Abstract: During the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), the establishment and eventual abolition of the garrison system in Southwest China’s border regions spurred significant migration of military settlers into the borderlands of Yunnan. This influx led to profound structural transformations in the local population and brought about sweeping changes in the historical and cultural dynamics of the region. The governance strategies implemented in Beisheng Prefecture (with its administrative center in modern Yongsheng County of northwestern Yunnan) during this period vividly illustrate the historical interplay between state mobilization and local responses that created opportunities for interaction, exchange, and integration between indigenous populations and the garrison settlers. From the establishment of the Lancang Garrison during the reign of Hongwu Emperor (1368-1398) of the Ming Dynasty to implementation of the policy of replacing native chieftains with state-appointed officials of the Qing Dynasty, the military settlers and local ethnic communities in northwestern Yunnan forged shared spiritual and social frameworks through material exchange, cultural mutual learning, and collaborative governance. These interactions laid a solid historical foundation for the diverse, inclusive and vibrant ethnic cultures of this region. In essence, the practices of interaction, exchange, and integration between migrants from China’s heartland and borderland communities–characterized by resource sharing, spatial coexistence, and collective territorial defense–constitute not only a diachronic historical experience but also a synchronic embodiment of the shared consciousness of the Chinese nation. These local practices provide rich narrative resources for contemporary expressions of national unity and identity.

Key words: Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), Lancang Garrison, Beisheng Prefecture, inter-ethnic exchange, communication and integration