2
The present trade route has been evolved in the process of time. Distance and the nature of the ground have been more important factors in determining its course than the lowest gaps in the mountains or the easiest grade. To gain some li, or avoid bad ground, it is frequently carried some hundreds of feet higher than necessary. A spur is always used in preference to a valley. One result is that there is invariably a short cut or an alternative route between important places. From Tengyuch to the Shweli Bridge there is at least one commonly used road besides the main road. From the Shweli Bridge there are two roads to the Salween Bridge, the stone road passing Ta-li-shu and Ho-mu-shu, and the "new" unpaved road to Hsiao Ping-ho, and thence down the ravine by Lao-chai. From Tengyueh there is another distinct road to the Salween Bridge, which I much regret not having explored. The first stage along the road to Lungling as far as Menglien and thence to Ta-ho-lao. The Shweli is crossed by the Lo-an chain bridge, 40 i (about 8 miles) below the main road bridge. Other villages on the road are: Kung-hao, Hsiao-ti-fang, Ch'eng-men-tung, P'u-mang- shao, Shih-t'i-chai, about 35 li (7 miles) from the Salween Bridge, Mo-p'an-shih, Pa-wan, Hsiang-shu, and Mo-cha.
From Ta-pan-ching, east of the Salween, there is a mountain track to P'u-piao. The range west of Yung-ch'ang Fu is crossed by caravans in three places, namely, above Hun-shui-tang, at 7,500 feet; by the main road above Leng-shui-ching, at 7,200 feet; and at Ta-kuan-shih, at 6,600 feet. Foreign travellers are always taken along the main roads, unless they happen to know that there is another one and compel their mulemen to follow it,
The selection of a trace for a railway is naturally governed by other considerations than those which have made the trade route, and it has been found possible to avoid one of the ranges-that between the Shun-pi and the Yang-pi Rivers-to discover gaps lower than the main road passes in the other ranges, with the exception of the Yang- chang-Mekong Divide, which is turned, by adopting a course north of the Yung-chang
Plain.
The line proposed by Mr. Lilley runs direct from Tali to Hsia-kuan, 10 miles. The country is practically level, and there is no difficulty. The plain is rich and prosperous enough to support a railway on its own merits. The outlet from the lake would be bridged east of the town of Hsia-kuan. From this place, altitude 6,600 feet, to Ping-po, the junction of the Hsia-kuan and Yang-pi Rivers, there is a drop of 1,700 feet in 12 miles. The line would follow the left bank downstream, cross the river below its junction with the Shun-pi River (9 miles, altitude 4,550 feet), and come up the right bank of the latter for 26 miles, to the neighbourhood of Huang-lien-p'u. It would take 24 miles to cross the range into the Yung-ping Plain, going through a newly- discovered gap at 7,700 feet, south of the road. From Chu-tung, in the plain, there would be up-hill work for 16 miles, to another gap, 7,400 feet, in the Mekong-Yungping watershed, over which the road goes at an altitude of 8,200 feet. From the gap to the Mekong would require 18 miles of line, which would cross the main road near Shayang, and go down a lateral valley to the river, about 8 miles north of the bridge. From the river 4,100 feet, to the watershed, 6,500 feet, near Lan-tien-pa, north of Yung- chang Fu, would be a difficult piece of work, but from there to the town would be easy going. To the south-west the line would cross the watershed near Ta-kuan-shih, 6,600 feet, about a dozen miles from the town, and passing along the P'u-p'iao Plain, cross the watershed between Fang-ma-chang and Ta-pan-ching, 4,900 feet, and go along the left bank of the stream until the Salween was reached. The river would be bridged to the south of the main road bridge, and the line would go south-west through the Salween Plain (Lu-chiang-pa) and cross the divide 20 miles from the river at a newly-discovered gap (6,900 feet) south of Hsiao-ti-fang. The descent would take 13 miles, and the Shweli be crossed north of the Lo-an Bridge, above mentioned. The line would then require 11 miles to ascend the mountains west of the Shweli, to a gap, 6,500 feet. It would run practically level for 2 miles, to another gup at the same altitude, and reach the Tengyueh Plain near the village of Kuan-p'o, in the branch valley out of which the road to Lungling climbs. From the plain the line would run almost due north, to the town of Tengyueh, which is some 11 miles from the nearer gap.
The total length of line from here to Tali is put down at 240 miles as against 170 by the road. It is proposed that the line, as well as the proposed line from Bhamo, should be worked by electricity, to be generated by using one of the rivers (Salween or Mekong). It may be recommended that a separate power-house should be built in British territory for the section from Bhamo to Tengyueh. The maximum grade proposed is 1 in 20.
Main Road Bhamo to Talifu in purple.
Scale 1: 1,000,000 or 1 inch to 15.8 miles.
Tracing showing roughly:--
Possible railway route in Red.
Provisional heights in feet.
Frontier, i
25
Kan-ai
Mauwyne
Nungchangkai
BHAMO
(80-9/07, 1290 ) F.O. 2525 N-2-2
TENG YUEN
Nantion
6500′′
YS
ERH HAI
531
Yangpr
●TALL
odfinch
5700
Shumpi R.
YUNG PING?
tha tang
3200
OOEL
bug
best
pychachang
Han tien pu
Shari. Chak
UNG CHANG 5500
4500
HSIA KUAN
DGAR
MENG-HUAY
O LUNG LING
SHUN NING
PYÜN CHOU