish overgrew and improved people’s lives. To preserve this saying, the Shenyu Festival was created and has continued.
At this time, the sun is high, the sky is cloudless, the climate here is characterised by abundant sunshine and the temperature difference is sizeable.