After the nationalist Kuomintang army lost the battle for the hearts and minds of China to the Communists in 1949, its soldiers fled across borders in all directions to avoid certain death.
Many Yunnanese nationalists crossed into Laos, others to Burma only to be evicted some years later, with a number continuing into northern Thailand across the Mekong, where they settled, took partners and began new lives.
Nowadays, there are still a number of ethnic Chinese villages scattered along the Mekong among the hill tribe villages, the largest of which is Mae Salong. However, a little-known point of pilgrimage for Chinese heritage and the Kuomintang ancestors lies in Chiang Khong’s Nationalist Chinese Soldiers Cemetery. The graves located in the hillside cemetery number aqround 200, with every one facing north into China and their occupants fading into history with honour.
Unfortunately, the cemetery has not been well-tended in recent years and the gates are often locked. Add to this its inconvenient location on a steep hill just outside town, and a trip there hardly seems worth it unless you have a particular interest in the Kuomintang in Thailand.
The Kuomintang soldiers’ present day third-generation descendants have successfully adapted to life in northern Thailand, and many, especially the young people, have been assimilated into Thai culture. However, the older generation have tried to ensure that a Chinese cultural identity still exists.
Getting There
You could walk there, though it’s a steep climb up the hill and the entrance is tricky to find (look for a hand-panted signboard with Chinese characters on the left), so it’s easiest to go by motorbike taxi.
Need to Know
- What is it? A memorial to a turbulent time in Chinese history.
- Opening hours: Officially dawn to dusk, daily, though the gates are often locked.
- Entrance fees: none.
- Address: Just off Highway 1020 north of Chiang Khong.
- Where: about a kilometer north of town.