The Burma Road

Nowadays the new road from Kunming to Ruili, in Dehong Prefecture on the border with Myanmar 832 km away, takes less than 20 hours by sleeper bus. Only a few years ago it took nearly double the time. The new road, cut and paved over a slightly different route, is a modern, four-lane highway. The old road followed the ancient mule train track, the fabled Southwest Silk Route. Mostly cobbled rather than paved, two lanes all the way, its traffic included everything from private cars and public buses to tractor-trailers, horse carts, big logging trucks and so forth.

In the past it was even slower. European explorers in the 19th century complained about its surface and wherever possible preferred to walk on the shoulder of the road. One good reason for governments in dynastic days not to maintain the road in good condition was the fact that trade along the route was intermittent, subject to banditry and dependent upon the political power of the prospective trade partners. When the Chinese government was strong and able to extend its influence to remote areas, and when some sort of stability existed in northern Burma, commerce developed and the route was protected. When these conditions did not prevail long-distance trade ceased, not being worth the risk.

In 1937 the Japanese Army, having occupied eastern China, began blockading shipments to western China, where the Nationalist government had relocated. The old Silk Route assumed new importance. The government at once began conscripting the local population along the route, mainly ethnic minorities, to build a new road connecting Kunming with the border town of Wanding in southwest Dehong. So long as the British held Burma hundreds of vehicles, coming up from Bhamo and Lashio, crossed the bridge at Wanding, delivering thousands of tons of supplies daily.

It was not an easy task, especially since it was done under emergency pressures. Hundreds of labourers lost their lives in landslides and construction accidents. The road climbed up and down many mountain ranges, crossed the Lancangjiang and the Nujiang,as well as smaller rivers. And the sometimes wonderful scenery along the route was never in the thoughts of the road's builders, who considered only the blood, sweat and toil required for the effort.