The Site of Loiwing Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company in Ruili City
Attractions Overview
In 1938, it built a new factory a further 1500km west on the China-Burma frontier at Loiwing, which opened in early 1939. In the winter of 1940-1941, CAMCO also became involved in recruitment and supply for the 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG), later known as the Flying Tigers. The CAMCO factory at Loiwing was virtually destroyed by a Japanese air strike in October 1940, and "was rebuilt as a maintenance and repair facility for the [Chinese Air Force]"; subsequently it was used to repair AVG P-40s, and its airfield was briefly used by the AVG to mount raids into Thailand and Burma. Following the Allied retreat from Burma in the spring of 1942, the Loiwing plant was lost to the Japanese.
Chinese Name:瑞丽雷允中央飞机制造厂(Pinyin: Ruili Leiyun Zhongyang Feiji Zhizaochuang)
English Name: The Site of Loiwing Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company in Ruili City, Dehong
Attraction Type: Historical site
Best Time to Visit: All year round
Recommended Visiting Time: under 1 hour
Opening Hours: All day long
Admission Fee: Free
Address: Loiwing Village, Ruili City, Dehong Jingpo and Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan(云南省德宏傣族景颇族自治州瑞丽市雷允村)
Why is the Site of Loiwing Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company So Special
In 1939, the CAMCO Factory was built here. Its predecessor was the Hangzhou Aircraft Manufacturing Factory. It was forced to move in with a part of equipment and technicians during the Anti-Japanese War. Because Loiwing was at the border and close to the transportation artery, overseas equipment and materials could be transported here easily through the Yunnan-Burma Road. It is unknown where the where the runway was at that time. It was said that the plane entered into Myanmar after leaving the ground.
The CAMCO factory was built according to the American design. It was the largest aircraft manufacturer in China at that time. It had assembled more than 100 P-40 and Hawker warcraft, some of which were equipped with Claire Chennault’s Flying Tigers.
There were nearly 3,000 people when the scale of the Loiwing was the largest. The plane of the Chairman Chiang Kai-shek was also maintained here. In January 1942, the Japanese army occupied Myanmar. The situation was tight. Soon the Yunnan-Burma Road was cut off. The aircraft factory was also bombed by the Japanese. It was said that Chiang Kai-shek’s plane was also damaged. In May, the Japanese army occupied China’s Longling and Tengchong.
The CAMOCO was blown up before the Japanese army captured it. It was estimated that even the factory buildings were not left behind.
The Japanese army captured all parts of Myanmar and occupied part of the territory on the west bank of the Nujiang River. It completely cut off China’s major arteries and the only land transportation channel to overseas. The situation of the Anti-Japanese War was extremely sinister. For this purpose, China and the United States had to maintain the only air transport at the high cost. Therefore, the most dangerous air route- “Hump Route”, has staged countless thrilling tragic stories.
History of the Site of Loiwing Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company
In 1933, American William Pawley started the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company, CAMCO, in Hangzhou, China. The company assembled Curtiss-Wright aircraft for the Nationalist Chinese Air Force. As the Imperial Japanese Army moved down coastal China in the winter of 1937-38, the CAMCO plant relocated to Hankou, 600 km inland, where it repaired war-damaged airplanes and possibly assembled new ones. When Hankou fell in October 1938, CAMCO moved 400km SSW to Hengyang. At the same time, it built a new factory a further 1500km west on the China-Burma frontier at Loiwing, which opened in early 1939. In the winter of 1940-1941, CAMCO also became involved in recruitment and supply for the 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG), later known as the Flying Tigers.
The CAMCO factory at Loiwing was virtually destroyed by a Japanese air strike in October 1940, and “was rebuilt as a maintenance and repair facility for the [Chinese Air Force]”; subsequently it was used to repair AVG P-40s, and its airfield was briefly used by the AVG to mount raids into Thailand and Burma. Following the Allied retreat from Burma in the spring of 1942, the Loiwing plant was lost to the Japanese.
Where is the Site of Loiwing Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company-Location
It is located in Loiwing Village, Ruili, Dehong Jingpo and Dai Autonomous Prefecture.
How to Get the Site of Loiwing Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company
After arriving in Ruili City, the best ways to the Site of Loiwing Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company are taxi and self-driving.
Best Time to Go
It is suitable to visit the Site of Loiwing Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company all year round.
Nearby Attractions
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In fact, One-Tree Forest is a large banyan tree, which has a history of more than 900 years, with 32 earial roots streight pinning into the earth. Banyan is a special and unique landscape in Ruili, it’s everywhere no matter in the vallies or villages or on the sides of the roads. people value banyan as holy tree, so they only plant these trees but don’t cut them. The big Banyan is in the one-tree forest park, and it’s 28 meters, what makes it more precious is that it has been standing there for over 200 years. The tree has many aerial roots hanging down from above, and they are interwined with one another, ending in the root. there are also so many aerial roots hanging down and they took roots in the earth, forming a forest that makes up of pillar-like roots, thus one-tree forest is shaped. It’s a very attractive and magical natural scenery. One-tree Forest has become a scenery that tourist must go, and it’s one of the hottest sceneries in Ruili.
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