GEOGRAPHY OF THE CH' E-LI AREA SOUTHERN YUNNAN, CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05439A000300140001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 12, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 1, 1954
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2002/01/14: CIA-RDP78TO5439A000300140001-6
Approved For Release 2002/01/14: CIA-RDP78TO5439A000300140001-6
 CH' 8-J I AR&&. 'suaTASRN IUMUS pROVINCiL
This report is submitted in answer to a ' D/GG request for an aerial
photo stud of the Ch' e-li ? arba."The purpose of the study is two-fold :
(i) to pin point the location and 1iInish a town plan of Ch'e-lir and
(2) to. locate and turnlmh aerial pphotos illxistrating the geography of'-the
Ch!e-li area. There are conflicting reports of the. actual location of
Ch's-1i. The saps of this region are very poor, 'and the locations and
a'1igraents of rivers, towns, roads, etc. are only approximate.'
01round intelligence, supplied by the requester, resorts that there ..
is a Chinese Court and a Mission Station in Ch.!er-1i, and, also, that an
did- amoat sarrounds the village.
31--August 1951+,:
. On the basis of this, and other miscel-
laneous information, the village was located on the aerial photos. 'The-
enclosed plan was traced from' an enlargement of_, an aerial photograph.
4.
The town plan and the accompanying aerial photographs were selected'
?br the requester for inclusion 3n CIA/RR_OR_65, entitled The Geography
ereace: AMS 1301 ((3SGS 2555)`. Asia ?l:1,d00 000, Sheet.N.F-47
.c
 Figure 1. The Mekong River, looking south towards;$urma and Laos. Steep
forested hills rise abruptly from the river. In the foreground, patches
of cleared land can be seen bn the mountain slopes. Ch'e-li and Chieng-.-
hung are located on the south side of the prominent bend of the Mekong.
 Figure 2.., About 15 miles south of Ch'e-li is the t
To the west (right) are Ch'e-li, Chienghung, and th
ortant Tai-inhabited basin of Meng-ham.
Ch'e-lii basin.
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Figure 3. Rugged mountain country about 12 miles northwest of Ch'e-li.,
Note the large areas in grass and scrub vegetation and thi smoke from f'
fires set by hill tribesmen to clear new forest ]sand.. At the lower -~`
right is w -small. hill-tribe village -- probably Akha.or Lolo:
p
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Figure 4. Village of Ch'e-li', looking north. At the right is the road
from Ssu-mao. Note the Chinese court and moat. This photograph should
be compared with Map 13405. Approximate scale 1:10,000.
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Figure 5. Looking 'north across the braided channels of the Mekong. At
the lower center is Chienghung. The photograph was.-taken in winter; in
summer the river-rises and covers most of the sandspits. Approximate
scale 1:20,000.
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 LUUL/Ul/14.: i.;IA-KUF'/tf I U04Jtt{ kUUUJUU14UUU1-b
-V. 11.
Figure 6. Tai village of Chienghung, former residence of the kings of Sibsong Parana. The
larger structures are Buddhist temples or a "palace" of the Tai Lu king. Enlarged from
Figure 5; scale approximately 1:10,000.
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st entirely
i
r
e
i
to
and
li
Figure 7. The Ch'e-li basing looking south. Theasine
e
Ch
streams.
basis n margins
ing. A number of Tai Lu villages are located along and
road (1944) follows the north bank of
Ch' -i4--Fo-ha
,
the Mekong are at the lower left. The
the Liu-sha Ho. Scale approximately 1:58,000?
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CONFIDENTIAL