New Edition of Simao Scenery Chronicle

Author: Huang Guishu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-05-01
Features: Simao Prefecture is located in the southwestern part of Yunnan Province, situated between 22°02' and 24°50' north latitude and 99°09' and 102°19' east longitude. It borders Honghe Hani and Zhiwei Autonomous Prefecture and Yuxi Prefecture to the east, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture to the south, and is bounded by the Lancang River to the northwest, sharing a border with Linlang Prefecture. To the northeast, it borders Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, and to the north, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. Its southeastern border adjoins Vietnam and Laos, while its southwestern border touches Myanmar. The national border is 486.29 kilometers long, including 67 kilometers with Vietnam, 116 kilometers with Laos, and 303.29 kilometers with Myanmar.
Geographically, Simao Prefecture is located on the southwestern edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the southern section of the Hengduan Mountains. The terrain features alternating mountains and valleys, stretching southward in a fan shape, with dense northern mountains spreading southeast and southwest, forming a narrow northern and wide southern structure. The terrain slopes from north to south, with Mount Maotou in the Mountains reaching an elevation of 3,307 meters in the north, while the lowest point is at the exit of the Li Xian River in Jiangcheng County in the south, at an elevation of 317 meters. The region is characterized by undulating mountains and intersecting ravines, predominantly mid-mountain and eroded mountainous areas. Mid-mountain areas and intermontane valleys, ranging from 1,000 to 3,307 meters in elevation, cover 89.5% of the total area, while low valleys below 1,000 meters account for 10.5%.
To the east of the Lancang River, the seven counties (cities) of Jingdong, Zhenyuan, Jinggu, Mojiang, Pu'er, Simao, and Jiangcheng have steep slopes with fewer gentle ones, while to the west of the river, the three counties of Lancang, Ximeng, and Menglian have more gentle slopes and fewer steep ones. The major mountain ranges in the region include the Ailao Mountains, the Wuliang Mountains, and the southern foothills of the Nujiang Mountains, including the Dadian Mountain and Ximeng Mountain, stretching north to south across the entire area. The average elevation of the mountain ranges is generally between 2,000 and 3,000 meters. The river systems include over 100 tributaries of the Red River, Lancang River, and Nujiang River systems distributed among the rugged mountains.
The Lixian River, belonging to the Red River system, originates in Xinjie, Nanjian County, flows through Anping Township in Jingdong County along the Ailao and Wuliang Mountains, and then heads southeast, passing through Jingdong County as the Chuan River, Zhenyuan County as the Silie River, Pu'er County as the Baiban River, and merges with the Amei River to form the Lixian River. The main tributaries include the Amei River, Siniang River, and Mengye River, among others. The Lancang River enters Jingdong County, flows south along the southwestern boundary, turns southeast at the junction of Jinggu and Lancang counties, and runs through the entire region, entering Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture via the small olive dam in Township, Simao City. The main tributaries include the Xiaoke River, Weiyan River, and Manlao River, among others. The Naka River, belonging to the Nujiang system, collects water from the Nankang River and Nanma River, flows through the western boundaries of Ximeng and Menglian counties into Myanmar, and merges with the lower reaches of the Nujiang River, the Salween River.
Due to its terrain and elevation, the region exhibits a distinct vertical climate, but the dominant climate is a subtropical mountain humid monsoon climate. The average annual temperature in Simao City is 17.8°C, with the coldest month averaging 10.5°C and the warmest month averaging 21.7°C. Winters are mild without extreme cold, and summers are pleasant without excessive heat.
The region administers nine autonomous counties and one city: Mojiang Hani Autonomous County, Pu'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Jingdong Yi Autonomous County, Zhenyuan Yi and Hani and Lahu Autonomous County, Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Ximeng Wa Autonomous County, and Menglian Dai and Lahu Wa Autonomous County, as well as Simao City. The region spans 208.5 kilometers from north to south, 55 kilometers from north to south in the north, and 299 kilometers from east to west in the south, with a total area of 45,385 square kilometers. It is home to 14 ethnic groups, including the Han, Hani, Yi, Lahu, Wa, Dai,, Lisu, Hui, Bai, Miao, Yao, Mongolian, and Jingpo.
As of the end of 1995, the population of the region was 2.37 million, with 235,000 non-agricultural residents accounting for 9.93% of the total population, and 1.44 million ethnic minority residents accounting for 61%. Simao Prefecture has been a multi-ethnic inhabited area since ancient times. During the Western Han Dynasty, it belonged to Ailao. In the Eastern Han, Shu Han, and Western Jin dynasties, it was part of Yongchang Commandery. During the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, it was part of Ningzhou Yongchang Commandery. From the Northern Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty, it belonged to Pudi. During the Tang Dynasty, it was part of Jiannan Circuit, with the area east of the Lancang River (now Jingdong, Zhenyuan, Jinggu, Mojiang, Pu'er, Simao, and Jiangcheng) belonging to Puzi, and the area west of the river (now Lancang, Menglian, and Ximeng) belonging to Wangbu and Mangbu. During the Southern Nanzhou period of the Tang Dynasty, the Silver Mountain Commandery was established, with the Silver Mountain Prefecture in Jingdong governing Kainan City, Liu Zhu and City (Zhenyuan), Xianyuan City (Jinggu), Fubian City (Pu'er), and Hepu River (Jiangcheng) and Tongsha River (Mojiang).
During the Dali Kingdom of the Song Dynasty, the Weichu Prefecture was established, governing Dangzhu (Jingdong), Weiyuan Zhen (Jinggu), Buri (Pu'er), Simao (Simao), and Malong (Mojiang). Today, Lancang, Ximeng, and Menglian belong to Yongchang Prefecture. During the Yuan Dynasty, Kainan Prefecture (Jingdong) and Weiyuan Prefecture (Jinggu) were established, subordinate to Weichu Circuit. Buri (Pu'er), Simao (Simao), and Malong Talang (Mojiang) were under Yuanjiang Circuit. The area west of the Lancang River (Lancang, Ximeng, and Menglian) was under Mule Circuit.
During the Ming Dynasty, Jingdong Prefecture, Zhenyuan Prefecture, Weiyuan Prefecture, and Gongshun Prefecture (Mojiang) were established. Today, Pu'er and Simao belong to the, while Lancang, Ximeng, and Menglian belong to the Mule Longshang. During the Qing Dynasty, the Pu'er Prefecture was established, governing three divisions, one county, and one bureau: Simao Division, Weiyuan Division (Jinggu), Talong Division (Mojiang), Ningpo County (Pu'er), and the (Xishuangbanna). The Zhenbian Directly Administered Division governed Lancang, Ximeng, and Menglian, while Jingdong was a directly administered division, and Zhenyuan was a directly administered prefecture.
During the Republic of China, the Pu'er Circuit, the Second Borderland Colonization Office, and the Administrative Specialized Office of the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Districts were established. After 1949, the Simao-Pu'er Temporary People's Administrative Committee, the Pu'er Administrative Specialized Office, and the Simao Administrative Specialized Office were established, governing the current Simao Prefecture and Xishuangbanna Prefecture. On September 9, 1968, it was changed to the Simao Prefecture Revolutionary Committee. Since February 1979, it has been known as the Simao Prefecture Administrative Office.
Simao Prefecture is vast, with an average of 32 mu of land per person. It is rich in biodiversity, with over 460 species of birds and mammals and 46 species of reptiles and amphibians. Each person in the region has 9.8 mu of forest, making it the second-largest forest area in Yunnan. In addition to staple crops like rice and corn, the region is renowned for tea, sugarcane, tropical fruits, rubber, peanuts, and other cash crops.
The region has discovered underground mineral resources such as gold, silver, lead, iron, tin, copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc, and chromium, as well as rock salt, potassium salt, petroleum, and coal. It also has abundant hydropower resources. The Lancang River hydropower and international navigation resources are under development. Simao Port, the national-level port on the Lancang River, has been built and put into use. The large passenger flight route from Kunming to Simao operates year-round. Major highways such as the Kunluo Highway, Mining Highway, Chujiang Highway, Simao-Lancang Highway, Jingquan (within the Linlang Circle) Highway, and Enshui Highway crisscross the region, with all urban and rural areas accessible by car.
In 1997, the region's gross domestic product was 4.19 billion yuan, with a total industrial and agricultural output value of 3.34 billion yuan. The per capita income of urban residents was 4,220 yuan, and the per capita net income of rural residents was 955 yuan. By the end of the year, the total length of highways in operation was 1,449.7 kilometers. The number of households with residential telephone users at the end of the year was 47,700, wireless pagers 32,800, and mobile phone users 3,577. The total retail sales of social consumer goods throughout the year was 1.78 billion yuan. The number of foreign tourists, overseas Chinese, and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan visiting the region in the year was 28,400, with foreign exchange earnings from tourism reaching 6.996 million U.S. dollars. The number of Laotian, Vietnamese, and Burmese cross-border visitors was 140,700, with commercial income of 254.2 thousand U.S. dollars. The number of domestic tourists was 455,000, with tourism revenue of 557.45 million yuan.
Simao Prefecture is rich in scenic spots and historical sites, with 10 provincial-level cultural relic protection units and 49 county-level units. Its folk customs are unique and colorful, and it has produced many famous figures. The region is home to rare animals and plants, as well as exotic flowers and trees. Local specialties are distinctive, and transportation and tourism infrastructure are convenient. Experts, scholars, and tourists from around the world, after peeling away the veil of mystery, will leave unforgettable impressions.