Beside the quiet waters of South Lake in Mengzi stands the Former Site of Mengzi Customs, a complex of buildings that captures a profound shift in modern Chinese history. Established in 1887 following the Sino-French War, this compound served as Yunnan Province’s first customs office. The architecture physically manifests the collision of different cultures. The Customs Tax Commissioner's Office features a traditional Chinese hipped roof resting above Western-style arched windows. Nearby, the French Consulate takes the form of a classic Chinese courtyard, and its interior reveals European design elements.

For decades, these structures operated as the center of regional commerce. The opening of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway in 1910 brought immense prosperity, turning Mengzi into a bustling international port that handled the vast majority of the province's trade. Greek merchants built the Mediterranean-style Kalos Trading Company, and French officials constructed gardens and a prison to support their growing presence.

The story of the site shifted dramatically in 1938. As war consumed the nation, the College of Arts and Law of the National Southwestern Associated University relocated to Mengzi. The Kalos Trading Company and the customs buildings transformed into classrooms and dormitories. Renowned scholars like Wen Yiduo and Chen Yinke lived and taught within these walls, turning a former hub of foreign commerce into a sanctuary for Chinese academia.

Today, the preserved complex invites visitors to walk through these layered eras. The Customs Office houses historical exhibitions detailing the region's trade history, and the Kalos Trading Company serves as a memorial to the university scholars. Walking through the French Garden or past the old consulate, visitors encounter the physical remnants of a border town that held the weight of international commerce and national intellectual survival.