CHAPTER XV 



ACROSS THE CHINO-THIBETAN BORDERLAND 



RoMi Chango to Tachienlu ; the Forests of the Ta-p'ao 



Shan 



ROMI CHANGO, or Chango, as it is commonly called, is 

 a poor, unwalled, straggling town of about 130 houses. 

 It is without rank, but a magistrate, subordinate to the 

 Tachienlu Fu, and a military official, controlled from Monkong 

 Ting, reside there. The town is really a Chinese settlement, 

 situated in the extreme north-east corner of the state of Chiala. 

 It is built on the right bank of the Tachin Ho, at a point where 

 the river, making a right-angled turn from the northward, is 

 joined by a very considerable torrent from the west. The 

 Tachin, a river 100 yards broad, with a steady current and 

 muddy water, sweeps round majestically. High cliffs on the 

 left bank, steep mountain-slopes on the right, lofty mountains 

 to the east and west wall in the town, at the western entrance 

 to which a massive square tower stands sentinel. Chango is a 

 very poverty-stricken place, with a small trade in medicines 

 and sundries. It draws its supplies of rice, paper, and Chinese 

 commodities generally from Kuan Hsien, and everything is 

 phenomenally dear. This is only natural when the distance and 

 difficulties of the journey are duly considered. 



A small road descends the right bank of the Tachin Ho, by 

 means of which Luting chiao may, with great difficulty, be 

 reached. A road ascends the right bank of the Tachin Ho 

 and leads to the interesting Chiarung states of Badi and 

 Bawang, where the Bonpa religion holds full sway. Badi, the 

 capital of these now united principalities, is only 60 li from 

 Romi Chango. The chieftain is dead, but his widow, assisted 

 by a steward, acts as regent for her infant son. Badi-Bawang is 



