CHING-HUNG

also called (locally) Yn-ching-hung, Pinyin Jinghong, or Yunjinghong, town in southwestern Yunnan sheng (province), China. The town is located on the borders of Myanmar (Burma) and Laos. Formerly known as Ching-lan, it is situated in a rich basin on the west bank of the Mekong River. The town was of minor significance before 1953, but the construction of the highway from the provincial capital, K'un-ming, and a less oppressive policy toward the local Tai peoples under the communist administration since 1949 have made it an important commercial centre for the remote mountains of the extreme southern section of the province. Routes lead from Ching-hung south into Laos and southwest into Myanmar. Various small industries process the cotton, grain, sugar, and oilseeds produced locally. There are also woodworking plants and brick- and tile works. Pop. (mid-1980s est.) fewer than 10,000.