Indelible memories from Yunnan-Myanmar Road

The Yunnan-Myanmar Road (Burma Road) was once the “life-blood” of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. It is a miracle in the road-building history of mankind, completed in Yunnan mainly by old people, women and children in only nine months.

From July 2 to 8, the all-media interviewing group of Yunnan Daily Press Group started out from Kunming and headed westward along the Yunnan-Myanmar Road, finally arriving at Wanding Port in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. We went in search of memories of this road first made during the War of Resistance against Japanese Agreesion.

We have been long accustomed to modern highways, so the Yunnan-Myanmar Road seems narrow and bumpy. However, seeing the scenery along the way, we could not help admiring the road builders of the past. The Yunnan-Myanmar Road winds its way through the high mountains and deep valleys of western Yunnan. At some points, it is already frightening enough riding on the road, let alone thinking about building it.

In Longling County, we came to Laohuzui (or Tiger’s Mouth) on the west bank of the Nujiang River. There, the road and the cliff are shaped like a tiger’s mouth where they overhang the river. The hammer and chisel marks and blast holes can still be seen on the cliff face. A young reporter could not help exclaiming: “The road was literally dug out of the cliff with fingers.”

With such difficult conditions and antique equipment, how could the people of Yunnan possibly have completed this road? In the Yunnan Highway Exhibition Hall in the Lujiangba Service Zone in Baoshan City, we relived history through old photos, stone rollers, drill bits and other road-building tools.

After July 7, 1937, Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China. In order to isolate and eliminate resisting forces, the Japanese invaders blocked all of China’s coastal ports and eastern land transport routes. Even the last transport channel, the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, was severed following the fall of Vietnam. Therefore, it became a priority to build the Yunnan-Myanmar Road as a transport channel connecting China’s rear area with the international community.

The Yunnan-Myanmar Road, starting from Kunming and terminating at Lashio, Myanmar, extended for 1146.1 kilometres, with 959.4 kilometres in Yunnan (including the Kunming-Xiaguan dirt road that was built in 1935) and 186.7 kilometres in Myanmar. As agreed by British-Myanmar authorities, China was responsible for constructing the 547.8-kilometre section between Xiaguan in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and Wanding. Meanwhile, Myanmar was responsible for building the Lashio-Wanding section. The whole project was to be completed within one year.

At the end of 1937, over 200,000 road builders from more than ten ethnic groups in Yunnan began construction on the Yunnan-Myanmar Road. Bringing their own food and tools, braving the wind and rain, and defying high mountains and torrential rivers, they worked day and night. On August 31, 1938, the Yunnan-Myanmar Road was finally opened to traffic, ahead of schedule, after nine months of hard work. In late 1938, the first batch of military supplies was transported to Kunming via the Yunnan-Myanmar Road.

The Yunnan-Myanmar Road was built with amazing speed despite unbelievable difficulties. At least 3,000 road builders lost their lives, including eight technicians.

At that time, many young and middle-aged adults in Yunnan went to the frontlines of the War, leaving mostly women, children and old people at home. Despite a severe lack of road-building equipment and technical support, they worked a miracle of road-building history with primitive tools. Instead of explosives, they used fire and water to break rocks; instead of mechanical road rollers, they dragged stone rollers attached to their shoulders to compact the road surface. Danger was everywhere. In the daytime, the slightest mistake could cause one to fall into the deep valleys, while at night, people had to take shelter under rocks or inside caves. In winter, workers were exposed to severe cold while during the summer, they were under the threat of malaria and other infectious diseases.

The completion of Yunnan-Myanmar Road shocked the world. The British newspaper The Times claimed that this could be achieved within such a short time only in China. From its opening in 1938 to Japan’s surrender in 1945, according to official records, 490,000 tons of strategic supplies were transported into China via the Yunnan-Myanmar Road, greatly contributing to the final victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

Indelible memories from Yunnan-Myanmar Road

The Yunnan-Myanmar Road (Burma Road) was once the life-blood of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. It is a miracle in the road-building history of mankind, completed in Yunnan mainly by old people, women and children in only nine months. From July 2 to 8, the all-media interviewing group of Yunnan Daily Press Group started out from Kunming and headed westward along the Yunnan-Myanmar Road, finally arriving at Wanding Port in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. We went in search of memories of this road first made during the War of Resistance against Japanese Agreesion. We have been long accustomed to modern highways, so the Yunnan-Myanmar Road seems narrow and bumpy. However, seeing the scenery along the way, we could not help admiring the road builders of the past. The Yunnan-Myanmar Road winds its way through the high mountains and deep valleys of western Yunnan. At some points, it is already frightening enough riding on the road, let alone thinking about building it. In Longling County, we came to Laohuzui (or Tigers Mouth) on the west bank of the Nujiang River. There, the road and the cliff are shaped like a tigers mouth where they overhang the river. The hammer and chisel marks and blast holes can still be seen on the cliff face. A young reporter could not help exclaiming: The road was literally dug out of the cliff with fingers. With such difficult conditions and antique equipment, how could the people of Yunnan possibly have completed this road? In the Yunnan Highway Exhibition Hall in the Lujiangba Service Zone in Baoshan City, we relived history through old photos, stone rollers, drill bits and other road-building tools. After July 7, 1937, Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China. In order to isolate and eliminate resisting forces, the Japanese invaders blocked all of Chinas coastal ports and eastern land transport routes. Even the last transport channel, the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, was severed following the fall of Vietnam. Therefore, it became a priority to build the Yunnan-Myanmar Road as a transport channel connecting Chinas rear area with the international community. The Yunnan-Myanmar Road, starting from Kunming and terminating at Lashio, Myanmar, extended for 1146.1 kilometres, with 959.4 kilometres in Yunnan (including the Kunming-Xiaguan dirt road that was built in 1935) and 186.7 kilometres in Myanmar. As agreed by British-Myanmar authorities, China was responsible for constructing the 547.8-kilometre section between Xiaguan in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and Wanding. Meanwhile, Myanmar was responsible for building the Lashio-Wanding section. The whole project was to be completed within one year. At the end of 1937, over 200,000 road builders from more than ten ethnic groups in Yunnan began construction on the Yunnan-Myanmar Road. Bringing their own food and tools, braving the wind and rain, and defying high mountains and torrential rivers, they worked day and night. On August 31, 1938, the Yunnan-Myanmar Road was finally opened to traffic, ahead of schedule, after nine months of hard work. In late 1938, the first batch of military supplies was transported to Kunming via the Yunnan-Myanmar Road. The Yunnan-Myanmar Road was built with amazing speed despite unbelievable difficulties. At least 3,000 road builders lost their lives, including eight technicians. At that time, many young and middle-aged adults in Yunnan went to the frontlines of the War, leaving mostly women, children and old people at home. Despite a severe lack of road-building equipment and technical support, they worked a miracle of road-building history with primitive tools. Instead of explosives, they used fire and water to break rocks; instead of mechanical road rollers, they dragged stone rollers attached to their shoulders to compact the road surface. Danger was everywhere. In the daytime, the slightest mistake could cause one to fall into the deep valleys, while at night, people had to take shelter under rocks or inside caves. In winter, workers were exposed to severe cold while during the summer, they were under the threat of malaria and other infectious diseases. The completion of Yunnan-Myanmar Road shocked the world. The British newspaper The Times claimed that this could be achieved within such a short time only in China. From its opening in 1938 to Japans surrender in 1945, according to official records, 490,000 tons of strategic supplies were transported into China via the Yunnan-Myanmar Road, greatly contributing to the final victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.