Santikhiri The village of Santikhiri ( ) , formerly known as Mae Salong ( ) , is situated in the Thai highlands on Doi Mae Salong mountain of the Daen Lao Range , in Mae Fa luang district , Chiang Rai Province , the northernmost province of Thailand . The area has an alpine - like landscape and climate , and is known for its hill tribe villages , tea plantations and cherry blossoms . Santikhiri ' s early history centered around the Golden Triangle ' s opium trade , in which its distinctive population – the " lost army " of the Republic of China Army ' s 93rd Division – became involved . At the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War in 1949 , some remnants of the anti - communist Kuomintang ( KMT ) forces refused to surrender , including the 93rd Division , led by General Tuan Shi - wen ( also known as Chiwan Khamlue ) . The division fought its way out of Yunnan in southwestern China , and its soldiers lived nomadic lives in Burma ' s ( now Myanmar ) jungles before seeking asylum in Mae Salong . In exchange for their asylum , they fought for Thailand until 1982 , helping to counter the communist insurgency at the Thai frontier . In reward , the Thai government granted citizenship to most of the KMT soldiers and their families . Cash crops , especially tea , have now replaced the growing of opium poppies , and Santikhiri today is a tourist attraction known as Little Switzerland . History . The origins of the Santikhiri community go back to the end of the Chinese Civil War . In October 1949 , after Mao Zedong ' s communist party victory in China , the defeated Kuomintang ( KMT ) armies led by Generalissimo Chiang Kai - shek retreated to Taiwan , except for the 3rd and 5th Regiment of the 93rd Division , which refused to surrender . Fighting between the communist and KMT troops continued in some remote parts of China , including Yunnan in the southwest . When the Communists marched into the provincial capital of Kunming in January 1950 , 12 , 000 troops from the 3rd and 5th Regiment , commanded respectively by Generals Lee Wen - huan ( Li Wenhuan ) and Tuan Shi - wen , fought their way out of Yunnan and escaped into Burma ' s jungles . The soldiers ' war did not end after their own " Long March " from Yunnan to Möng Hsat in Burma ' s Shan State . The Burmese soon discovered that a foreign army was camped on their soil , and launched an offensive . The fighting continued for 12 years , and several thousand KMT soldiers were eventually evacuated to Taiwan . When China entered the Korean War , the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) had a desperate need for intelligence on China . The agency turned to the two KMT generals , who agreed to slip some soldiers back into China for intelligence - gathering missions . In return , the agency offered arms to equip the generals to retake China from their bases in the Shan State . The KMT army tried on no less than seven occasions between 1950 and 1952 to invade Yunnan , but was repeatedly driven back into the Shan State . The ending of the Korean War in 1953 was not the end of the KMT ' s fight against the communist Chinese and Burmese armies , which continued on for many years , supported by Washington and Taiwan and subsequently funded by the KMT ' s involvement in the Golden Triangle ' s drug trade . Refuge in Thailand . In 1961 , Tuan led some battle - weary KMT troops out of Burma to a mountainous sanctuary in Mae Salong in Thailand . In exchange for asylum , the Thai government allowed them to stay on the understanding that they would assist in policing the area against communist infiltration . As a result , most of the village ' s inhabitants today are ethnic Chinese and direct descendants of those KMT soldiers . At the same time , General Lee of the 3rd Regiment established his headquarters at Tham Ngob , northwest of Chiang Mai . The KMT army was renamed Chinese Irregular Forces ( CIF ) and was placed directly under the control of a special task force , code - named " 04 " , under the Supreme Command in Bangkok . After the soldiers reached Mae Salong , China and Thailand struck an agreement to transfer the administration of the group to the Thai government . The Provincial governor of southern Thailand , Pryath Samanmit , was reassigned as the governor of Chiang Rai , to oversee the KMT division , but upon taking up his position , Samanmit was killed by communist insurgents . Soon afterwards , the KMT division was ordered to assist the Thai government to counter the advancing armies on Thailand ' s northern borders and the internal threat from the Communist Party of Thailand . Fierce battles were fought in the mountains of Doi Laung , Doi Yaw , Doi Phamon and Mae Aabb , and the communist uprising was successfully countered . The bloodiest operation was launched on 10 December 1970 , a five - year long campaign that claimed over lives , many from landmines . It was not until 1982 that the soldiers were able to give up their arms and were discharged to settle down to a normal life at Mae Salong . As a reward for their service , the Thai government gave citizenship to most of the KMT soldiers and their families . Despite the Thai government ’ s attempts to integrate the KMT division and their families into the Thai nation , the inhabitants of Mae Salong preferred for many years to engage in the illegal opium trade , alongside the drug warlord Khun Sa of the Shan United Army . In 1967 , Tuan said in an interview with a British journalist : According to a CIA report in 1971 , Mae Salong was then one of the largest heroin refineries in Southeast Asia . Only in the late 1980s , after Khun Sa ' s army was finally routed and pushed over the border into Myanmar by the Thai military , was the Thai government able to make any headway in taming the region – part of which involved crop substitution plans and giving the area a new name . " Santikhiri " meaning " hill of peace " was introduced by the Thai government in an effort to disassociate the area from its former image as an established opium zone . King Bhumibol Adulyadej and other members of the royal family made regular visits as a sign of their support for the old soldiers who had fought against their own country for Thailand . Santikhiri today . As late as the mid - 1970s , Doi Mae Salong was strictly off - limits to outsiders . Since 1994 , Santikhiri has capitalised on its unique history and has developed into a tourist attraction , with its narrow winding streets lined with inns , noodle shops and teashops . As a result , Santikhiri has become one of Thailand ' s top ten destinations among backpackers today . The former soldiers had already settled down , some of them having married ethnic Chinese brides who crossed the border after the fighting stopped , and others having married local Thais . The old soldiers and their descendants carry on their normal lives peacefully now , but still retain their Chinese identity ; the main language spoken remains Mandarin . As of 2007 , General Lue Ye - tien , aged 90 and Tuan ' s former right - hand man , is the leader of the group , after taking over the leadership on Tuan ' s death in 1980 . The crop substitution programs successfully encouraged the cultivation of tea , coffee , corn and fruit trees , replacing the opium poppies that had previously been grown . New fruit orchards and tea factories were also set up , followed by production facilities for fruit wines and Chinese herbs , which are particularly popular among Thais and tourists from China , Taiwan , and other ethnic Chinese communities in Southeast Asia . Geography and climate . Santikhiri is a hilltop village in the Mae Fa Luang district of Thailand ' s Chiang Rai Province , about from Chiang Rai . Santikhiri is on the highest peak of the Doi Mae Salong range of mountains , at an elevation of 1 , 800 metres ( 5 , 904 ft ) above sea level . It has an alpine - like climate , with crisp cool air all year round and chilly in the winter months of November through February . Santikhiri is accessible via two routes – Route 1130 from Ban Basang and Route 1234 from the south , which until being paved were only accessible by pack horses . Now regular minibus services , running from 6 am to 4 pm , are available from Chiang Rai to Santikhiri . Santikhiri has long been the home of many hill tribes such as the Akha , Yao , Karen , and Hmong that originated from southern China and Myanmar . Each tribe has its own language , and follows animist customs and practices . Living among the native inhabitants are the ethnic Chinese , who form the majority of Santikhiri ' s estimated population of 20 , 000 . Landmarks and attractions . Santikhiri is noted for its " High Mountain Oolong , " a high grade traditional Chinese tea , which makes up about 80 % of all tea production in Chiang Rai . The province produces about of tea a year . The combination of climate and soil conditions at Santikhiri is ideal for growing high quality Oolong s ( " black dragon " in Chinese ) . Such teas are cultivated at elevations ranging from 1 , 200 to 1 , 400 metres ( 3 , 960 – 4 , 620 ft ) . In 2005 , Santikhiri was selected by the Tourism and Sports Ministry as an OTOP ( " One Tambon One Product " ) tourism village in recognition of its fine oolong tea . The goals are to stimulate the grassroots economy , increase the number of tourists , and develop Thailand ' s products and services . Taiwanese experts work alongside local farmers in tea processing plants which produce top - quality tea for both the local and export markets . The number of tea plantations in the village has increased significantly since the mid - 1990s , and includes Choke Chamroen Tea , Wang Put Tan and 101 Tea . From 28 December to 2 January each year , Santikhiri hosts the annual cherry blossoms festival , which is organised by Mae Salong Nok Tambon Administration Organisation in association with Mae Fa Luang District . The festival celebrates the culture of the hill tribe people from the Chiang Rai area , and includes a handicraft sale , a light and sound show , a parade by the tribes people , and a beauty contest . General Tuan Shi - wen died in 1980 , and was buried in a pagoda - like tomb on a hill - top reached via a 300 - metre ( 984 ft ) climb . From the top , there is a panoramic view of the village . There is also a memorial to the KMT soldiers who died in their fight against communism , The Martyrs ' Memorial , a museum whose wooden panels bear the names of the dead , set on an altar in the main building . It was constructed in the style of a large Chinese shrine like the National Revolutionary Martyrs ' Shrine in Taipei . The museum also features exhibits describing the struggles of the KMT soldiers and the development of the Doi Mae Salong valley . Phra Boromathat Chedi is a chedi built on a hill near the village , in honour of the late Princess Mother , Srinagarindra . There is an excellent view of the Myanmar frontier from the top , an area that was off - limits when it was under the control of the warlord Khun Sa .