Lianghe County

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Looked at the bus schedule in the station, "Lianghe"...why not! it travel the northern road where I had never been before. Spending a few days in Lianghe(@1000m) could be easy as I had never check out any of its market, hope it will not be too disappointed. We pass through many sugarcane field in the 3 hours journey, after Huguo and we enter into Lianghe region, I saw farmer already busy in harvesting rice within the golden field. The most eye-catching sight before entering Lianghe town was the huge Golden Pagoda erected on the left bank of the Longdi river, it had been build about 2 years ago by the Dai community in the region. And there also a Mengdi Pagoda inside town coexisting with a Han Buddhism temple, a fusion? but a great quiet hideout during the heat in midday! Lianghe town was simple and small, 2 straight paralle long street without much point of interest, only the Nandian Tusi House could find some mention on the internet. There were more than enough guesthouse in town but most of them seem to has its KTV and massage parlor in within or next to the building, and all had room rent out hourly...local economic I guess. And the town stay up rather late as well, shop still not closing up after 10pm, perhaps shopping hour were a little different here!
Market in Lianghe was a surprised. Beside the Majority Dai and Han, there are plenty of Achang, their tower like headdress made it easy to distinguish, old woman still kept their blue jacket open from middle with a single pattern stripe on the sleeve, but most of the younger women wear pink see-through shirt, they all wear their self weaved fabric as skirt, with a small front apron in black. But the real surprise was the Deang, dress similar to those in Nansan, tight jacket with 2 pieces of colour patch on the front collar, red and black stripe skirt more like the Wa, they also wear many rings of rattan and silver belt, headdress was different though, white turban coiled up with hair, and colour feather thread coming down from both side attached to the heavy cylinder shape ear-ring. they are happy people and welcome for photo when requested, they also claimed to celebrate open-door festival in a week too, only I couldn't understand where was their village, "long way to walk, 2 hours!" the woman told me. perhaps next time as I had my plan to see the festival in Mangshi area later.
Pingshan market was boring with only Han, a very small market without much action even until noon. Mangdong market dominated by Dai, the typical costume you could see in Dehong region. On top of the small hill behind the village is the Guanyin Temple, a Han Buddhiam shrine, no wonder here they didn't celebrate open-door festival. the woman inside claimed the temple was about 300 year old, well...whatever...there was no description there to tell. Mangdong also a traditional village to held the October first national holiday event, every year they would had a big celebration to proclaimed fraternization, friendship with all nationalities. but "we didn't made any celebration this year" one local man told me...ironically ...there was a violent conflict between 2 villages this year.
Nangsong market although small but with good atmosphere where you could see mainly Dai and Achang. there also a temple behind the village, kind of unattended but I saw many beer bottles lay on the courtyard, wonder what kind of scene behind the temple wall in the evening?

note
bus Zhangfeng to Lianghe 39 yuan
minibus Lianghe to Pingshan 15 yuan
minibus Lianghe to Mangdong 10 yuan
bus Lianghe to Mangshi 36 yuan

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