If you have no interest in the region’s recent history then you could comfortably skip the Chinese Martyrs’ Memorial Museum—an unusual memorial-cum-museum—although we found it both strangely compelling and rather moving.
This is a memorial to the soldiers of the old 93rd Kuomintang division. You’ve by now come across this so-called “lost army” on numerous occasions in our descriptions of other northern Thai border towns so these are the Republican soldiers who fled with their families into north-eastern Burma after defeat by Mao’s communist forces at the end of the civil war.
There is more to Mae Salong than tea. Photo: Mark Ord
They wandered through Shan State for over 10 years before finally settling in this region. The Chinese martyrs in the memorial’s name then are the many KMT soldiers that subsequently died fighting communist insurgents in northern Thailand during the 70s and early 80s. If you were paying attention earlier then you’ll remember the deal was that the Thai government allowed the KMT remnants and families to settle in northern Thailand in return for help in defeating the CPT (Communist Party of Thailand) forces holed up in the mountains.
Thai forces, well-armed by their US allies but with conscripted foot soldiers were having serious problems in these rugged mountain areas and in many cases the tough, veteran Chinese troops were sent straight into the frontlines in areas of Nan, Petchabun and Phitsanolok provinces as well more locally in areas of Chiang Rai and many made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure their ... please log in to read the rest of this story.
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By
Mark Ord.
Last updated on 8th March, 2019.
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Location map for Chinese Martyrs’ Memorial Museum
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