Abstract: The dissemination of maize within Yunnan Province followed a progression from east to west and from lowlands to highlands. During the Qianlong reign (1736-1796) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), after the military suppression of rebellions among swidden farming communities in settlements such as Chengka (modern Lushui), the Qing government advocated for the implementation of a policy to “demarcate boundaries and assign jurisdictions” in the southern valleys of the Hengduan Mountains. Linguistic evidence suggests that the continuous migration of the ancestors of the Lisu people facilitated the ongoing spread of maize among swidden farming groups and further integration of food cultures. Starting from the late Qing Dynasty, as British colonial influence intensified its infiltration into the undefined northern section of the Yunnan-Burma border, the extensive rotational farming practices and chronic food shortages faced by swidden farming communities began to attract attention from both the government and the public. Whether through inspection tours aimed at pacification by Qing officials (such as Yu Qingyuan and Xia Hu) or the transformation of border governance and ongoing social surveys during the Republican era (1912-1949), the focus consistently turned to maize as the staple food sustaining these swidden farming populations. With reforms in the national governance system, ethnic groups in Nujiang Prefecture ultimately overcame the persistent challenge of food scarcity and have turned to a gradually rationalized dietary structure.

Key words: southern Hengduan Mountains, maize, crop rotation experience, frontier governance, food security