Menghai (méng hǎi 勐海) is one of three counties of Xishuangbanna. One architectural attraction to be found in Menghai County is the Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion. This Hinayana Buddhist temple which was constructed jointly by the Han and Dai people at the beginning of the eighteenth century, in honour of Sakyamuni and served as a meeting hall. It is located on a hill in Jingzhen village (about 87km from Jinghong).
Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion (jǐng zhēn sì 景真寺)
The pavilion is a three tiered half timbered structure about 20 meters tall. Each side if the octagon is decorated with exquisitely carved designs of animals such as elephants and tigers.
The outside of the pavilion and its roof are in-laid with multi-coloured glass and silver chips which lends it a wonderful shimmering quality in the sunlight. These are thought to ward of bad omens. Inside, there are various gilded pictures as well as four beautifully carved doors directed to the compass points. There is also a copper statue of Sakyamuni contained within a niche. Legend has it that the design for the pavilion was modeled on the shape of the hat he used to wear. Built in 1701, it was destroyed during a war in 1852, the pavilion was painstakingly restored to its former beauty and it is now a protected site of cultural and historic significance.
Entrance fee is 10 RMB. (Reductions are available for groups). 8am-6pm.
Menghai Tea Factory Menghai Tea Factory (měnghăi cháchăng 勐海茶厂) is a tea factory producing pu'er tea located in Menghai, Yunnan, China. The factory is well known for its old raw pu-erh cakes and is highly reputed in the tea industry of China. Vintage Bĭngchá from Menghai Tea Factory are perhaps the most highly prized pu'er tea produced in the 1970s and 1980s. Current productions from Menghai Tea Factory products remain popular, even with trends of pu'er collectors favoring smaller producers. Because of the high prices fetched by both new and old Menghai products, Menghai products often suffer from widespread counterfeiting. In 2006, Menghai began issuing microprinted tickets in their pu'er cakes in an attempt to throw off counterfeiters.
Local Snacks
Where other towns usually have a concophany of vendors hawking for your business, there seems to be a shortage of things to eat in this place - at least near the bus station. We found a solitary noodle shop 50m west from the bus station. It was positively packed, and the food was good.
Getting In & Out
Menghai Bus Station is on the edge of town, close to the highway, which runs from Jinghong (jǐng hóng 景洪) in the east (11 yuan) to Simao (sī mào 思茅) and Lincang (lín càng 临沧) prefectures in the northwest.
Getting About
As a relatively large and completely flat town, Menghai is ideally suited to bicycles, although walking suffices for most travellers.
Travel in Yunnan 
Menghai (méng hǎi 勐海) is one of three counties of Xishuangbanna. One architectural attraction to be found in Menghai County is the Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion. This Hinayana Buddhist temple which was constructed jointly by the Han and Dai people at the beginning of the eighteenth century, in honour of Sakyamuni and served as a meeting hall. It is located on a hill in Jingzhen village (about 87km from Jinghong).
