The picture above is the national gate of Ruili. Opposite the gate is Muse City in Myanmar. On the opposite side, many people can be seen gathered by the country gate. These are Burmese people who are waiting for customs clearance to enter Ruili. It is so close to foreign towns, which is rare in domestic border towns. This area of Ruili is called Jiegao. There are Burmese people everywhere here. When I went there, not long after the Spring Festival, I found that there seemed to be more Burmese people here than Chinese people. It is said that it is because the foreigners working in Ruili have not yet returned, and the Burmese do not celebrate the Spring Festival, so there may be more Burmese people than Chinese during this period. In the Jiegao area, many of the small restaurants and small grocery stores are Burmese. They all obtained a 1-year visa from China. It is said that the visa can basically be renewed after it expires. Furthermore, most of the Burmese here are of Chinese descent and can speak relatively fluent Mandarin.
For most people, Ruili is a very distant place. Ruili is located in the westernmost part of Yunnan Province and has a subtropical climate. Even in winter, the daytime temperature is between 23 degrees and 28 degrees, but it is not as hot as Sanya.
Arriving in Ruili, the first impression is that it is full of southern style. The streets are full of flowers and tropical plants. Ruili is the most suitable place to go in winter. When you come to Ruili in winter, just walking on the street to watch all kinds of tropical plants and flowers and enjoy the warm climate is also satisfying.
There is no train to Ruili at present, but there is a long-distance bus from Kunming, but the time is very long, more than 10 hours. So usually take a plane from Kunming to Tengchong and play in Tengchong, and then take a car for about 2 hours to Ruili. In this way, you can see rare scenery such as the Lancang River, Nujiang River, and Gaoligong Mountain that you will pass along the way.
When you go to Ruili, Jiegao is a must. There are buses near the passenger station, but the number of trips is relatively small. In Ruili City, there are red taxis that take carpools to Jiegao for 5 yuan per person, which is a bit like the small public in Beijing in the past. Blue taxis generally cost 25 yuan to Jiegao.
Jiegao is a Dai language, meaning "old city". It is only 5 or 6 kilometers from downtown Ruili to the national gate of Jiegao. The border between here and Myanmar is an iron railing.
There is a Tianya Dijiao Monument next to the country gate, which can also be regarded as the China-Myanmar boundary monument, and it is also the end point of the 320 National Highway.
There are Burmese people everywhere in and around the square in front of the country gate. Unlike the previous years when I went to Ruili, this time I went to see many Burmese with children, and it felt like they were begging. Although it is winter, many children are barefoot, and adults just wear a pair of slippers. It looks pitiful, but I have heard before that when I meet Burmese people begging for money, I will not cause unnecessary trouble.
At the Ruili Port, many Burmese people entered Ruili from early in the morning. There are also many Burmese people who seem to be picking up outside the port.
Burmese people openly exchanging coins in front of the port.
The monk in slippers also appears to be from Burma. In this season, not many Chinese people wear slippers.
There is a China-Myanmar Street near the country gate. The iron railing on the right side of the street is the China-Myanmar border. Muse City on the opposite side of the iron railing looks like a small town.
There is a long line of merchandise stalls on the opposite side of the fence, selling sunscreen, cigarettes, coffee and other commodities that can be handed out through the gaps in the fence.
In the past few years, the gaps in the iron fence were very large, and it was very convenient to buy things. But when I went this time, I found that another layer was added to the original fence, and the mesh was very fine, so the Burmese cut a hole and handed things out through that hole. All transactions are in RMB.
Below is a border fence I saw in previous years with a large mesh. It can clearly capture the daily life on the opposite side.
In Ruili, Burmese people with connections and abilities usually start their own businesses. Most Burmese people in Ruili can only work as cleaners, stevedores and waiters in restaurants. It is said that the monthly salary of these people is generally between 800 yuan and 1,000 yuan. There are many others who cannot find work.
There are also many Burmese people carrying some daily necessities to Ruili to sell. Basically, feather dusters, bamboo baskets, bamboo stools and the like
Burmese women, young and old, all wear white powder on their faces, which is said to be for sun protection and mosquito protection.
Since Myanmar established a dictatorial military government through a military coup in the 1960s, there have been continuous civil wars. There are more than 160 ethnic groups in Myanmar. As the junta exerts pressure on the minority democracies, rebels have sprung up and are growing. These anti-government armed forces sometimes unite to resist the government. At the same time, each faction is fighting for its own territory, and the struggle between the various factions has never stopped. The result is that the people are in dire straits.
Myanmar is a complex country. Some things are difficult to explain here, so the topic of Myanmar is here for the time being. Ruili has been an important town for jadeite trading with Myanmar since ancient times. Now the largest jade wholesale market in China is in Ruili. Jewelry City can be seen everywhere in Ruili. Ruili's tourist attractions, in addition to the national gate, there are also more famous ones such as "one village and two countries", "a single tree forms a forest", Wanding and so on. Wanding is a small town with a long history, more than 20 kilometers away from Ruili, and the "lonely tree forms a forest" is on the way to Wanding. "One village and two countries" is more than ten kilometers away from the outskirts of Ruili. "A single tree forms a forest" and "One village and two countries" are both paid scenic spots. The scenic spot "One Village, Two Countries" was originally a village, which was later divided into two countries. Now China has been circled as a scenic spot, and the ticket is 30 yuan. The only thing to see in this scenic spot is the China-Myanmar border.
The border line here is a yellow line.
Tourists, of course, cannot cross this border. But the Burmese in this village seem to have passports, which allow them to cross the border and enter Ruili at any time. The shops on the opposite side belong to Myanmar, and the customers are almost all Chinese tourists.
A small shop in the Burmese village opposite. Many are Chinese products.
The houses of the villagers on the opposite side are very simple.
There is a small bridge called "one bridge across two countries" in the scenic area. Although the bridge is small, the bridge deck is said to be inlaid with 7777 pieces of emeralds. It is a very unique small bridge.
It was also seen that some emeralds had been picked away.
This scenic spot can be reached by bus No. 1 from downtown Ruili. 60 yuan by taxi. If you have time, you can go and have a look.
As for "a single tree makes a forest". There is a "Shubao Temple" in Ruili's riverside square, which can be called a forest of only trees. No tickets are required here either. In the evening, it is also good to go to the riverside.
This river is called Ruili River, and the opposite side of the river is the Jiegao area.
Ruili does not have a few well-known attractions. But Ruili is a place worth visiting. In Ruili, you can see a lot of scenery completely different from the mainland, and you can experience the customs of Myanmar firsthand.