Chiang Roon

My second arrival at Jinghong was pretty dramatic. I was a key witness to an illegal military technology transfer from the USA to Israel while having held top-secret clearance in my country; subsequently, when my underground Christianity and my attempt to publish "The Road to Bethlehem" were discovered, I became the target of a ruthless persecution.

The Location

I was very tired after a hurried trip from Vientiane; I had been running away from my people for days without stopping and could hardly stand, thinking of security measures was not possible at that moment. I just wanted a bed at any price. The closest place to the terminal, actually its back side delimits it, was the Hong Feng Hotel; I entered it from the back door which luckily was just in front of my bus stop.

By the main entrance there were several fruit stalls with the tasty, fresh fruits of the area, just the perfect end for a hurried noodles soup meal.

The Reception

The reception desk was next to that door and the two clerks posted there were openly staring at me. It was not the dirt, I have been dirtier with less consequences, it was not my clothes, which despite being a little shaken from the trip, were still respectable, it was simply the sight of my obvious tiredness that kept them looking. Or that was my thought at the moment.

Their obviously sharp perception convinced me that they will take advantage from the situation by offering a high price for the room. I approached them and couldn’t help to notice the big sign with golden letters advertising that a single room is offered for 268 Yuan. That was above my budget, and while considering if I had the strength to search for another hotel right now or to opt for a tiring bargaining session in an unknown language, the clerks stopped looking at me, looked amused at each other and shout almost together: "Forty Yuan – Single Loom."

Shocked from my success, feeling like a business shark, I allowed myself a short silence, enjoying the thought that I have found a place to sleep tonight. I was still savoring my mental hot shower, when the clerks, looking nervous, shouted together once again: "Thirty Yuan – Single Loom." The situation was serious; I understood that it wasn’t wise to underestimate their bargaining powers.

The Room

For the first time since my entrance I smiled and asked to see the room. I was lead to a room just over the active Karaoke Lounge, which was too noisy and from there, to my request, to another room in a higher floor. There I camped for that night. The rooms in the hotel were big, with an attached bathroom, hot water, cables television, a comfortable bed, heavy curtains that allowed sleeping until noon, electric switches by the bed, a thermos with hot water, tea bags and two packs of noodle soup which were included in the room price.

At the reception I was asked to leave a 100 Yuan deposit which would be returned at the check-out time.

By My Own Kin

Waking up early, I started brewing the coffee. I opened the double curtain to check the weather outside. Stretching to open the window, my right arm held the curtain further to the side as I reached out my left arm to pull open the window. After a night in this dark hotel room in Jinghong, China, the bright sunlight was too strong and forced me to squint and look down. The red spot advancing from my belly to my chest was hard to miss. A laser microphone was not probable; its beam would not be moving.

I became a soldier again and instinctively, bent my knees, left hand flat to the floor. My legs stretched backwards as lightning fast I dropped prone to the carpet. My right hand, still holding the curtain, cast it back over the window. A second later, the only light penetrating the room came from the bullet hole in the curtain.

I grabbed my things and slowly left the hotel, unsuspiciously walking into the brisk morning air of Jinghong. I was being hunted down by my own kin.

(from "The Road to Bethlehem")

Shortly afterwards, I was officially recognized as a refugee.

Drinking an afternoon tea while touring a shopping quarter in a foreign city may seem trivial, hardly worth a sentence in a more general entry, too insignificant an event for getting a whole article.

However, some places are different. The large and active Burmese quarter in Jinghong was an unexpected sight; its beautiful round letters created a sharp contrast with the square Chinese characters surrounding them; they hinted at an interesting story. Trying to find it out within a Burmese Teahouse was a worthy way to spend the afternoon.

A few tables filled a rather dark space, which provided a much needed relief from the sun rays in the street. A waiter was behind a bar at the end and immediately served me a steaming cup of chai without being asked for; that was the only available option. Chai is the name for a tea cooked with milk and lots of sugar; it is typical of Indian and Burmese communities.

I was studying my drink when somebody nearby said in good English:

"Please join us."

Three young persons were also drinking chai; seeing my hesitation, the speaker among them added:

"Don’t worry, I invite."

Not wanting to offend, I moved with my chai to the other table. The other two did not speak English, thus the following conversation was quite limited. The speaker commented his sister was an English teacher; she taught him.

They were more interested in talking about themselves with betel-nut filled mouths than in hearing me talk about far away places; the chai turned out being an amazing lesson about the lives of refugees and migrants in modern China.

He and twenty-seven other members of his family were forced to leave Myanmar and were scattered in China, Thailand and Malaysia.

"Timex!" – he suddenly exclaimed, and seeing my perplexed look added: "Exit Time! We even did not have time for spelling out the whole words while we run away!" he explained with a smile.

Then he explained that in China they are not recognized as refugees and are denied thus many basic rights, they can’t work and moving around is difficult for them, they work as jade traders in Jinghong.

After an hour or so I thanked them, but while taking out the money to pay, the speaker – and I apologize to the readers for keeping out of this article his name – didn’t let me pay. He spoke rapidly in Burmese to the waiter and she approached him and not me; he paid. It was a fraction of a dollar, the amount was not significant; yet, they were refugees showing hospitality to another foreigner. I couldn’t help remembering His words: "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in"

I never told them I was a refugee myself – though of a different type. Shortly before my room hotel had been searched in an organized fashion; soon afterwards I was to experience more violent attacks. Yet, in a small teahouse in Jinghong I was reassured that good people do exist; that it is only a matter of time until society will change for good.

"Tell my story!" he shouted as I was leaving.

Despite its low profile, Xishuangbanna is one of the most attractive and diverse destinations in Beijing. For cultural and geographical reasons the area seems to belong more to Thailand – or Laos – than to China proper.

Name

The area’s formal name is the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture; accordingly, it is home to the Dai people - the largest ethnic group in the area.

Its name means "Twelve Thousand Rice Fields," but the area is known also as Sipsongpanna, which has a similar meaning in Thai.

Location

Located on the southern part of Yunnan and bordering with Laos to the southeast and Myanmar to the southwest, the prefecture’s capital is the town of Jinghong, which is divided by the Mekong River – called here Lancang.

The area is at a lower altitude than most of Yunnan, enjoying thus a tropical climate. The town of Mengla – near the Laotian border – is a county capital and a stop in the way to Laos.

Accessibility

The area remoteness is sharpened by the fact that it is still not connected to the Chinese railways network and is more accessible from Laos than from China proper. The border with Myanmar is problematic; visiting Burmese border towns from China is possible, but reaching the area from central Myanmar it is not.

Biodiversity

Xishuangbanna is one of the most biodiverse zones in China, mainly due to its tropical climate and it being one of the most remote zones in the country. This is the only place in China where wild elephants can still be found. Lush rubber plantations adorn the road sides and are replacing the original rainforest. The Six Famous Tea Mountains – where the best Puer Tea is produced - is within Xishuangbanna.

Ethnic Groups

About a million people live in the prefecture; the Dai are the majority ethnic group in the area with roughly 30% of the population. They are closely followed by Han Chinese. The third significant group is the Hani (or Akha, related to the Tibetan Qiang and despite the name not related to the Han) with roughly 19%. The Yi and Lahu people roughly pass the 5% mark, while the Blang, Jino and Yao are around 2% each. Miao people – they prefer being called Hmong – compromise around 1%. Other groups are the Bai, Hui (Muslim Han), Va and Zhuang. A significant – but unaccounted for – minority is made of Burmese refugees, who lack any legal status.

Dai

Chinese Dai is the general name of several ethnic groups living in Xishuanbanna, Taihong Tai and Jingpo in Southern Yunnan. Related groups live in Laos, South Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar; they are closely related to Thailand’s Thais.

As with many other officially recognized ethnic groups in China the Chinese term "Dai" includes several groups which have different names in the various Tai dialects and languages. Moreover, the Dai people themselves include the Zhuang people among them, while the Chinese authorities consider them as a separate ethnic group.

Language

The two main languages of the Dai are Tai Lü (Sipsongpanna Tai) and Tai Nüa (Taihong Tai) – both mean "Northern Thai;" the two written languages used by the Dai are Tày Pong and Tai Dam.

The languages belong to the Tai-Kadai language family, which includes also Thai, Lao, and Zhuang.

Religion

Like the Thai, the Tai practice Theravada Buddhism, sprinkled up with animist traditions.

History

Both sides of the Mekong River in the Sipsongpanna formed the original home of the Northern Tai. In the past there were five city-states on the east bank and six on the west, which with Chiang Roon sitting on the river banks, formed twelve rice field divisions – hence the name Sipsongpanna. They controlled thirty-two small provinces surrounding them.

On the west banks were Roon, Ha, Sae, Lu, Ong, Luang, Hun, Phan, Chiang Choeng, Hai, Chiang Lo and Mang; while on the east banks - La, Bang, Hing, Pang, La, Wang, Phong, Yuan, Bang and Chiang Thong – which is Luang Prabang in Laos.

The southwards pressure created by Chinese Han migrants sent many of these people further south. Some of them founded settlements in modern Thailand (especially around Chiang Rai, Chiang Saen, and Chiang Khong), while others moved to Myanmar (to Yong in the Shan State) and Laos.

In Thailand, these people are known as Thai Yai (Big Thai) and by the rest of the world as Shan. Their descendants live nowadays in most of Northern Thailand, but especially in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, nan, Phayao, Lampang, and Lamphun.

Economy

As the Thai, the Dai people live usually next to rivers and practice agriculture based on rice and tropical fruits.

Food

Dai food is strikingly similar to the Thai, with the addition of carrots and pickles and the subtraction of the spiciest chillies. The people pride themselves on being the original cultivators of rice; the sticky variety is a staple of their diet.

Jinghong

Jinghong is the name of Xishuangbanna’s capital; it was the historic capital of the Sipsongpanna Tai Kingdom. In the past it was known as Chiang Roon, Chiang Roong, Chiang Hung, Cheng Rung, and Muang Jinghung – all perfectly normal Thai names.

History

During the Chinese Yuan Dynasty, the Tai kingdom of Sipsongpanna began a close and long-lasting relationship to Lanna, a southern Tai kingdom. In 1296, Lanna's capital Chiang Mai was founded by King Mangrai, whose maternal grandfather was King Rung Kaen Chai of Jinghong.

Both kingdoms maintained close ties through trade, migration and marriages along the centuries, though as Lanna's power grew, parts of the Sipsongpanna fell under Lanna's control, while the last was slowly swallowed up by the Chinese Empire.

During the 15th century and as a result of complex events, Sipsongpanna began to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty of China; and in 1405 even attacked Chiang Mai, in conjunction with a Ming Chinese army. Except for a short period during the 16th century in which Sipsongpanna became vassal to the Burmese – together with Chiang Mai in Thailand – the kingdom was part of the Chinese Empire for most of its recorded history.

Bolay Tea

Puer or bolay tea is one of the most distinctive products of the area, though it is named after Puer County near Simao. The Six Famous Tea Mountains is the most famous bolay area in Yunnan; it is within Xishuangbanna.

This tea is one of the most complex varieties of the plant, since it can be consumed either as a green (sheng) or black tea (shou). Unlike other teas that are consumed shortly after production, bolay can be drunk immediately or aged; its varieties are classified by year and region of production – like wine.

For the traveller willing to taste it, that poses many difficulties, doubly so since there are many fake products; only experts can identify real aged bolay tea. On the other hand, real products dating back to the Qing Dynasty can still be purchased.

It can appear as tea cakes - compressed into a variety of shapes, including melon-pagodas, pillars, calabashes, small bricks and others - or as loose leaves.

Due to the prolonged fermentation of black bolay and the slow oxidization of aged green bolay, they lack the bitter properties of other tea types, while the young green bolay is strong, bitter and aromatic.

After traveling for a while in China, differentiating between cities became difficult. There were the obvious exceptions of iconic sites in the main cities: Xian, Beijing, Hong Kong; but Lanzhou and Chengdu soon became similar chunks in my salad of Chinese memories. Even iconic cities were similar in their details; a posh coffee shop in Shanghai was similar to the ones in Xian. I found a similar situation only in another continental country, the USA.

I knew it was an illusion, the result of traveling fast while not commanding the local language; yet, I knew an underground must exist somewhere. A place nurturing an alternative version of the local culture, where dumplings would be frowned up and cellular phones promotions would be considered hostile acts.

Near Laos and beyond the reach of the Chinese Railways I found such a place. I was sent there by a Thai friend; aware of my fascination with their culture, she sent me there simply by saying: "Our roots are there."

The first sight was disappointing. The Mekong River – called here Lancang -didn’t look as it does in Thailand – it was blue and shallow; two modern bridges spanned it. The bus terminal area was typically Chinese; the city is surprisingly compact and modern – in recent years it became a popular spot for Chinese tourists.

Nonetheless, soon I discovered the Dai and Burmese neighborhoods and immediately I knew I was in a limbo, an extra-territorial area far away of crazed nationalistic ideologies.

The experience was fascinating and enriched my extensive trips through Thailand and the sporadic contacts I had with Myanmar and its people.

Seeing a Dai woman preparing a bamboo stick in the same fashion used in Southern Thailand was worth several university courses. There was no better way to experience the shared roots of this distant people and the inconsequence and randomness of modern borders between imaginary entities. Bamboo sticks filled with sticky rice and coconut cream are real (and tasty).

A simple gesture- as showing an internet café printed picture of a faraway version of the local food can achieve wonderful results. The apparently indifferent and bored worker wakes up and with shiny eyes would ask questions in a foreign language. Often, only the name of the other place would be understood, but additional information would be implicitly transferred, a new friend would be won.

Jinghong is the name of Xishuangbanna’s capital; it was the historic capital of the Sipsongpanna Tai Kingdom. In the past it was known as Chiang Roon, Chiang Roong, Chiang Hung, Cheng Rung, and Muang Jinghung – all perfectly normal Thai names.

About a million people live in the prefecture; the Dai are the majority ethnic group in the area with roughly 30% of the population. Their presence in Jinghong is notable, especially around Manting Lu, a north-to-south avenue beginning roughly a block south and west of the newer (southern) bridge. Many typical Dai houses adorn the area; they can be easily recognized by their beautiful bamboo decorations. Most of the food stalls in the area serve traditional Dai dishes, which remarkably remind of Thai ones. Dai food adds carrots and pickles and subtracts the spiciest chilies from its Thai counterpart. The people pride themselves on being the original cultivators of rice; the sticky variety is a staple of their diet.

Nearby are several travelers’ cafes serving food, book exchange, laundry and information. The most remarkable ones are Mei Mei Café, Mekong Café and Lemongrass Café; all of them surround the northern end of Manting Lu. Basic guesthouses cater for backpackers in the area, the most interesting (though uncomfortable) are the Dai Guesthouse and Dai Building Guesthouse, both on Manting Lu.

The Bank of China is the recommended place for changing money; it is on the main junction in town, slightly south of Jinghong Xi Lu and Jinghong Dong Lu, just south of the attractive park occupying the town’s center.

North of there, but south of the long-distance bus terminal - a long block north of Jinghong Dong Lu - is a pedestrians shopping street where the significant – but unaccounted for minority of Burmese refugees - can be met. Most of them specialize on jade and souvenirs trading, but several Burmese Teashops can be visited and enjoyed.

Since earliest times rivers have been a favorite destination for travelers; partly because they are moving, flowing destinations with quietly implied adventures. Many travelers choose to travel along the longest river, the widest, the highest or the lowest, or maybe even along the wettest one.

I did a different choice: the Mekong. Not because it is the best in a given category, but because it is a human river. The Mekong resists being qualified in banal ways; it has other properties to be proud of. More than anything else, the Mekong is a human river; countless cultures and civilizations were born, grew up and gave way to others on its shores.

Geographic Facts

The Mekong is considered to be the tenth-longest river in the world, and the tenth-largest by volume. Despite the problematic definition of the term (because there are several tributaries), its estimated length is slightly less than five thousand kilometers, and it drains an area of over 800,000 square kilometers. Many rapids and waterfalls, as well as a flow varying wildly during the seasons make a complete navigation of the river impossible.

Political Facts

The Mekong originates high on the Tibetan Plateau and runs through Yunnan in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The common name of the river originates in the Thai language: Mae Nam Khong (or Mekong for short) means "Mother of Rivers." However, Burmese people call it the Mae Khaung, the Tibetans refer to it as Dza Chu, the Cambodians "Tonle Thom" and the Chinese know it as the "Lancang River."

Roughly half of its length is within modern China. After leaving China, the river forms the border between Myanmar and Laos, at the end of which it meets the Ruak River at the Golden Triangle. This point also marks the division between the Upper and Lower Mekong. Then, it divides Laos and Thailand, before a stretch passing through Laos alone, where it reaches during the high season a width of over four kilometers and a depth of a hundred meters. It marks the Lao-Thai border in the stretch passing Vientiane, the Laotian capital, and then it passes again through a short stretch through Laos alone until the Cambodian border; this is an area known as the Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) region.

In Cambodia it meets the Tonle Sap River next to Phnem Penh. The Tonle Sap connects to a huge lake of the same name in northern Cambodia; the complex system can flow in both directions depending on the season and the relative height of both rivers. South of the union of both rivers, it is known as the Bassac and flows into Vietnam into the Mekong Delta. The nine estuaries of the delta are the origin to the Vietnamese name: Sông Cuu, or namely the River of Nine Dragons. Roughly a hundred million people rely on the river for the growth of rice, which is the main crop of the area.

Natural Life

In northern Laos, the Mekong is home to the endangered Giant Mekong Catfish while the Si Phan Don (four thousand islands) region hosts groups of the very rare Irrawady fresh water dolphins.

Bridges

Within China there are several bridges over the Mekong. The most accessible one is within the city of Jinghong, where it connects the divided city. In the Lower Mekong, the best known bridge is the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge which connects Nong Khai with Vientiane in Laos. The Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge is south of there and connects Mukdahan in Thailand to Savannakhet. Within Laos there is another bridge near Champosak.

Human Presence

Settlements dating back to 2100BC have been found around the river, with Ban Chiang being the oldest one. The Funan civilization (a kind of Indianised-Khmer culture) dates back to the first century and was the first organized society found along the Mekong. It was succeeded during the fifth century by the Chenla people, which was another Khmer state, and then by the mighty Khmer empire of Angkor.

Following the fall of the Khmer empire, the Mekong was the frontier between states of Siam and Tonkin (Northern Vietnam). The French captured Saigon in the mid-19th century, established a protectorate over Cambodia in 1863 and then took the three Laotian principalities from the Siamese in the late nineteen century. They added a distinctive colonial touch to these cultures; the colonial reality lasted until the First and Second Indochina Wars ended French and American involvement in the region.

Festivals

The Naga Festival in Nong Khai and Vientiane celebrates balls of light rising from the water and attributed to underwater dragon-serpents (Nagas). See my specifically dedicated entry for more details.

Traveling along the Mekong

Traveling along this river is best accomplished by combining boats and cars. An interesting trip on boat is the one crossing from the port of Chiang Saen (see that entry in my Golden Triangle journal) in the Thai Golden Triangle into China. Within Laos it is possible to travel on boat from Huay Xai southwards, but the trip is slow and expensive; another option in Laos is to cross over the river to Cambodia crossing the Four Thousand Islands region.

The most interesting boat trip is the one from Phnom Penh in Cambodia to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. However, the Mekong is a human river; the people living on its shores are its main attraction and are better visited while traveling on the riversides. The vast cultural richness of this river would leave unforgettable memories to those choosing this last option.