October 1949 and deep in the hills of Chinese Yunnan, a battle had been raging for days. The 93rd Division of the Kuomintang (KMT) Army, cut off from defeated Chinese Nationalist Chiang Kai-shek’s main force, is fighting a fierce rearguard action against Chairman Mao’s all conquering Red Army. Between the 93rd and safety stands the Yuan Jiang River.

‘We lost thousands of soldiers and civilians trying to get across that river,’ says 55-year-old ex-KMT colonel Somboon Aimvitayakun, ‘but we made it across and escaped into Burma.’ Although Somboon wasn’t even born at that time, his father, Jang Pong Gow, who went on to become a KMT general, was there, a close adviser to commanding officer General Tuan Shi-wen. ‘This battle was our proudest moment,’ says Somboon.

To read the full story go to

http://www.cnntraveller.com/2009/07/14/swords-into-teacups/

News story by Andrew Spooner

http://www.andrewspooner.net/