Pianma Border Port in Yunnan

Pianma Border Port is located in the hinterland of the western slope of the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province, China. It is situated in Pianma Town, Lushui County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, and borders the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the south, west, and north. It is the only provincial-level port open to the outside world in Nujiang Prefecture and has become an important wing of economic development in the region. It serves as a vital gateway for Yunnan Province’s opening-up initiatives, evolving into a multifunctional comprehensive port for resource development, processing, import, and export trade.

Historical Evolution: Pianma has a long history of border trade, with the rudiments of such trade dating back to as early as 1648. In 1991, it was designated as a provincial-level port in Yunnan Province.

Geography: Pianma Border Port is situated in the western part of Lushui County, within the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve’s western slope hinterland. It shares borders with Myanmar to the south, west, and north, covering a total area of 153 square kilometers. Located at an altitude of 1897 meters, it experiences a typical temperate rainforest climate. It is 736 kilometers away from the provincial capital Kunming and serves as a crucial passageway and shortcut for Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet to access Myanmar and India. The distance from Pianma to Myanmar’s Mizoram is approximately 220 kilometers, providing a shorter route to Southeast Asian and European regions by bypassing Kunming, Zhanjiang, Guangzhou, and other areas, thereby reducing the travel distance by 1800 nautical miles.