About Dehong

Dehong Dai & Jingpo Nationalities’ Autonomous Prefecture is one of the eight ethnic autonomous prefectures in Yunnan Province. It lies in the west of Yunnan, to the south of Mount. Gao Li Gong and west of Baoshang area, is a frontier area sharing border of 500 kilometers with Myanmar. Total area of Dehong is around 11000 square kilometers, including 2 cities and 3 counties, among them Luxi is the capital of prefecture and Ruili is the economic center as well as the most important trade port on China-Myanmar border.

According to archaeological study, human’s history of Dehong can be traced back to 3000 years ago, Pu and Yue were the earliest tribes living on this land, who evolved to be De Ang and Dai of today. At the end of Ming Dynasty, which is about 400 year ago, due to implementation of government’s policy of Settling Down Immigrants from Other Areas to Protect Border, Nationalities as Jing Po, Li Shu and Han began to move in. Current total population of Dehong is around 1 million, of which ethnic people accounts for more than half, consisted of Dai, Jing Po, Ah Chang, Li Shu, De Ang, etc.

Dehong is a mountainous area, of which terrain declines from northeast to southwest, highest point is over 3400 meters and lowest place is only around 200 meters above sea level, altitudes of most of prefecture range from 800 meters to 2100 meters. Basins crossed by rivers and surrounded by mountains made the most flat land of Dehong, they are scattered in different river valleys, accounting for more than 17% of prefecture’s total land, and basins are the main bread baskets of local people, also where most towns are seated.

The location of Dehong is on a low-latitude tableland, where sunshine is pretty strong and heat for growth of crops is sufficient, most places are under warm subtropical climate. Annual average temperature in Dehong is 18 – 20 degrees Centigrade, coldest weather falls in January, when average temperature is 10 – 12 degrees, and June is the hottest season, 22 – 24 degrees is the normal temperature range. Dehong is also a place with abundant rainfall, yearly rainfall changes between 1300 and 1600 millimeters, more than 90% of it comes in period from May to October, November to April of next year is the dry season.

Being bordered with Myanmar, makes Dehong a very important exit to South Asia from China, more than 2000 years ago, businessmen from Sichuan began using this passage to trade with foreigners, their business trip extended to Myanmar, India and even mid-east. This caravan route came into being earlier than famous Silk Road in the north of China, for the first time envoys of Han Dynasty arrived in ancient India along Silk Road, amazedly they found merchandises from Sichuan already sell in local market. Trade route from Sichuan via Dali, Tengchong, Dehong into Myanmar and South Asian Subcontinent gained its reputation, “South Silk Road”, people called so. Today, in Dehong, there are two international ports on China-Myanmar border, Ruili and Wanding, which are serving as important channels for trade and tourism, former Burma Road didn’t pass into silence, but playing its new role.