Mengzi (;
Hani: ) is a city in the southeast of
Yunnan Province
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...
, China.
Administratively, it is a
county-level city
A county-level municipality (), county-level city or county city, formerly known as prefecture-controlled city (1949–1970: ; 1970–1983: ), is a Administrative divisions of China#County level (3rd), county-level administrative divi ...
and the prefectural capital of the
Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture
Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture (; Hani: ; Yi: ꉼꉸꉳꆃꁈꆃꁈꊨꏦꍓ) is an autonomous prefecture in Southeast-Central Yunnan Province, China, bordering Vietnam's Lào Cai and Lai Châu provinces to the south. Its nam ...
, located about southeast from
Kunming
Kunming (; ), also known as Yunnan-Fu, is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province, China. It is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province as well as the seat of the provincial government. The headquar ...
, and 400 kilometres northwest from
Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. It is situated in the centre of a fertile valley basin on the
Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau[ above the sea level and was home to about 590,300 inhabitants as of 2021 census. Mengzi was formerly Mengzi County () until October 2010, when it was upgraded to a ]county-level city
A county-level municipality (), county-level city or county city, formerly known as prefecture-controlled city (1949–1970: ; 1970–1983: ), is a Administrative divisions of China#County level (3rd), county-level administrative divi ...
. Mengzi is the core region of the central city agglomeration of Southern Yunnan, which is officially regarded as the political, economic, cultural, and military centre of Southern Yunnan.
Name
The origin of the name
A widely accepted statement is that the name "Mengzi" (蒙自) was originated from Muze Mountain (now named as Lianhua Mountain) located in the west of Mengzi and now belongs to Gejiu
(, ; Hani: ''Goqjef''; formerly known as Kochiu) is a county-level city and the former capital of Honghe prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, and has 202,000 urban inhabitants (ranked 14th largest city in Yunnan). It is the site of the country's ...
. In Yi language, Muze Mountain means a towering mountain.
The romanized spelling
As with many other places in China, a variety of Romanized spellings were used for the name of Mengzi city in the past. The traditional French spelling was Mongtseu; the postal, Mengtsz, Mengtzu or Mongtze. Some works in English used the spelling Mêng-tse or Mengtsze.[
]
Government
The municipal seat is in Guanlan Subdistrict.
Administrative divisions
In the present, Mengzi City has 5 subdistricts, 6 towns and 2 ethnic townships.
;5 subdistricts
;
;
;
* Wenlan ()
* Yuguopu ()
* Guanlan (观澜街道)
* Wencui (文萃街道)
* Xin'ansuo (新安所街道)
;6 towns (including townships)
;2 ethnic townships
* Qilubai (Miao) ()
* Laozhai (Miao) ()
Geography and climate
Located within 30 arc minute
A minute of arc, arcminute (arcmin), arc minute, or minute arc, denoted by the symbol , is a unit of angular measurement equal to of one degree. Since one degree is of a turn (or complete rotation), one minute of arc is of a turn. The n ...
s south of the Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, which is also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward ...
, Mengzi, as with much of southern Yunnan, has a warm humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Cwa''), with muddled distinction between the seasons and daytime temperatures remaining warm year-round. Highs peak in May before the core of the rainy season and reach a minimum in December; however, the warmest and coolest months are June and December, respectively at and ; the annual mean is . June thru September accounts for over 60% of the annual rainfall of and during this time, some rainfall occurs on a majority of days, resulting in a marked reduction in sunshine. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 34% in June and July to 64% in February, the city receives 2,161 hours of bright sunshine annually.
Food
The Mengzi region is well known for a dish called ''guoqiao mixian'' ("Over the Bridge Rice Noodle"), made with long rice-flour noodles.
History
The history of Mengzi can be traced back to Western Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...
when Bengu County (贲古县) was founded ( 109 B.C.), which was currently the area of Xin'ansuo, Mengzi.
Not until in 1276 (Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...
), Mengzi county was formerly founded, which can be regarded as the prototype of the modern Mengzi City.
In the 19th century, Mengzi was a major trading center for commerce between the interior of Yunnan and the Northern area of Vietnam.
In 1886, a French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
convention chose Mengzi to be the center of trade in Yunnan province for importing and exporting goods via Tongking
Tonkin, also spelled ''Tongkin'', ''Tonquin'' or ''Tongking'', is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain ''Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, includi ...
in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. Facilities for this opened two years later.
Communications were inconvenient: goods from Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
or Haiphong
Haiphong ( vi, Hải Phòng, ), or Hải Phòng, is a major industrial city and the third-largest in Vietnam. Hai Phong is also the center of technology, economy, culture, medicine, education, science and trade in the Red River delta.
Haiphong wa ...
were shipped to Hekou on the Vietnamese border by junk, transferred by small craft to Manhao
Manhao () is a town in Gejiu County-level city of Yunnan Province of China.
History
Located on the Red River, Manhao was a transhipment point of some significance prior to construction of the Kunming–Hai Phong Railway in the early 20th centur ...
, and then taken by pack animal to Mengzi. Despite these difficulties, Mengzi was an important port of entry into both Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
and western Guizhou
Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to t ...
provinces, and in 1889 it was opened to foreign trade as a treaty port. Most of this foreign trade was in tin and opium. Its main exports were tin and opium
Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...
, and the main imports were mostly textiles (primarily cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
) and tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
.
As a trading center, the city gradually began to lose its importance beginning from the early 20th century. The importance of Mengzi was ended by the construction of the French railway from Haiphong
Haiphong ( vi, Hải Phòng, ), or Hải Phòng, is a major industrial city and the third-largest in Vietnam. Hai Phong is also the center of technology, economy, culture, medicine, education, science and trade in the Red River delta.
Haiphong wa ...
to Kunming (the Yunnan provincial capital) in 1906–10. This railway bypassed Mengzi, but in 1915 a branch line
A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line.
Industrial spur
An industri ...
was built via the town to the Gejiu
(, ; Hani: ''Goqjef''; formerly known as Kochiu) is a county-level city and the former capital of Honghe prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, and has 202,000 urban inhabitants (ranked 14th largest city in Yunnan). It is the site of the country's ...
tin mines. Apart from a brief respite during the early days of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the town of Mengzi has, nevertheless, steadily declined in importance ever since.
Gejiu became a county in 1913, and a city in 1951. With the improvement of communications and transportation between cities of Gejiu
(, ; Hani: ''Goqjef''; formerly known as Kochiu) is a county-level city and the former capital of Honghe prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, and has 202,000 urban inhabitants (ranked 14th largest city in Yunnan). It is the site of the country's ...
and Kaiyuan and the other counties nearby, plus the development of trade between southwestern China and the countries of Southeast Asia, Mengzi's ties have increasingly strengthened with Gejiu and Kaiyuan. The whole area has become a border economic centre. In addition to tin, the county's natural resources include coal, manganese, lead, zinc, and antimony.
When Japanese troops drove Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
and Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...
university professors, students, and administrators out of those cities, and then later out of Changsha
Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, an ...
as well, the academics made their own long march to Yunnan Province. They first established themselves in Mengzi, but after a year or so moved on to the provincial capital, Kunming
Kunming (; ), also known as Yunnan-Fu, is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province, China. It is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province as well as the seat of the provincial government. The headquar ...
. This was Lianda, or the Southwest Associated Universities
When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out between China and Japan in 1937, Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University merged to form Changsha Temporary University in Changsha and later National Southwestern Associated Universi ...
.
Recently, the prefectural government has moved from nearby Gejiu to Mengzi. New wealthy suburbs and large government offices have sprung up as a result, but much of the poverty remains, creating a large wealth gap within the city.
In 2012, 11-14 thousand year old early human bones from Maludong near Mengzi City (some of them already in museum collections) were reported. These are provisionally known as the Red Deer Cave people
The Red Deer Cave people were a prehistoric population of humans known from bones dated to between about 17,830 to c. 11,500 years ago, found in Red Deer Cave (Maludong, ) and Longlin Cave, Yunnan Province, in Southwest China.
The fossils exhibit ...
.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Mengzi is twinned with:
* Modesto
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...
, California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, United States
* Lao Cai __NOTOC__
Lao may refer to:
Laos
* Something of, from, or related to Laos, a country in Southeast Asia
* Lao people (people from Laos, or of Lao descent)
* The Lao language
* Lao script, the writing system used to write the Lao language
** Lao (U ...
, Lào Cai
Lào Cai () is a city in the Northwest region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Lào Cai Province. The city borders Bảo Thắng District, Bát Xát District, Sa Pa and the city of Hekou Yao Autonomous County, in Yunnan province of southwes ...
, Vietnam
Economy
Mengzi used to be an agricultural undeveleped county before it rebecame the prefectural capital city in 2003 and being upgraded to a city administratively in 2010.
Real estate industry is the backbone of city's industry. The local government has also been developing policies to promote the transformation of the city's industries in recent years and has achieved some success.
Transport
Railway
* The narrow-gauge Kunming–Hai Phong railway, in the mountains east of the city (passenger service discontinued), and its branches
* Yuxi–Mengzi railway (opened in 2013)
* Mengzi–Hekou railway (opened in December 2014); regular passenger service between Kunming and Hekou
* Mile–Mengzi high-speed railway The Mile–Mengzi high-speed railway or Mimeng HSR () is a high-speed railway line in Honghe, Yunnan, China. It is operated by China Railway Kunming Group. It is the first high-speed railway line which runs entirely in an autonomous prefecture in ...
( Honghe railway station)
Tram
Honghe tram runs from Mengzi North railway station
Mengzi (; Hani: ) is a city in the southeast of Yunnan Province, China. Administratively, it is a county-level city and the prefectural capital of the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, located about southeast from Kunming, and 400 kilom ...
to the city center.
Airport
Honghe Mengzi Airport in Mengzi is under construction.
References
BBC report on Mengzi
External links
Mengzi City official website
{{Authority control
County-level divisions of Honghe Prefecture
Cities in Yunnan