Shidian County History

Shidian county is in the south of Banshan, it has a long history, about 8000 years ago the “yao people” thrived in this land, established the land for the motherland frontier, wrote the splendid prehistoric culture. The Western Han dynasty set up the Buwei County(不韦县), in Yuan dynasty,the Zhangguansi(长官司) appeared,Qianlong 35 years in Qing dynasty, the Shidian Xunzhengting(巡政厅) was set up. In the early repulican period, the Shidian Partition county was named. On December 1, 1962, ShiDian county was set up approved by the State Council.

The Silk Road

Yaoguan Ancient Town is located in the south of ShiDian county, 20 km away from the county seat, it is an important part of the ancient Silk Road in history stage, is also the economic, cultural exchange center.

The Silk Road is an international road of historical significance. It is the ancient passage -way that has connected the civilizations and thus promoted the multi-interchange between East and West. The ancient road has its start in Changan, an ancient capital of China (now Xian), and its terminus on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean through the Gobi deserts, vast grassland, magnificent mountains of Tianshan, Karakurum, Himalayans and others.

Silk Road starts from Xian in central China. It goes to the west and reaches to Dunhuang through the Hexi corridor. From Dunhuang further to west, goes by three different routes known as Southern Silk Road,Central Silk Road and Northern Silk Road. Southern Route rides to southwest through ancient city of Kroran (Loulan), Miran and along the south of the Taklamakan desert, come to Khotan, Yarkand finally to Kashgar. Central Route arrives at the oasis of Kumul, Turpan and crossing the Tianshan Mountain to Kucha, Aksu then to Kashgar.

Shidian Huitong Bridge

Shidian Huitong Bridge is located on the Nujiang river which is the boundary of Shidian county and Longling county. Its east is the tangible DengZi big mountains that is like a knife cut, ts west is the towering Lameng Songshan(腊勐松山). Among the alpines and valleys, it is known as “Tianqian(天堑)”.

This “Burma Road” bridge (Sometimes spelled as Hwei Tung), with a span of 123 metres, has been preserved as a monument because it was here that the Japanese army was stopped during World war-II. The invaders coming up the Burma road from the South were unable to cross the Nujiang river (Salween) after the bridge was blown up on the 5th of May 1942 by the Chinese defence.

The bridge was reconstructed to handle the supplies coming up the Ledo road after the Chinese recaptured Songshan mountian and the far Western part of Yunnan again at the end of 1944. The present form dates from 1950 and carries the communist star on the rebuild Eastern bridgehead.