Jǐnglóng

Jinglong, later known as Jinghong, stands on the Mekong in the warm valleys of southern Yunnan. It became the centre of a Tai polity known to Chinese sources as Cheli. The river linked the surrounding basins and settlements, while forested mountains rose on either side. The fertile valleys supported communities whose rulers drew authority from their control of these lands.

The Yuan established a military and civil administration for Cheli, and in 1384 the Ming created a native chieftaincy under a hereditary ruler of the Dao family. Jinglong remained a centre of Tai authority as its rulers dealt with neighbouring powers and the Chinese court. Its position on the Mekong placed it at the heart of a network of river valleys extending beyond Yunnan.