Main Tourism Spots Around Baoshan

Tengchong County lies at the western foot of Gaoligong Mountains, in the western part of Yunnan Province. The Dieshui River-a tributary of the Dayingjiang River winds its way around the city. Bordering on Keqinbang of Burma on the west with a boundary line of 148.7 kilometers, the county has an area of 5,693 square kilometers and a population of 530,000. This population consists of more than 10 ethnic groups, such as Dai, Bai, Hui, Lisu, Achang and others, each with their own rich and colorful cultures and customs. Tengchog is a famous historic and cultural town, known as "the Homeplace of Overseas Chinese" and " Land of Culture". Besides, it is a "Geological Museum", a "Natural Botanical Garden" and a "Natural Museum" that scientists long to visit.

Tengchong has a long history. In the Western Han Dynasty, it was called Dianyue; in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it belonged to Yongchang Eparchy. Tengchong occupies an important geographical position so that it has been regarded as an important town on the ancient Yunnan-Burma Road and as a gateway to the neighboring countries to the west of Yunnan Province. In the Yuan Dynasty, Tengchong County was set up. Tengchong is situated in a border area and is a town of strategic importance. During the Anti-Japanese War, Tengchong was a main battlefield in the western part of Yunnan. Tengchong is famous for its history and culture, its outstanding people, its beautiful scenery and historical relics. Abounding in volcanic and geothermal scenic spots and historical relics, Tengchong is listed among China's famous scenic spots and as Yunnan's famous historic and cultural towns. It's also a gate open to Myanmar and a trade port on the border.

Heshun means peace and harmony. The title of the township derived from a verse describing "the rising clouds that herald auspicious future and the gentle breeze that breathes peace and harmony." The town consists of over 1,300 households and 6,300 more people. From ancient times on, it has been a place where talented people were brought up. Many of the Heshunxiang people who live abroad are successful businessmen or scholars of great attainments doing their bits for the prosperity of the countries they reside.

Heshun Town is a very beautiful place with many ornamental structures like pavilions, memorial halls or archways, lotus ponds, marble balustrades, etc. The most important scenic spot that a visitor to Heshunxiang cannot afford to miss is Shuidui, an ancient water mill near a body of limpid water named Yuanlongtan. Yuanlong Pavilion which overlooks the clear pond is an ancient structure. The pavilion was constructed in the 27th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1762 A.D.). The sublimity of the ancient architecture with its excellent layout of the halls, kiosks, balconies and bowers of carved beams and painted rafters add beauty to the serenity of nature. The inscriptions, tablets and couplets, well composed and written by outstanding calligraphists, are highly attractive. The fountain by the side of the pavilion is known by the name "Dragon Pond".

The Heshunyuan Library situated on the campus of Yiqun Middle School, the biggest one at the township level, is the pride of the Heshunxiang people. The library buildings with flower gardens in the front courtyard show styles of traditional Chinese architecture. The library, set up in 1924, is in possession of over 60,000 volumes of books, many of which are rare editions of ancient works.

Habitants of Heshun on one hand are simple farmers, but they think highly of education, on the other hand, they are eager to explore outer world for change of their lives, they treasure and enjoy the peace and harmony in life more than others. As its name means, the atmosphere in Heshun town is very peaceful and harmonious, in competition through country in 2005, Heshun won the reputation of “The Most Charming Countryside Town in China”. Friendly people and their traditional way of living, gamboling kids and serene elders, old buildings and aged trees, archaic town and lush mountains, laundering women and happy ducks swimming around…compose just an idyllic picture.

The Graveyard of the National Heroes constructed to honor the martyrs in the battle of recovering Tengchong lies in the west of the county seat at about 1 kilometer's distance. The construction was started in 1944 and completed on the 7th of July, 1945. Covering over 10,000 square meters, the main structures are the memorial tower, the martyrs' tombs and the martyry. The pine and cypress trees densely planted on the mountain slope add to the solemn tranquility of the site. At the completion of the cemetery, Chiang Kai-shek and other high-ranking military officers of the Kuomintang all wrote inscriptions or laments to mourn for martyrs.

At the end of 1941, Japanese militarists started the Pacific War, and within short period seized hold of Southeast Asian countries one after another, in order to cut off Burma Road, they intruded into China from Wan Ting in May of 1942, further occupied Tengchong. During occupation of subsequent two years, invaders committed maniac slaughter and robbery, 21000 civilians were killed, more than 30000 tons of foodstuffs was robbed and more than 50000 live stocks were taken away. A civilized town with long history moaned under invaders’ feet.

In 1944, Kuomintang troops started counterattack; Chinese soldiers crossed Nu River in May, and then started the battle of recovering Tengchong on August the 2nd, with high cost of 9168 soldiers’ death, through more than 40 cruel and vehement battles, all 6000 Japanese intruders stationed in Chengchong Town were annihilated, Tengchong finally came back on September the 14th. This was a meaningful recover, it lifted the curtain of overall victory in Anti-fascist battlefield through whole Asia. During 4 burning months, 46000 local civilians shouldered the provisionment for battlefront, from old to young, from male to female all by manpower, they were eager than anyone else to go home. Besides, which Tengchong people would never forget, 19 ally soldiers from US sacrificed their lives to this land forever.

In the cemetery 3346 soldiers were buried, small gravestones in rows only simply recorded their names and military ranks, nobody knows where they were from, or how old they were, but everyone that pays respect to these heroes can strongly feel, the indomitable spirit of China the people like these stones.

Hot Sea in Tengchong is one of China's three major geothermal areas, known as "Land Abounding in Geothermal Resources". There are plenty of springs of hot water and hot vapour, called "Hot Sea". There are quite a number of hot fields as well. Tengchong is a resort where people can travel, take a bath and have medical treatment. The Hot Sea, with an area of 9 square kilometers, lies 20 kilometers away southwest of the county seat and in the center of the geothermal area. There are over 80 springs of hot water and hot vapour, of which there are 14 spring whose temperature reaches 90 °C. The spring can be regarded as a rarity as far as their number and geothermal energy are concerned. The most magnificent view is the boiling pool with a temperature of 97 °C, so it is called "the Big Boiling Pot" by the local people. There are dozens of big springs of vapour with a temperature of 94 °C at the mouths of the springs, where you can steam food.

There are some bathrooms and steam beds for people to take a sauna or receive medical treatment, and there are seven big hot fields located in Ruidian Township in the northwest of the county seat. The hot fields are 1,000 meters long from south to north and 600 meters wide at the widest point, hot water wells out at many points, of which there are several dozens of big ones whose temperatures range between 40 °C and 95 °C. By the Naxinjie Road, there is a hot water pond of over 3,000 square kilometers, which is formed by water gushing from the ground in great quantity. The hot fields are enveloped in mist, especially in the morning of winter and spring.

The Southwest Silk Road is the second of its kind in China. As early as over 2,000 years ago, China's silk products were world-famous, gaining a global renown. The well-known "Silk Road" was the main route for the exportation of silk during the Hang and Tang Dynasties. However, previous to the shaping up of this route, there was already the Southwest Silk Road extending from Sichuan to Burma and India via Yunnan. Like its northwest counterpart, it has made great contributions to world civilization.

According to historical accounts, when Zhang Qian (?-444 B.C.) was on his mission to Bactria (now the northern part of Afghanistan) in 122 BC, he saw some Shu cloth and "qiong" bamboo sticks imported from Sichuan to India and came to know that merchants from Sichuan had a long time before traveled to India for trade via Yunnan and Burma. Afterwards, the Han Empire, having removed obstacles imposed by the Kunming tribes around Erhai Lake, recruited a great amount of armed laborers to undertake on a large scale the building of the Bonan Road. Passing what is now Xiaguan and Yongping and crossing the Lancangjiang River, this road extended via Baoshan and Tengchong far into Burma, India and other countries. In the Tang Dynasty, it prospered and throve even more, showing no decline during a long period. Up to now there still can be found many historical relics along this route.

For instance, on the famous Bonan Mountains at Yongping one can still see the stone-paved ancient road winding over the sublime and awe-inspiring mountain ranges. The place near today's Jihong Bridge on the bank of the Lancangjiang River used to be a famous ancient ferry in the Western Han Dynasty. In the 12th year of the reign of the Han Emperor Mingdi (A.D. 69), Yongchang Prefecture was instituted in what in Baoshan today, thus causing the road's further development. In 1982, a tablet was unearthed near the present-day Yunnan-Burma Highway (formerly the Burma Road) between the Nujiang River and the Gaoligongshan Mountain, bearing the inscription: "Lujiang Bawan and Tanzizhai in Lujiang are the two important post stages on the road that lead to Tengyue, Longling and Burma". This tablet unearthed at the ancient stage is a most convincing material evidence to this effect.

During the Han and Tang Dynasties, this communication line enhanced the relations between China and other countries in Asia, Africa and even Europe. It provided important conditions for developing the economy and culture of the various nationalities on China's southwestern border region.

Tengchong is located between the India Plate and Eurasia Plate, where crustal movements are active, earthquakes frequently happen and volcanoes often erupt. There are about 90 conspicuous cones, among them, 22 craters remain intact. Around the craters is a combination of scabland, volcanic cinder and volcanic flow, forming a wonderful view - the Cluster of Volcanoes.

Tengchong volcanoes rank first in China in terms of their variety, size, good preservation and compact distribution. The Tengchong Basin is surrounded by a group of young dormant volcanoes, of which the most famous are Mount Dayinshan, Mount Maanshan, Mount Guipo, the Laifeng Hill, Mount Dakongshan and Mount Xiaokongshan. Mount Dayinshan is known as "the First Volcano" in Tengchong. The mountain is a conic volcano, of which the crater has a diameter of 300 meters and a depth of 100 meters. Mount Maanshan, which is 5 kilometers west of the county seat, is a conic volcano, whose top seems to have been cut off, thus looking like a saddle. Likewise, Mount Guipo is also a conic volcano with its top cut off. Mount Dakongshan, Mount Xianokongshan and Mount Heishan stand in a line from north to south, with a distance of 1,000 meters between them. Their craters range in diameter from 300 to 400 meters and have a depth of several dozen meters. Around the crater cones there are some black, or red pumice stones which are very light and can float on the water. While visiting the cluster of volcanoes in Tengchong, visitors will marvel at the wonderful nature.

Jihong Bridge spans over the Lancangjiang River at the place where Shuizhai Township of Baoshan City connects with Shanyang Township of Yongping County. It is the first chain bridge constructed in this province.

According to historical accounts, the place where the bridge spanned was called "Lanjin Ferry" in olden times. Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty sent an expedition to explore the land inhabited by the Southwestern primitive tribes by way of the Bonan Road and Lanjin Ferry. The Han soldiers mainly followed the route crossing this bridge. Lanjin was originally a ferry for boats and rafts; later a bridge of rattan and bamboo was made and later replaced by one of wood. The extant chain bridge was constructed in the 11th year of the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty (1475) and was named "Jihong Bridge". It is in fact 17 chains fixed on the opposing east and west cliffs, stretching over the river. The bridge surface is a present formed of 15 connected chains, with a span of 60 m. Every chain has 176 links, each 0.33 m. long and 3.9 kg. in weight. The surface is paved with wooden boards for travelers' passage.

On the east bank (within the precincts of Yongping County) there stands a pavilion for the Imperial Inscription in nobel dimensions, with a golden horizontal board bearing the inscription of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty: "A Rainbow Extending to the Other Bank". Beside this structure is the Martial Marquis's Temple (Wuhou Ci), which once enshrined Zhuge Liang's gilded statue. On the west bank (within the precincts of Baoshan City) is Kwan-yin Pavilion. These structures are either built over the cliffs or on the steep slopes, presenting a marvelous view. The famous Italian traveler Marco Polo and the Ming Dynasty's traveler Xu Xiake as well as the Ming Dynasty's Emperor Yongli, etc. all visited this bridge. On the stone walls of the west bank not a few carved inscriptions are left by the literati of the successive historical periods, such as "A Marvelous Crossing from Cliff to Cliff, "A Rainbow Flying Over the River", "Key Pass to the Southern World", and "Golden Teeth Screening the Throat", etc

It is already over 500 years since the construction of the bridge, a space of 200 years earlier than the world-famous Luding Chain Bridge over the Daduhe River, which was constructed in the 44th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty or 1705. Therefore it is also called the First Bridge in Southwest China, having rather high value for the study of the history of bridge construction in this country. It is one of the provincial cultural relics under enhanced protection.