[Illustration 1: Chinese–Dai Bilingual Edition of Mengma Archives]

Opening Mengma Archives, one finds no obscure academic theories or ornate, flowery language. Instead, it is a local chronicle rooted in Mengma Dai Village in Menglian, southwestern Yunnan, written by the villagers themselves. More than that, it is a complete record of the culture of a borderland ethnic community—authentic, heartfelt, grounded in everyday life, and deeply connected to its cultural roots.

Reading it carefully, from the original purpose behind the project, to the perseverance that brought so many contributors together to complete the book, to its richly illustrated and meticulously documented bilingual Chinese–Dai content, sincerity is evident throughout. Every word reflects profound respect for the culture of the homeland and embodies the dedication of local Dai cultural inheritors and cultural workers. In the most down-to-earth and genuinely authentic way possible, the book records the past and present of a borderland Dai village, filling a long-standing gap in locally documented histories of ethnic villages in China's border regions. Its unique value and far-reaching significance go well beyond that of an ordinary book on folk customs. Upon finishing it, one is left deeply moved and profoundly impressed.

[Illustration 2: Mengma Dai Village Surrounded by Mountains]

From the book's preface and afterword, the original purpose and mission behind the project become abundantly clear. It is far more than an ordinary cultural publication; it is a cultural rescue project created specifically to preserve the endangered cultural heritage of the borderlands. In 2005, the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center officially launched the Dai Cultural Preservation Project in Mengma Village, marking the beginning of what would become Mengma Archives.

In the Dai language, "Mengma" means "a place where people settled after migrating from another land." Located in Menglian Dai, Lahu and Va Autonomous County, Mengma is a representative Dai village renowned for both ecological conservation and the preservation of traditional culture.

As modernization continues to advance, Mengma Dai Village, situated along the China–Myanmar border, has retained an intact body of traditional Dai customs, production and daily lifestyles, folk craftsmanship, and cultural values. Yet the orally transmitted rituals, village customs observed for generations, vibrant traditional festivals, and ancient crafts on the verge of disappearing have gradually faded as time passes and the older generation ages.

The planning and compilation of this book were therefore rooted in the goal of preserving the original culture of borderland ethnic minorities, rescuing endangered folk traditions, and safeguarding the cultural roots of the community. There is no deliberate embellishment or outside reinterpretation—only a sincere effort to preserve Mengma Village exactly as it is.

Through both text and photographs, Mengma Archives documents eighteen aspects of traditional Dai culture, including writing, calendrical systems, festivals, customs, cuisine, production, literature, art, religion, and more. It faithfully records the everyday life, folk traditions, and human spirit of this community so that its thousand-year-old rural civilization will not disappear amid the tides of modern history. At the same time, it provides the most authentic primary source material for the preservation of borderland ethnic cultures.

[Illustration 3: Astronomy and Calendar System]

Perhaps the book's greatest achievement lies in its distinctive method of documentation—written collectively by local residents, telling their own stories. Unlike conventional books on folk customs written by outside scholars or observers, it pioneers an entirely new approach to documenting the culture of borderland villages.

Throughout the project, local villagers themselves collected and recorded their own cultural traditions, rather than relying solely on the perspectives and writing of outside experts. It is, in every sense, a cultural archive written by the community for itself.

Every contributor involved in compiling the volume was born and raised in Mengma. They grew up knowing every chapter of the village's history, every custom, every inherited tradition, and they possess an intimate understanding of the cultural roots and spiritual essence of their homeland.

Precisely because the authors are native to the village and deeply grounded in local life, the book avoids outside biases, exoticized perspectives, and deliberate romanticization. Instead, it faithfully restores the true character of Mengma Dai Village with historical accuracy, plain yet sincere language, and genuine emotion, preserving the most authentic essence of Dai culture.

[Illustration 4: Interior Page of a Dai Manuscript]

This remarkable cultural undertaking was the result of many years of dedicated work.

When scholars from outside the region first came to research and organize Mengma's valuable Dai cultural heritage, Kang Langshuai, who was still living at the time and possessed profound knowledge of Dai history and scholarship, became the principal narrator and chief contributor to the book.

Responding enthusiastically to the initiatives of the local government and cultural authorities, Kang Langshuai drew upon both his respected reputation and extensive learning to bring together local scholars, skilled craftsmen, and community experts. Combining the collective wisdom of the village, they worked together to produce the book, recording the cultural memory of the Mengma Dai people in the most authentic, rigorous, and comprehensive manner possible.

To have made such a visionary decision for cultural preservation at that time demonstrated extraordinary foresight. Through their tireless efforts, they succeeded in preserving the precious folk culture of this borderland for future generations.

Published by the Cultural Relics Press in 2008, Mengma Archives presents an authentic account of Mengma Dai traditional culture in both Chinese and Dai, covering every aspect of life, including writing, calendars, festivals, customs, cuisine, production, literature, art, medicine, religion, and much more.

The book is exceptionally well organized, richly detailed, and thoughtfully designed. With Chinese and Dai texts presented side by side alongside abundant photographs, every page vividly conveys the atmosphere and everyday life of this borderland village.

[Illustration 4: Interior Page of Villagers' Hand-Drawn Folk Illustrations]

[Illustration 5: Structural Diagram of Traditional Dai Folk Architecture in Mengma]

As someone who has personally visited Mengma Township twice and engaged in in-depth conversations with local Dai cultural inheritors, reading this book has resonated with me on an even deeper level.

Walking through Mengma's traditional villages, one genuinely experiences the extraordinary simplicity and warmth of local life and witnesses a Dai culture that has been preserved intact without interruption. The ethnic traditions remain vibrant, customs have been carefully maintained, and the village possesses a remarkably rich historical and cultural heritage.

Several years ago, while in Menglian, I met Kunnong, a local inheritor of folk culture from Mengma Village. His father was also one of the Dai cultural scholars who participated in compiling Mengma Archives more than twenty years ago.

Having grown up immersed in this cultural environment, Kunnong later studied Ethnic Dance at Yunnan Nationalities University. He now serves as the head of the Menglian County Ethnic Cultural Work Team and is also the county-level representative inheritor of the Sacred Bird Dance, an item of intangible cultural heritage. He has devoted himself to teaching and preserving traditional ethnic songs and dances and has become one of the new generation of cultural inheritors of Mengma Dai traditions.

[Illustration 6: Kunnong, County-Level Inheritor of the Menglian Dai Sacred Bird Dance]

During my most recent visit to Mengma, I learned that more than half of the elder local scholars and community leaders who had participated in compiling this book had since passed away. The news filled me with deep sadness.

It is precisely for this reason that this volume, into which so many people poured their dedication and effort, has become even more precious.

The older generation of folk cultural workers devoted themselves wholeheartedly to preserving the cultural soul of Mengma through the written word and safeguarding the foundations of their ethnic heritage. As time has passed, the responsibility for transmitting the culture of this borderland has gradually been entrusted to a new generation of inheritors represented by Kunnong.

The older generation preserved the cultural legacy through writing; the younger generation carries it forward through song and dance. Though they work in different ways, both generations remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting and transmitting the thousand-year-old cultural heritage of the Mengma Dai people, ensuring that the traditions of this borderland community continue to flourish from generation to generation. Their dedication and sincerity are deeply moving.

[Illustration 5: Biographical Notes on Selected Dai Folk Contributors]

To have witnessed the publication of a work that carries the cultural memory of its homeland, and to have met the local craftsmen, cultural workers, and respected elders who have quietly devoted themselves to protecting the culture of the borderlands, is a great privilege for anyone exploring the cultural heritage of these regions.

Only then can one truly understand the profound homesickness and perseverance contained behind every passage and every photograph in this book.

Only by personally setting foot on this land can one fully appreciate the tremendous effort behind this collectively written work and understand the irreplaceable significance that Mengma Archives holds—not only for Mengma itself, but also for the Dai culture of the borderlands of southwestern Yunnan.

Although the Dai population of Mengma is relatively small, it preserves an extraordinarily rich and profound history and culture of China's frontier regions. Mengma Archives is the finest historical record of this village and its cultural heritage.

It is not merely the cultural archive of a single village, but an authentic testimony to the exchanges, interactions, and integration among the ethnic peoples of the borderlands. It vividly reflects the cultural consciousness and cultural confidence of a minority community while filling a significant gap in the systematic historical documentation of Dai villages along the southwestern Yunnan frontier.

The book possesses exceptional historical, cultural, and educational value.

From a historical perspective, it has rescued and preserved endangered indigenous folk traditions, capturing the complete cultural landscape of a borderland Dai village. It provides future generations with the most authoritative, authentic, and comprehensive source material for studying the history, folk culture, and rural society of the ethnic communities of southwestern Yunnan.

From a contemporary perspective, it safeguards the cultural roots of the Dai people, strengthens local cultural identity and community belonging, and offers an exemplary and replicable model for protecting minority folk culture and preserving the cultural heritage of traditional villages.

[Illustration 6: Traditional Dai Folk Dance of Mengma]

A single volume of local archives engraves the character of the borderlands, preserves the roots of its cultural heritage, and records the enduring nostalgia for one's homeland.

In the simplest and most unadorned way, Mengma Archives preserves the most precious cultural memories of Mengma Dai Village, while allowing the world to appreciate the richness and brilliance of the ethnic cultures of China's southwestern borderlands.

[Illustration 6: Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor Mr. Kunnong Making Props for the Sacred Bird Dance]