Central Xingmeng from the government building. The building with the traditional-style roof is the bus stop, which is just in front of the highway that cuts through the village. Beyond is the new part of town, which contains the open-air market and a number of four-story buildings. The mountains in the background mark the opposite edge of Tonghai Plain.
There are a number of old houses throughout the village that sport intricate carvings above the front door frame. They are often more than 100 years old. Wealthier citizens would have them commissioned, and the carvings often represent details about the lives of those who lived there; so each is unique.
Three Saints Temple, recently rebuilt, houses statues of Genghis Khan, Mongke Khan and Kublai Khan -- the three Mongolian emperors now venerated as ancestors -- as well as an exhibition on the history of the village. The local women in the photo are wearing formal versions of their traditional dress. Nowadays, only women in their 60s and older wear traditional clothing on a daily basis.
(Left) Village statue erected in 2003 to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the Mongols settling in Yunnan; the bilingual dedication includes both Chinese and Mongolian.