The History of Yunnan
云南历史
Yunnan is one of the world’s most famous cradles of early life. Archaeologists have found a huge number of animal fossils here. In 1984, the Maotianshan fossils from the early Cambrian period were discovered in Chengjiang County. They date back about 530 million years and are regarded by international paleontologists as one of the most amazing finds of the 20th century. Together with the Ediacara fossils from Australia (about 600 million years ago) and the Burgess fossils from Canada (about 515 million years ago), they are known as “the three great wonders of early organic evolution on Earth.” The Maotianshan fossils are especially valued because they are so varied, complete, and well-preserved, showing the sudden burst of early life forms.
云南是世界上最著名的生命摇篮之一。考古学家在这里发现了大量动物化石。1984年，澄江县出土了早寒武世的帽天山化石，距今约5.3亿年，被国际古生物学界誉为20世纪最惊人的发现之一。它们与澳大利亚的埃迪卡拉化石（约6亿年前）和加拿大的布尔吉斯化石（约5.15亿年前）一起，被称为“地球早期生物进化三大奇迹”。帽天山化石种类丰富、保存完整，清晰展示了早期生命大爆发的景象。
Yunnan is also an important birthplace of humankind. Since 1956, fossils of early apes have been found in Kaiyuan (about 15 million years ago), Lufeng (about 8 million years ago), and Yuanmou (about 3–4 million years ago). In 1965, the Yuanmou Man fossils, dating back 1.7 million years, were unearthed. They are currently the earliest known human fossils in both China and Asia, marking the beginning of Chinese history.
云南也是人类重要的发祥地之一。1956年以来，先后在开远（约1500万年前）、禄丰（约800万年前）和元谋（约300万至400万年前）发现了古猿化石。1965年，元谋又出土了距今170万年的元谋人化石，这是目前中国和亚洲已知最早的人类化石，标志着中国历史的开端。
Cultural remains from the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages have been found along the Jinsha River, Dianchi Lake, and Erhai Lake, showing the early social development of Yunnan. Some studies of the Yi people’s ten-month solar calendar even suggest that Yunnan may be one of the origins of Chinese civilization.
金沙江、滇池和洱海沿岸发现了旧石器时代和新石器时代的文化遗存，反映了云南早期社会的发展。一些关于彝族十月太阳历的研究还试图证明，云南可能是中华文明的起源地之一。
In ancient times, during the Primitive Society and Slave Society, Yunnan saw many important events. According to legend, King Yu of the Xia Dynasty (2070–1600 BC) divided China into nine regions, and Yunnan belonged to Liangzhou. During the Shang and Zhou periods (1600–1046 BC), various ethnic groups such as Dian, Laojin, Mimo, Xi, Zuodu, Kunming, and Sui lived here. Because Yunnan lay in the remote southwest, these peoples were collectively called the “Southwestern Tribes.”
在原始社会和奴隶社会时期，云南发生了一系列大事。传说夏朝（前2070–前1600年）的禹王把中国分为九州，云南属于梁州。商周时期（前1600–前1046年），这里居住着滇、劳浸、靡莫、巂、笮都、昆明、巂等少数民族，因为地处西南边陲，他们被统称为“西南夷”。
In 279 BC, during the Warring States Period, General Zhuang Qiao of the State of Chu led his army into the Dian area and founded the first kingdom in Yunnan—the Dian Kingdom. It lasted from the Warring States period into the Western Han Dynasty. Bronze artifacts from Lijiashan in Jiangchuan County show that the Dian people had advanced bronze-casting technology. The famous “Cow and Tiger Bronze Table” is regarded as a national treasure and a symbol of Yunnan’s bronze culture. In October 1994, China’s first bronze museum was opened at Lijiashan.
公元前279年，战国时期楚国将军庄蹻率军进入滇池地区，建立了云南第一个王国——滇国，一直延续到西汉。江川李家山出土的青铜器表明，古滇国青铜铸造技术已相当高超。著名的“牛虎铜案”被誉为国宝，是云南青铜文化的象征。
1994年10月，中国第一座青铜博物馆在李家山建成开放。
After the Qin Dynasty unified China (221–207 BC), Emperor Qin Shihuang ordered the construction of the Five-Chi Road (about 1.67 meters wide) from Yibin in Sichuan to Qujing in Yunnan and appointed officials to govern the area. This marked the beginning of central-government rule over Yunnan.
秦朝统一中国后（前221–前207年），秦始皇下令修建从四川宜宾到云南曲靖的五尺道（宽约1.67米），并派官员管理，标志着中央政府对云南统治的开始。
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian learned of a “Shu–India Road” connecting Chengdu to India. In 122 BC the emperor sent people to find it, but the Kunming tribes blocked the way. Thirteen years later, in 109 BC, Han troops conquered the area and established Yizhou Prefecture, which included Yunnan County (today’s Xiangyun County in Dali). The name “Yunnan” (meaning “south of the clouds”) first appeared in official records at this time. Emperor Wu also granted a gold seal to the King of Dian; the seal was later unearthed and confirmed the existence of the kingdom. The Western Han set up seven prefectures in the southwest, four of which covered parts of present-day Yunnan.
汉武帝时期，张骞听说西南有一条从成都通往印度的“蜀身毒道”。公元前122年，皇帝派人去寻找，却被洱海地区的昆明族阻挡。13年后的公元前109年，汉军征服该地，设立益州郡，下辖包括云南县（今大理祥云）在内的24个县。“云南”（意为“云之南”）这一名称首次出现在官方文献中。汉武帝还赐给滇王金印，后来出土的金印证实了滇国的存在。西汉在西南先后设立七个郡，其中四个覆盖了今云南部分地区。
In 69 AD the Eastern Han established Yongchang Prefecture in western Yunnan; it had the second-largest population among all prefectures in the empire. During the Three Kingdoms period, Yunnan was under the control of the Shu Han kingdom. In 225 AD, Zhuge Liang led an expedition and subdued the local leader Meng Huo. In 271 AD the Western Jin combined four neighboring prefectures into Ningzhou, making it one of the nineteen major administrative regions. Later the Cuan clan rose to power, and Qujing became the political center.
公元69年，东汉在滇西设立永昌郡，人口在全国各郡中位居第二。三国时期云南属蜀汉管辖。公元225年，诸葛亮南征，平定了当地首领孟获。公元271年，西晋将邻近四郡合并为宁州，成为全国十九州之一。后来爨氏崛起，曲靖成为云南的政治中心。
In the Sui and Tang dynasties, six tribes around Erhai Lake grew strong; the most powerful was Nanzhao. In 738 AD, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang conferred the title “King of Yunnan” on Pi Luoge, founding the Nanzhao Kingdom, which lasted 247 years under 13 kings. Relations with Tang later deteriorated, leading to two major wars during the Tianbao period.
隋唐时期，洱海周围有六诏逐渐强大，其中南诏最盛。公元738年，唐玄宗封皮罗阁为云南王，南诏国正式建立，历经13位国王，延续247年。后来与唐朝关系恶化，天宝年间发生两次大战。
In 937 AD, Duan Siping founded the Dali Kingdom, which replaced Nanzhao and lasted 315 years under 22 kings. The Song Dynasty was relatively weak and kept a distant relationship with Dali, even drawing a line at the Dadu River and declaring the lands beyond outside its territory. Nevertheless, Dali repeatedly sought friendly ties. During both the Nanzhao and Dali periods, Dali city was the political and economic center of Yunnan.
公元937年，段思平建立大理国，取代南诏，历经22位国王，延续315年。宋朝国力较弱，与大理关系疏远，甚至以大渡河为界，声称界外非宋土。但大理多次主动请求修好。南诏和大理时期，大理城一直是云南的政治经济中心。
In 1253, Kublai Khan’s Mongol army crossed the Jinsha River using inflated animal skins as rafts and conquered the Dali Kingdom. In 1271 the Yuan Dynasty was established. Yunnan was made one of the eleven provinces of the empire, and the provincial capital was moved from Dali to Kunming—the first time Yunnan officially became a province. Under the administration of Sayyid Ajall Shams al-Din and others, agriculture developed rapidly. The Yuan also introduced the tusi (native chieftain) system.
1253年，忽必烈率领蒙古军用充气的牛羊皮筏渡过金沙江，征服大理国。1271年元朝建立。云南被设为全国十一行省之一，省会从大理迁到昆明，云南正式成为省级行政区。赛典赤·赡思丁等人治理下，农业迅速发展。元朝还在云南推行土司制度。
In 1381 the Ming army took control of Yunnan. Large numbers of Han soldiers and civilians migrated in to reclaim land, and the Han gradually became the majority. The Ming abolished the tusi system in some areas and appointed Han officials—a policy known as “gaitu guiliu” (replacing native officials with regular ones). Mining and metallurgy flourished; silver and copper output ranked first in the country.
1381年明军进入云南。大批汉族军民迁入屯垦，汉族逐渐成为主体民族。明朝在部分地区废除土司，改设流官，推行“改土归流”。矿冶业发展迅速，银、铜产量居全国第一。
After the fall of the Ming in 1644, the Southern Ming court briefly made Kunming its capital. Later Wu Sangui helped the Qing kill the last Southern Ming emperor and ruled Yunnan as a vassal king. In 1681 the Qing suppressed the “Rebellion of the Three Feudatories.” Under the Yongzheng Emperor, gaitu guiliu was carried out on a larger scale, and Yunnan was divided into three circuits—Yidong, Yixi, and Yinan—earning the nickname “Three Yis.” Copper production remained the highest in China until the late Qing, when tin took the lead.
1644年明朝灭亡后，南明曾以昆明为都。后来吴三桂帮清朝杀死永历帝，自己当了云南王。1681年清朝平定“三藩之乱”。雍正年间大规模推行改土归流，并设迤东、迤西、迤南三道，云南因此又被称为“三迤”。清朝前中期铜产量一直全国第一，后期锡产量跃居首位。
After the Opium War, France and Britain tried to expand their influence in Yunnan, opening ports in Mengzi, Hekou, and Kunming and seeking railway and mining rights. Local people resisted through various incidents and uprisings. During the 1911 Revolution, uprisings in Tengyue, Kunming, and Lin’an overthrew Qing rule and established the Yunnan Military Government. In 1915 Yunnan launched the National Protection Movement against Yuan Shikai’s restoration of the monarchy.
鸦片战争后，英法企图控制云南，开设蒙自、河口、昆明等商埠，并争夺铁路和矿权。云南人民通过马嘉理事件、班洪事件、片马事件等进行了抵抗。辛亥革命中，腾越、昆明重九、临安等起义推翻清朝统治，成立云南军政府。1915年云南首义护国，反对袁世凯复辟。
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Yunnan became a vital rear base. Factories and universities relocated here; the Southwest Associated University (formed by Peking, Tsinghua, and Nankai universities) became famous as a “home of democracy.” Yunnan troops fought bravely in major battles. The Yunnan–Vietnam Railway, Burma Road, Stilwell Road, and Hump air route were China’s only links to the outside world, earning Yunnan the title “lifeline of the War of Resistance.” In 1942 Japanese forces invaded western Yunnan, but they were driven out two years later—Yunnan was the first province to recover all its lost territory. Yunnan forces also accepted the Japanese surrender in Vietnam, the only Chinese troops to do so on foreign soil.
抗日战争期间，云南成为重要大后方。许多工厂和大学内迁，西南联大（北大、清华、南开合组）被誉为“民主堡垒”。滇军在台儿庄、中条山等战役中立下战功。滇越铁路、滇缅公路、史迪威公路和驼峰航线是中国对外的唯一通道，云南因此被称为“抗战生命线”。1942年日军侵入滇西，两年后被全部赶出，云南成为全国第一个收复失地的省份。滇军还在越南接受日军投降，是中国军队唯一在国外受降的部队。
After the war, students in Kunming launched democratic movements against the Civil War, including the famous December 1st Movement. On 9 December 1949, Lu Han staged an uprising in Kunming. The People’s Liberation Army soon liberated the whole province. In March 1950 the People’s Government of Yunnan was established, opening a new chapter in the province’s history.
抗战胜利后，昆明学生率先发起反内战民主运动，著名的“一二·一”运动成为中国青年运动的第三个里程碑。1949年12月9日，卢汉在昆明起义。解放军随后解放全省。1950年3月云南省人民政府成立，云南历史揭开了崭新的一页。(陈大衡和他的ai)
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