Wēiyuǎn

Weiyuan stands by the river of the same name in the forested country of southern Yunnan. Its Tai name, Mengwo, means a place with salt wells, and salt produced along the river was an important resource for neighbouring communities. The region was governed by hereditary Tai chiefs under the Yuan and Ming.

In 1404 the ruler Dao Suandang was captured and his lands seized by Cheli; a Ming intervention secured his release and the return of the territory. His successors continued to send horses and other gifts to court. Raids by neighbouring chiefs prompted Weiyuan to request a patrol post in 1433. The salt wells remained a matter of political importance under the Qing, as officials sought to control production and supply in the frontier districts.