▁the ▁province ' s ▁H ui ▁minor ity ▁was ▁widely ▁disc rimin ated ▁against ▁by ▁the ▁vict orious ▁Q ing , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁front ier ▁districts ▁cont igu ous ▁with ▁Bur ma . ▁During ▁these ▁years ▁the ▁refuge e ▁H ui ▁settled ▁across ▁the ▁front ier ▁within ▁Bur ma ▁gradually ▁established ▁themselves ▁in ▁their ▁traditional ▁call ings ▁– ▁as ▁mer ch ants , ▁car av ane ers , ▁min ers , ▁restaur ateurs ▁and ▁( for ▁those ▁who ▁chose ▁or ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁live ▁beyond ▁the ▁law ) ▁as ▁sm ug gl ers ▁and ▁mer cen aries ▁and ▁became ▁known ▁in ▁Bur ma ▁as ▁the ▁Pan th ay . ▁ ▁Republican ▁China ▁▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Q ing ▁dynast y ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁Y unn an ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁local ▁war l ords , ▁who ▁had ▁more ▁than ▁the ▁usual ▁degree ▁of ▁aut onomy ▁due ▁to ▁Y unn an ' s ▁rem oten ess . ▁ ▁They ▁fin anced ▁their ▁regime ▁through ▁op ium ▁har vest ing ▁and ▁traffic . ▁ ▁In ▁Second ▁S ino - J apan ese ▁War , ▁Y unn an ▁served ▁as , ▁among ▁other ▁things , ▁a ▁home ▁base ▁for ▁the ▁F lying ▁Tig ers ▁and ▁a ▁refuge ▁for ▁people , ▁especially ▁university ▁fac ulty ▁and ▁students , ▁from ▁the ▁east . ▁ ▁These ▁had ▁originally ▁retre ated ▁to ▁Ch ang sha , ▁but ▁as ▁the ▁Japanese ▁forces ▁were ▁gain ing ▁more ▁territory ▁they ▁eventually ▁bom bed ▁Ch