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China Guide

Yunnan

Ruili

• Accommodation

Once the capital of the Mengmao Dai Kingdom, the frontier boom town of Ruili revels in the possibilities of its proximity to Burma, 5km south over the Shweli River. So porous is the border between Jiegao in China and Mu Se on the Burmese side that locals quip, "Feed a chicken in China and you get an egg in Burma". Any trip to Jiegao will include the sight of groups of Burmese men scaling or squeezing between the bars of the less-than-intimidating border fence. This section of the border is still reckoned to be the main conduit for Burmese drugs entering China, and Ruili has one of the highest rates of drug addiction and HIV/AIDS in China.

Burmese, Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals wander around in sarongs and thongs, clocks are often set to Rangoon time, and markets display foreign goods. Most Chinese in town are tourists, attracted by the chance to pick up cut-price trinkets and hop across the border to catch a Burmese transvestite show (pictures are displayed in travel agency windows). The town's markets are unquestionably fascinating; many foreign traders speak good English and make interesting company. Additionally, the surrounding countryside, studded with Dai villages and temples, is only a bike ride away.