Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture
The Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture (Zaiwa: Sikung Sam Zaizo Byumyu Yumsing Upkang Mau; simplified Chinese: 德宏傣族景颇族自治州; traditional Chinese: 德宏傣族景頗族自治州; pinyin: Déhóng Dǎizú Jǐngpōzú Zìzhìzhōu) is located in western Yunnan province, People's Republic of China, and is one of the eight autonomous prefectures of the province, bordering Baoshan to the east and Burma's Kachin State to the west.
Geography
Dehong stretches 122 km (76 mi) from east to west and 170 km (110 mi) from north to south, its area is 11,526 km2 (4,450 sq mi).
Climate
Administration
Dehong is divided into three counties and two county level cities:
The prefectural government seat is Mang City.
Population
The population of Dehong in 2003 was of 1.02 million, 48.17% of whom were Han Chinese, 51.83% were national minorities, mostly Dai and Jingpo.
History
The area was declared an autonomous region in 1953, and in May 1956 became an autonomous prefecture.
In 1960 when interprovincial migration took place many farmers came to Yunnan to farm bananas. This was during the "Great Leap Forward" when a biologist working for Mao Zedong wrote an article about the weather in Yunnan being very suitable for bananas to be planted. A very long time ago before this many Chinese were in fact very scared of going there because of an illness that lurked about. It was later discovered that this was an identifiable tropical disease. The farmers helped to get rid of the disease. They made clearings, roads and space for fields and plantations.
