MENGTSZE  , a

city in the S.E. of the province of Yunnan, China . Pop. about 12,000 . It was selected by the French convention of 1886 as the seat of the overland trade between Tongking and Yunnan, and opened two years later . It is beautifully situated in the centre of a valley basin on a plateau 3500 ft. above sea-level . The country round is fertile and well cultivated, artd the place must have been one of considerable wealth before the T'aip'ing rebellion, as the ruins of many fine temples attest . A considerable overland trade has sprung up since the opening of Mengtsze . Of the import trade Hong-Kong supplied 86%, and of the export trade 70%, Cochin-China, Tongking and Annam claiming the remainder . Tin (68%) and opium (27.8%) are the principal exports, and textiles (71%), mostly cottons, and tobacco (4%) are the chief imports . On the Tongking side this trade follows the Red River route as far as Manhao, which is distant from Mengtsze about 40 m., though the navigation of the river is difficult . From Manhao the transit is by coolies or pack animals . Concessions have been obtained by the French government to build a line of railway from the Tongking frontier at the town of Laokay via Mengtsze to Yunnan-fu . The climate is equable and healthy .