Are there any ancient routes like the ancient tea-horse road and the Silk Road?

Seven-day self-help tour of Yunnan-Myanmar highway

Zhu Jingjiang

Under the cover of historical dust, the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway, which starts from Kunming to Dali in the west and winds to Ruili and Myanmar in the south, is gradually sparsely populated, silently waiting for a glorious and tragic history of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. At the beginning of World War II, in order to ensure that materials could enter China, more than 200,000 Chinese laborers (including the elderly, women and children, and more than 3,000 Nanyang mechanics who returned to China to help transport arms) used farm tools and even spoons and their own hands to complete the difficult road construction project in less than two years. The Yunnan-Myanmar Highway was the most important lifeline in the battlefield between China, Myanmar and India during World War II. Today, when our memories of the past wars are awakened again, we might as well start again and take a trip to the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway hovering over the land of western Yunnan to find the blood and dignity of our nation.

First, the line main body

The Yunnan-Myanmar Highway starts from Biji Jinma archway in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, all the way to the west, passes through Wei Chu, and reaches Xiaguan, Dali, and then generally travels from Xiaguan to the southwest, passing through Baoshan, Longling, Tengchong, Luxi and other counties and cities, and finally reaches Wan Ding and Ruili, the border ports between China and Myanmar. This road is 960 kilometers long in China. As an international highway, it continues to extend southward in Myanmar and India, reaching the mouth of the Indian Ocean. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, the aid materials from Britain, the United States and other allies to China were continuously transported to the southwest rear of China along this highway, and China's anti-Japanese expeditionary force to fight in Myanmar also went to foreign battlefields. Only with the passage of time, the roads in India and Myanmar have been eroded by the jungle, while in Yunnan, this road made of rammed earth and stone still exists firmly despite the wind and rain.

This is a tragic road, but those who set foot on it will be excited and gain a lot because of the green hills, the old roads where the sun sets, the ruins of the battlefield and the mixed ethnic customs that can be seen everywhere along the way. June 5438+February 2002, National Geographic magazine sent a reporter Donovan. Webster and the photographer made a special trip to Yunnan-Myanmar Highway to shoot and interview. The author accompanied them through the whole domestic journey from China-Myanmar border to Kunming. I hope our personal travel experience will be beneficial to readers who like to travel.

Second, the daily itinerary

The Yunnan-Myanmar Highway runs through five cities in southwest Yunnan, with a total length of nearly 1 0,000 kilometers. If the player is not a self-help madman who vows to travel around the world with a backpack, I recommend starting from Ruili and returning to Kunming from south to north. The main reason is that the elite sections of the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway are mostly concentrated in the Nujiang-Gaoligongshan area south of Dali. If tourists travel long distances from Kunming to the China-Myanmar border, they will not be able to savor the magnificent landscapes and historical vicissitudes of southwest Yunnan. For tourists with limited travel time, although one week is not enough, they can generally visit the main historical sites and natural scenery of the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway. On this basis, we can broaden our horizons and integrate this journey into a larger plan to roam the whole of Yunnan.

Day 1: Fly to Kunming-then fly to mangshi-and arrive in Ruili.

If tourists fly to Kunming, Yunnan Province, they may wish to take an earlier flight in the morning and buy a ticket for Yunnan Airlines from Kunming to mangshi Airport (mangshi, the capital of dehong autonomous prefecture) before departure. Kunming-mangshi runs twice a day after noon 12: 00, so that after arriving at Kunming International Airport, you can directly transfer to a cloud flight to the southwest of Yunnan, without going into town, and spend the afternoon sightseeing in Ruili.

The flight time from Kunming to Luxi is about 45 minutes, and there is a civil aviation shuttle bus to Ruili as soon as it leaves the airport. Less than two hours' drive, a beautiful border town emerged in the dense phoenix bamboo forest. Ruili is located on the beautiful Ruili River, which means "auspicious and beautiful" in Dai language. Because it was built on the two cities of Ruili Bazi and Namkham in Myanmar, there is a story of "one Bazi, two countries, three cities" in the local area.

Ruili is one of the three border open cities in Yunnan. It is a national port with frequent border trade and the largest jade sightseeing market in Yunnan Province.

During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, Lei Yun Aircraft Repair Factory, the largest aircraft factory in China, was built on Lane Island, a suburb of Ruili. It is closely related to the history of Yunnan-Myanmar Highway. Nowadays, there are ruins everywhere, and there is a monument bearing in mind the historical scene of China fighter planes rumbling past here.

◎ There is a famous Jiele Pagoda next to Jiele Zhaizi, 4 kilometers away from Ruili, which is one of the famous pagodas in Southeast Asia. It consists of 65,438+07 golden pagodas. Every year, there will be a three-day stupa meeting on major festivals such as the Songkran Festival, which is very grand and lively.

◎ Even if you relax, stroll along the Ruili River at will, look at the Dai bamboo houses dotted in the depths of Fengwei bamboo forest, and the graceful Dai girls will feel the tranquility and poetic feeling in southwest Yunnan.

Travel tips:

OK: If tourists don't want to fly, they can also take a sleeper bus from Kunming to Luxi or Ruili at night. The driving time is about 24 hours, and the fare is about 120 yuan. After arriving in Ruili, you can travel around the city on foot. You can contact the local travel agency to play around, or you can charter Santana at hotels and bus stops in the city. Half-day fare does not exceed 100 yuan.

Residence: Ruili is a port city with good accommodation conditions and relatively cheap prices. Generally, the relatively clean hotel standard rooms range from 40-60 yuan to 60- 150 yuan for star-rated hotels. As a quasi-four-star hotel, Jingcheng Hotel enjoys a high reputation in southwest Yunnan. On the top floor, you can overlook the jungles and mountains of Ruili and Myanmar.

Gourmet: Ruili is evergreen all the year round and rich in products. The diet includes Dai cuisine, Jingpo cuisine, which is famous for its sour, spicy, bitter and sweet taste, and various special dishes with tropical flowers and fruits as the main ingredients.

Day 2: One-day trip to the border town of Myanmar.

The Yunnan-Myanmar Highway is connected with Myanmar, so it is also a pleasure to visit our neighbor Myanmar. In Ruili, many travel agencies organize one-day tours of the China-Myanmar border. Visitors only need to hand in their ID cards the night before and go through the relevant formalities. The next morning, they can join a long-term tour group to travel to Myanmar. The cost of this tour is around 200 yuan, but you should pay attention to choosing a regular travel agency.

Separated from Ruili by a wall is Muse City in Myanmar, which is quite prosperous due to the border trade with China. Most of the products sold in the market are daily necessities produced in China, but some handicrafts with Myanmar characteristics, such as jade and jadeite, may be noticed.

There is a Buddhist temple in Muse that is worth visiting to experience the daily life of monks and their devotion to religion. As usual, I will have a Burmese lunch at noon. Although not very rich, the songs and dances performed by men and women of all ethnic groups in Myanmar are still full of emotional appeal.

◎ In the afternoon, I took a bus to another Myanmar border town, Namkham, which is more local than Mujie. Most of the houses are bungalows or small bamboo houses built by teak. The Nankan Giant Buddha and the Monla Temple are local attractions, and some statues telling the story of Sakyamuni's becoming a Buddha are also spectacular.

If you are interested, you can watch the performance of shemale and elephant at your own expense, but it is far less exciting than similar programs in Thailand, a bit like a Jianghu greenhouse.

Travel tips:

One-day trip to Myanmar border is not the key project of Myanmar road trip, but to experience the exotic customs of Southeast Asia. The expenses of food, transportation and tour guide are included in the travel expenses. You can shop in RMB in Myanmar, and it is also interesting to buy a string of Burmese coins as a souvenir. Pay attention to food hygiene and beware of fraud.

Day 3: Wan Ding-Luxi-Longling

From today, tourists can travel to Kunming along the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway. If you are traveling with 3-4 people, I suggest taking a bus to Tengchong in Ruili, so that you can not only pursue historical sites along the abandoned old Yunnan-Myanmar road, but also stop at any time to enjoy the mountains and rivers in Hengduan Mountain area.

Not far from Ruili, it is Wan Ding, the smallest municipal administrative region in China. In Dai language, it means "the sun is above". This used to be the throat where the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway entered Myanmar, and it was from here that the Chinese Expeditionary Force drove the Japanese pirates out of the country. Take a last look at Myanmar's jungle at the bridgehead of China-Myanmar border, then head north, and you can reach Luxi (mangshi) in less than two hours.

Luxi is the capital of Dehong Prefecture. You can have lunch in the city when you arrive at noon. The famous landscape in the urban area is the "tree-wrapped pagoda" in the courtyard of the first primary school. A colorful pagoda is heavily wrapped by adjacent banyan trees. It is one of the few cultural relics that have experienced the bonfire of the Anti-Japanese War. Now, primary school students are playing around, which is quite relaxing. Mr. Ma Lian, the owner of Xuelian Handicraft Shop outside Shubaota, is a famous musician and calligrapher. If you can talk to him about art and jade, you will gain something. You can also visit Bordet Key in the city. The temple is famous for its "Buddha's teeth", murals, paper-cuts and scriptures.

◎ Starting from Luxi, it is best to insert an unpaved old road of Yunnan-Myanmar Highway. This road is still paved with neat gravel, just like it was more than 60 years ago. When passing through Xiangguntang Township, if you ask the villagers, you can also visit several old people who have participated in road construction and learn some true stories on the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway.

It's about 30 kilometers from Luxi to Longling. Although Longling County is located in the deep mountains, it is clean and tidy, and the temperature is several degrees lower than other places. There is a bunker built by the Japanese army in the city, which is embedded in the bottom of a tall building and records the history of Longling War. In Longling, you can stay in Banglazhang Hot Spring Resort, which has the reputation of "the first strange soup in western Yunnan" and can wash away the dust along the way.

Travel tips:

Ok: The cost of renting a car from Ruili is about 200 yuan, so you can bargain with the driver. You can also take the shuttle bus to Luxi and Longling, and the fare is 20-0 yuan. However, the shuttle bus route no longer passes through the old Yunnan-Myanmar road, and there will be some losses in military and historical experience.

Stay: The price of hotels in Longling County ranges from tens to one hundred yuan, while the price of Banglazhang Hot Spring Resort is acceptable. You can call 0875-6 129060 to confirm the room in advance.

Gourmet: Dehong Prefecture is famous for its "roast suckling pig". Featured Dehong specialty small-eared pig, all kinds of seasonings are stuffed after evisceration. Bake over low heat until brown, and cover with wet grass ash until the skin is fragrant and crisp.

Day 4: Songshan Battlefield-Huitong Bridge-Tengchong

Longling is surrounded by mountains and has beautiful scenery. Songshan, the most famous anti-Japanese battlefield in the Western Yunnan War, is located in Ramon Township, about 60 kilometers northeast of the county seat. The whole Songshan Mountain stretches for more than 20 kilometers, and the main peak is 2200 meters above sea level, which is known as "Gibraltar of Yunnan-Myanmar Highway". 1994 During the Battle of Songshan, the Chinese Expeditionary Force wiped out more than 3,000 enemies and conquered this military commanding height.

It is the best preserved battlefield site in China.

◎ There are cemeteries and monuments for fallen soldiers at the foot of Songshan Mountain, which should be respected to commemorate the 6,000 soldiers who died for their country. In the pine forest on the mountain, you can see the trenches, fortifications and countless craters built by the Japanese army. On the way, a stone tablet marked the location and course of the bloody battle between Chinese and Japanese troops, which was very exciting. In front of the old position, you can see the Nujiang River in the distance.

◎ Continue to the northeast from Songshan and bump along the ancient Yunnan-Myanmar road, and you will soon reach Huitong Bridge, the iron cable bridge of Nujiang River. This bridge was blown up by the Japanese in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, which prevented the Japanese from continuing their eastward aggression. The Nujiang River is flat and crystal clear, and monkeys can be seen chasing and playing in the Woods on the other side of the river.

When you return from Huitong Bridge, you can go directly to Tengchong from a gravel road. Tengchong is not the main road of Yunnan-Myanmar Highway, but the gateway of another wartime artery-China-India Highway. It's about afternoon to Tengchong, and you can visit the National Memorial Cemetery on the edge of the city. The cemetery was built in 1944, destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt in the 1980s. A hill is full of tombstones of fallen soldiers, which is particularly solemn in the sunset. If you have enough time, you can go to Heshun Township, 3 kilometers west of the city. Simple folk houses and modest and elegant villagers show the quality of cultural edification. The exquisite and elegant Heshun Library, founded in 1929, is the earliest and largest library in China. During the Anti-Japanese War, it was once the headquarters of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, and it is still a cultural symbol that Heshun people are proud of.

Travel tips:

Ok: If you go to Songshan by coach, you need to take a bus from Longling to Ramon and Shidian. If the funds are limited, Tengchong can be used as the destination of chartered tour, and the journey after that is relatively straight and can be completed by long-distance bus.

Accommodation: You can stay in Rehai Hot Spring Resort in Tengchong and wash away the hardships and dust of the journey with hot springs again.

Gourmet: There is an unbeaten restaurant at the fork from Songshan to Tengchong, which is very warm and the price is reasonable. Tengchong's famous snack "Great Rescue" is worth a try. There is a "Xinhua Bookstore Dining Hall" in the city, which tastes authentic, but its location is remote, so you need to patiently ask the local people for specific directions.

Day 5: Tengchong-Baoshan-Dali

Look at the wonders of volcanoes and hot seas in the morning, and continue to set off along the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway. Baoshan City is eastward160km, and it will cross the two rivers of Ruili River and Nujiang River on the way. Baoshan has always been the rear area of the anti-Japanese war in western Yunnan, and suffered large-scale air strikes by the Japanese army, killing more than 10 thousand people. Today, as the regional capital, the city is quite prosperous.

Tengchong Rehai is famous far and near, and the most typical one is "Dagunguo Scenic Resort Scenic Area", with a diameter of more than 3 meters and a water depth of 1? 5 meters, the water temperature can reach 97 degrees, rolling day and night, transpiration in all seasons.

Baoshan Museum has a large collection of anti-Japanese cultural relics in western Yunnan, such as shells, firearms and helmets. , are collected from the folk. The book "Western Yunnan War of Chinese Expeditionary Force" edited by the museum is illustrated and illustrated, which is the best book of its kind in China. After lunch in Baoshan, you can go straight to Dali, the largest transit point of Yunnan-Myanmar Highway, along the Baoshan-Dali Expressway.

◎ The ancient city of Dali is a United Nations world cultural heritage and a tourist area developed earlier in Yunnan. The ancient houses in the city and Cangshan Erhai Lake outside the city are world-famous, and tourists from home and abroad gather here. The bars on "foreigner street" are full of weddings. Visitors can make a choice here: either go east to Kunming or northwest to Old Town of Lijiang. As our Yunnan-Myanmar highway must travel eastbound, friends who are going to visit the secret territory of northwest Yunnan may wish to wait until we introduce the "Tea-Horse Ancient Road" to discuss it.

Travel tips:

Line: There are shuttle buses from Tengchong to Baoshan and Baoshan to Dali. Baoda Expressway was opened to traffic soon, and it often intersects with the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway, so you can feel the traces of the connection between the past and the modern.

Live: go to dali, or live in the ancient city, experience the nightlife here, blend ancient and modern, and gather Chinese and foreign. There are many hotels and inns at various prices in the ancient city of Dali, and the prices will change with the changes in the off-peak season.

Gourmet: Try the special diet of Dali Bai nationality.

Day 6: Dali-Kunming

The anti-Japanese war sites around Dali include Tsinghua Cave and Yunnan Post Station, and there are countless historical and cultural landscapes. The total length from Dali to Kunming is over 300 kilometers. There are both straight expressways and the old roads of Yunnan-Myanmar Highway. The former can naturally reach the destination quickly, while the latter likes to enjoy the clear natural scenery in the mountains and rivers.

Spend a morning wandering around Cangshan Erhai Lake, boating on the lake, or playing in the beautiful and elegant Bai folk village. The scenery of Dali has already been introduced in various travel guides, so I don't need to go into details.

◎ After lunch, take a bus to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan and the end of Yunnan-Myanmar Highway. I will spend the afternoon in the car because of the long journey. You might as well savor the changes of Yunnan scenery, whether it is mountains and rivers, vegetation, folk houses or ethnic groups, it is colorful on this road.

Travel tips:

Ok: high-speed bus should be an ideal choice; Few shuttle buses take the old Yunnan-Myanmar road again. If you stick to the old road, chartered cars are probably necessary.

Accommodation: There are many accommodation options in Kunming, ranging from five-star hotels to youth hostels. During the peak season, tourists should book in advance to avoid wasting time and energy.

Gourmet: steamed chicken, crossing the bridge rice noodles and other famous Kunming foods must be tasted. Yunnan hot pot and barbecue are also popular local specialties.

Day 7: Kunming-End

Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, has its own metropolitan style. Travelers might as well spend some time buying some local specialties in Yunnan, such as Tuocha and small coffee, as gifts for relatives and friends. Traditional scenic spots in Kunming, such as Dianchi Lake and Cuihu Lake, can be visited. Provincial museums often hold free academic activities such as literature exhibitions or cultural lectures, so you may wish to attend them if you have the opportunity. Kunming has four seasons like spring, especially autumn and winter, which makes people feel more comfortable and happy.

◎ The Wujiang Hall in Yunnan, near the Cuihu Lake, despite its advanced age, shows an extraordinary human bearing. Long Yun, the founder of the Burma Road, and Zhu De, the founder of the Chinese Red Army, are all graduates of this military academy. The mottled walls describe a century of chinese military history.

Biji Golden Horse Archway is the landmark of Kunming and the "Arc de Triomphe" of Chinese Expeditionary Force. 1998 The two archways rebuilt are magnificent. It is both the starting point and the end point. It is of special significance to end the seven-day trip to the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway here, which has crossed the history and reality.

Third, line comments

Different from many tourist areas in Yunnan that have won by ethnic minorities or historical and cultural customs, there are more traces of the war more than 60 years ago along the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway. Songshan, Tengchong, Luxi and other places still preserve many battlefield sites during World War II: trenches, bunkers, underground fortifications, and old houses and villages attacked by artillery fire, all of which can rely on the brilliant feat of China's army fighting bloody battles in western Yunnan to expel the Japanese pirates; Most museums all over the country display war relics such as shells, bayonets, firearms and helmets. Many ordinary farmers also collect such ancient military items, and some have even been transformed into daily tools such as water tanks and tea cans. Some white-haired historical witnesses are still alive. From their eyes and words, we can vaguely imagine the iron will to build roads and kill the enemy.

In addition to its military and historical tourism value, the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway is comparable to other tourist attractions in Yunnan with its diverse ethnic distribution, unique natural wonders, delicious and cheap local dishes and exotic customs outside the border. Since most of the towns passing by (except Dali) are not hot spots where tourists flock, we can feel the mountains and rivers more quietly, appreciate the unpretentious and simple folk customs, and leave footprints connected with history on the rough paved Yunnan-Myanmar highway.

Fourth, the overall cost.

If two people are together, starting from Kunming and returning to Kunming to settle down, the total cost per capita will not exceed 2800 yuan.

In which: the accommodation fee shall not exceed that of 600 yuan.

The transportation fee shall not exceed 1.200 yuan (including air ticket and 3-day chartered car at Kunming-mangshi airport).

The cost of meals does not exceed that of 560 yuan.

Tickets and other incidental expenses (including one-day tour in Myanmar) shall not exceed that in 440 yuan.

In fact, in terms of cost, it is called "being rich and frugal". If you save some money, you can walk the whole distance around 2000 yuan. If you want to improve your comfort, more than 3,000 yuan is already a luxury. A true traveler measures the value of a journey with his heart, not with money. Let's pack up and hit the road.