Téngchōng

Tengchong lies west of the Gaoligong Mountains, among volcanic peaks, hot springs and roads leading toward Burma. The traveler Xu Xiake crossed the mountains to reach the town in 1639 and spent more than a month exploring its surroundings. He examined the volcanic mountain of Daying, its crater and light, porous stone, and visited hot springs and sulfurous waters. His careful observations left a vivid record of a landscape shaped by fire beneath the earth.