Among the members of this set of parallel clockwise moving faults are the Jinghong Fault stretching from Kengtung, Myanmar to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, the Nan Ma Fault, Muang Houn Fault, and Dien Bien Phu Fault.
Prior to the arrival of the French it was one of several semi-independent Tai hill tribe states called Muang, including Muang Sing, Hua Pan Tang Ha Tong Hoc in Laos, and China's Sip Song Panna.
After passing through Xishuangbanna, they went south to Burma, then took a riverboat along the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay to Rangoon.