Cangyuan

The world's Wa homeland, with the traditional Wa village of Wengding, 3,000-year-old Cangyuan rock paintings and the sinkholes and caves of Sigangli, famed for its mud-smearing Monihei carnival in May.

Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County lies in the southwest of Lincang, Yunnan, bordering the Wa State of Myanmar. With the highest concentration of Wa people of any county in China, it is known as the "World's Wa Homeland." The county town, Mengdong, sits at about 1,300 m, with mild winters, no scorching summers and distinct wet and dry seasons: the dry season from Nov to Apr brings fine weather and is the best time to visit, while the May–Oct rainy season is wet, with a risk of landslides on mountain roads. The Sigangli Monihei Carnival in early May is the busiest time of year, when the whole town smears one another with mud as a blessing; book accommodation well ahead. The main sights fall into three areas. In and around the county town are Guangyun Burmese Temple, Monihei Square and Gourd Town, easily covered in half a day. About 25 km north of town in Menglai Township are the Cangyuan rock paintings and the Sigangli scenic area (sinkhole and caves); the paintings date back some 3,000 years and are among the oldest in China. About 30–40 km to the northwest are the Wengding traditional village, the Gourd King Land scenic area, the Banhong anti-British resistance memorial and the Nangun River National Nature Reserve, which can be linked into a route along National Highway 219. Wengding's old village was damaged by fire in February 2021 and reopened after reconstruction in December 2022. Cangyuan Washan Airport has flights to and from Kunming and is about 20 km from the county town; alternatively, take a bus from central Lincang (about 4 hours). Allow 2–3 days: one for the county town, rock paintings and Sigangli, and one for Wengding, Gourd King Land and Banhong, with an optional trip to Banlao to see the White Pagoda if time allows. This is a border area, so carry your ID at all times and do not approach boundary markers or cross the border. Wa chicken rice porridge, dried beef and small red-rice wine are worth trying.

Top sights

• Wengding Wa Village – A Wa ethnic village known as 'China's last primitive tribe', with its thatched stilt houses, ceremonial posts and sacred forest remarkably…
• Cangyuan Cliff Paintings – Ochre-red cliff paintings some 3,000 years old, depicting hunting, dancing and village life. They are a nationally protected key cultural h…
• Sigangli Sinkhole & Cave – A sinkhole and cave system in Menglai Gorge, where the Wa creation legend says humankind emerged from the Sigangli cave.
• Guangyun Temple – A Qing-dynasty Theravada Buddhist temple in the county town, with a blend of Han and Dai architecture and finely preserved interior murals…
• Hulu Wangdi Scenic Area – A Wa cultural scenic area on a mountaintop in Banhong Township, with views over the mountains of the Nangun River reserve and the China-Mya…
• Banhong Anti-British Memorial – The historic site where Wa tribes swore an oath to resist the British during the 1934 Banhong Incident. It has a memorial hall and a site m…
• Nangun River National Nature Reserve – One of the key habitats of the Asian elephant and green peafowl in China. From National Highway 219 you can see large areas of tropical rai…
• Monihei Carnival Square – The main venue for the county's festivals, where the annual early-May Monihei Carnival features mud smearing and Wa dances.
• Cangyuan Hulu Town – A Wa-style district built beside the Mengdong Reservoir, south of the county town. It offers Wa cuisine and lake views.
• Banlao White Pagoda & Main Temple – The Theravada Buddhist white pagoda and main temple in Banlao Township on the China-Myanmar border. The pagodas are brilliant white, and th…

Itineraries

• Lincang Tea Mountains & Cangyuan Wa Culture – Explore Fengqing Dianhong black tea and Lushi Ancient Town, visit the Bingdao tea mountains, and end in Cangyuan with W…