Ruìlì is a great place to sample Burmese food, with a number of restaurants offering it. You'll also find Dai dishes on many menus.
Ruìlì 瑞丽
%0692 / Pop 99,148
Back in the 1980s this border town was a notorious haven for drug and gem smugglers, prostitution and various other iniquities. The government cleaned it up in the late 1990s (on the surface anyway) and today you’re more likely to stumble into a shopping mall than a den of thieves. Still, Ruìlì has an edge to it, thanks to its proximity to a notoriously anarchic region of Myanmar and a thriving gem market operated largely by Burmese traders. And with its palm-tree-lined streets, bicycle rickshaws and steamy climate, it has a distinctly laid-back, Southeast Asian feel.
The minority villages nearby are also good reason to come and it’s worth getting a bicycle and heading out to explore. Another draw is Myanmar, just a few kilometres away. Though individual tourists are not allowed to cross freely, organising permits to take you through the sensitive border area is becoming easier.
Ruìlì
1Sights
1Jade MarketB1
2Ruìlì MarketA2
4Sleeping
3Biānchéng JiǔdiànB2
4Míngruì HotelA1
5Ruìlì BīnguǎnA1
5Eating
6Bo Bo's Cold Drinks ShopA2
7Lántiān XiǎochīA2
8Myanmar GardenA2
1Sights
Ruìlì MarketMARKET
(瑞丽市场; Ruìlì Shìchǎng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h6am-6pm)
This is one of the most colourful and fun markets in all Yúnnán; a real swirl of ethnicities, including Dai, Jingpo, Han and Burmese, as well as the odd Bangladeshi and Pakistani trader. Get here in the morning, when the stalls are lined with Burmese smokes, tofu wrapped in banana leaves, freshly made noodles, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals from Thailand, clothes – you name it. It’s also a good place to grab lunch at one of the many snack stalls.
Jade MarketMARKET
(珠宝街; Zhūbǎo Jiē MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-9pm)
Ruìlì’s ever-expanding jade market is great for people-watching and is the true centre of town in all senses. Burmese jade sellers run most of the shops here and for a while you may even forget you are still in China.
MINORITY GROUPS
The most obvious minority groups in Déhóng are the Burmese (who are normally dressed in their traditional sarong-like longyi), Dai and Jingpo – known in Myanmar (Burma) as the Kachin – a minority group long engaged in armed struggle against the Myanmar government.
4Sleeping
There are many midrange and budget hotels in Ruìlì, as well as one hostel, with the cheapest rooms (from ¥100) available along Nanmao Jie.
Biānchéng JiǔdiànHOTEL$
(边城酒店 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0692 415 6669; 85 Biancheng Jie; 边城街85号 d ¥138-328; aiW)
This place in the centre of town has comfortable beds, power showers, good wi-fi and efficient staff (but little English spoken). The most expensive rooms are themed – think Superman decor – and have round beds. No English sign; look for the large, sand-coloured building close to the corner with Ruijiang Lu.
Irrawaddy International Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(伊洛瓦底国际青年旅舍; Yiluòwǎdǐ Guójì Qīngnián Lǔshě %189 8824 3100; 7 Youyi Lu; 友谊路7号 dm ¥35-40, d ¥80-130; aW)
This hostel located on a quiet, residential street in the north of town likes to fly under the radar: it's hard to find any English-language information about it. But the dorms and rooms are bright and reasonably well-kept, the bathrooms have sit-down toilets, the staff are cheerful and speak a little English and there's a pleasant communal area and garden.
It's a 15-minute walk from Nanmao Jie, or a ¥8 taxi ride.
Míngruì HotelHOTEL$
(明瑞宾馆; Míngruì Bīnguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0692 410 8666; 98 Nanmao Jie; 南卯街98号 d ¥120; aW)
Big, bright and clean rooms and a handy central location, although that means it can be noisy. Strong wi-fi connection. It's down an alley off the northern side of Nanmao Jie, close to the intersection with Xinan Lu.
Ruìlì BīnguǎnHOTEL$$$
(瑞丽宾馆 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0692 410 0888; 25 Jianshe Lu; 建设路25号 d ¥520; aW)
This long-standing place, garishly painted orange and gold and close to the jade market, remains decent value with routine 50% discounts. The wood-panelled rooms aren't huge but they are comfortable and the staff are amenable: they can provide maps (¥10) of town and the surrounding area.
5Eating
You'll find a fair few Burmese restaurants in Ruìlì – try the area around the jade market – as well as ones serving Dai food. There are street stalls scattered all over town come nightfall, plus there's a night food market; just follow your nose.
oLántiān XiǎochīYUNNAN$
(蓝天小吃 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Xin'an Lu; 新安路 dishes from ¥8; h7am-10pm)
Fantastic, popular place for noodles at any time of day, but especially breakfast. It's also good for Burmese-style salads, fried rice dishes and fruit juices. No English menu, but there are pictures on the wall to choose from.
oBo Bo’s Cold Drinks ShopCAFE$
(步步冷饮店; Bùbù Lěngyǐndiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0692 412 3643; Xinan Lu; 新安路 dishes from ¥10; h9am-midnight; W)
This Ruili institution is busy from early to late, with the Burmese waiters clad in their native, sarong-like longyi hustling as they serve up fantastic fruit juices, Burmese-style milky tea, ice cream and cakes. They also do simple but tasty rice and noodle dishes. Look for the English sign and climb the stairs to the large, 2nd floor covered terrace.
Myanmar GardenBURMESE$
(缅甸园; Miǎndiàn Yuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 73 Maohan Lu, 卯喊路73号 dishes from ¥15; h10am-2am; W)
Great for authentic Burmese food like tea leaf and lime beef salads, as well as a smattering of northern Thai dishes. It's fine for coffee and juices as well, while a jug of chilled lager is ¥36. It's inside a forecourt just off Maohan Lu near the intersection with Xin'an Lu.
8Information
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行; Zhōngguó Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; Nanmao Jie; 南卯街 h9am-4pm)
Provides all the usual services and will cash travellers cheques for US dollars if you’re headed to Myanmar.
China PostPOST
(国际邮局; Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Mengmao Lu & Renmin Lu; h9am-6pm)
You can send mail overseas from here.
Internet CafeINTERNET
(网吧; Wǎngbā GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Nanmao Jie & Jiegang Lu; per hr ¥4; h24hr)
At the time of writing, foreigners weren’t allowed to use Ruìlì’s internet cafes.
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB; 公安局; Gōng’ānjú GOOGLE MAP ; %0692 414 1281; Jianshe Lu; h8.30-11.30am & 2.30-5.30pm)
Come here for visa extensions.
8Getting There & Away
An expressway from Bǎoshān to Ruìlì is close to completion and perhaps one day in the not-too-distant future there will be a high-speed rail link from Kūnmíng that will extend into Myanmar (Burma) via Ruìlì.
Air
There are 18 daily flights from Mángshì to Kūnmíng (from ¥450). You can buy tickets at China Eastern Airlines (东方航空公司; Dōngfāng Hángkōng Gōngsī GOOGLE MAP ; %0692 411 1111; Renmin Lu; h8am-10pm).
Bus
The new long-distance bus station (长途客运站; chángtú kèyùn zhàn ) is on the northeastern outskirts of Ruìlì. Taxis charge a flat ¥15 to the centre of town.
ABǎoshān ¥93, six hours, every 50 minutes (8am to 5pm)
AJǐnghóng ¥410, 22 hours, one daily (10am)
AKūnmíng ¥295 to ¥331, 12 hours, five daily (8.30am, noon, 3pm, 6pm and 7.30pm)
AMángshì ¥36, two hours, every 30 minutes (7am to 7pm)
ATéngchōng ¥82, four hours, every 40 minutes (7.20am to 1.20pm)
AXi
àguān ¥161, nine hours, three daily (9am, 11am and 5pm)
Minivans and buses for local destinations cruise around town: flag them down on Nanmao Jie and Renmin Lu. Destinations include Wǎndīng (¥15), Zhāngfēng (¥15) and the village of Nóngdǎo (¥8).
BORDER CROSSINGS: GETTING TO MYANMAR (BURMA)
At the time of writing it was not possible for third-country nationals to travel across the border at Jiěgào (姐告). The only way to go is by air from Kūnmíng. Visas are available at the embassy in Běijīng or in Kūnmíng at the Myanmar Consulate (缅甸领事馆; Miǎndiàn Lǐngshìguǎn %0871 6816 2804; www.mcgkunming.org; 99 Yingbin Lu, Guāndù District Consular Zone; 官渡区昆明外国领馆区迎宾路99号(世纪金源大酒店旁) h9am-noon Mon-Fri). In Kūnmíng visas cost ¥235, take three days to process and are good for a maximum 28-day visit
At the time of writing there were two daily nonstop flights from Kūnmíng to Yangon (from ¥1090) on Air China and China Eastern Airlines and one daily to Mandalay (from ¥1762).
8Getting Around
Mángshì is a 1½-hour drive from Ruìlì. Shuttle taxis leave daily from the China Eastern office, three hours before scheduled flights (¥80).
The most interesting day trips require a bicycle. Ask at your accommodation about the best place to rent one.
A flat rate for a taxi ride inside the city should be ¥6, and is up for negotiation from there. There are also motorcycle taxis and cycle rickshaws.
Around Ruìlì
Most of the sights around Ruìlì can be explored by bicycle. It’s worth making detours down the narrow paths leading off the main roads to visit minority villages. The people are friendly, and there are lots of photo opportunities.
The shortest ride is to turn left at the corner north of China Post and continue out of Ruìlì into the little village of Měngmǎo. There are half a dozen Shan temples scattered about; the fun is in finding them.
1Sights
Hǎnshā Zhuāng TempleDAI TEMPLE
(喊沙奘寺; Hǎnshā Zhuāng Sì )F
Hǎnshā Zhuāng Temple is an impressive wooden structure with a few resident monks. It’s about 5km southwest of Ruìlì, set a little off the road. A green tourism sign marks the turn-off. The surrounding Dai village is interesting.
LéizhuāngxiāngHISTORIC SITE
(雷装相 )F
Léizhuāngxiāng is Ruìlì’s oldest stupa, dating back to the middle of the Tang dynasty. It's about 8km southwest of town.
Golden Duck PagodaPAGODA
(弄安金鸭塔; Nòng'ān Jīnyā Tǎ )F
This pagoda is on the southwestern outskirts of Ruìlì on the main road. An attractive stupa set in a temple courtyard, it was established to mark the arrival of a pair of golden ducks that brought good fortune to what was previously an uninhabited marshy area.
Golden PagodaPAGODA
(姐勒金塔; Jiělè Jīntǎ )F
A few kilometres to the east of Ruìlì on the road to Wǎndīng is the Golden Pagoda, a fine structure that dates back 200 years.
JIěGàO BORDER CHECKPOINT
On land jutting into Myanmar (Burma), Jiěgào (姐告) is the main checkpoint for a steady stream of cross-border traffic. It’s a bustling place, with plenty of traders doing last-minute shopping in the many shops and goods outlets. Tourists saunter right up to the border and snap photos in front of the large entry gate. It remains busy well into the night.
To get here, continue straight ahead from Golden Duck Pagoda, on the southwestern outskirts of town, cross the China Myanmar Friendship Bridge (中缅友谊桥; Zhōngmiǎn Yǒuyì Qiáo) over Ruìlì Jiāng and you will come to Jiěgào, about 7km from Ruìlì.
Shared red taxis (¥5) with signs for Jiěgào drive around the centre of Ruìlì from dawn until late at night.
Xīshuāngbǎnnà Region 西双版纳
North of Myanmar and Laos, Xīshuāngbǎnnà is the Chinese approximation of the original Thai name of Sip Sawng Panna (12 Rice-Growing Districts). The Xīshuāngbǎnnà region (西双版纳), better known as Bǎnnà, has become China’s mini-Thailand, attracting tourists looking for sunshine, water-splashing festivals and epic jungle treks.
But Xīshuāngbǎnnà is big enough that it rarely feels overwhelmed by visitors and even the expanding capital, Jǐnghóng, remains reasonably laid-back.
Environment
Xīshuāngbǎnnà has myriad plant and animal species, although recent scientific studies have shown the tropical rainforest areas of Bǎnnà are now acutely endangered. The jungle areas that remain contain a handful of tigers, leopards and golden-haired monkeys. The number of elephants has doubled to 250, up 100% from the early 1980s; the government now offers compensation to villagers whose crops have been destroyed by elephants, or who assist in wildlife conservation. In 1998 the government banned the hunting or processing of animals, but poaching is notoriously hard to control.
People
About one-third of the million-strong population of this region are Dai; another third or so are Han Chinese and the rest are a conglomerate of minorities that include the Hani, Lisu and Yao, as well as lesser-known hill tribes such as the Aini (a subgroup of the Hani), Jinuo, Bulang, Lahu and Wa.
Xīshuāngbǎnnà Dai Autonomous Prefecture, as it is known officially, is subdivided into the three counties of Jǐnghóng, Měnghǎi and Měnglà.
MINORITY GROUPS OF XīSHUāNGBǎNNà
The Dai (傣族) are Hinayana Buddhists (as opposed to China’s majority Mahayana Buddhists) who first appeared 2000 years ago in the Yangzi Valley and were subsequently driven south to here by the Mongol invasion of the 13th century. The common dress for Dai women is a straw hat or towel-wrap headdress, a tight, short blouse in a bright colour, and a printed sarong with a belt of silver links. Some Dai men tattoo their bodies with animal designs, and betel-nut chewing is popular. The Dai language is quite similar to Lao and northern Thai dialects. Some Dai phrases include douzao li (hello), yindi (thank you) and goihan (goodbye).
The Jinuo people (基诺族), sometimes known as the Youle, were officially ‘discovered’ as a minority in 1979 and are among the smallest groups – numbering between 12,000 and 18,000. They call themselves ‘those who respect the uncle’ and are thought to possibly have descended from the Qiang. The women wear a white cowl, a cotton tunic with bright horizontal stripes and a tubular black skirt. Earlobe decoration is an elaborate custom among older women – the larger the hole and the more flowers it can contain, the more beautiful the woman is considered.
The Bulang people (布朗族) live mainly in the Bùlǎng, Xīdìng and Bādá mountains of Xīshuāngbǎnnà. They keep to the hills farming cotton, sugar cane and pǔ’ěr tea, one of Yúnnán’s most famous exports. Men traditionally tattoo their arms, legs, chests and stomachs while women wear vibrant headdresses decorated with flowers.
The Hani (哈尼族), who are sometimes confused with the Akha, are closely related to the Yi as a part of the Tibeto-Burman group; the language is Sino-Tibetan but uses Han characters for the written form. They are mostly famed for their river-valley rice terraces, especially in the Red River valley, between the Āiláo and Wúliàng Shān, where they cultivate rice, corn and the occasional poppy. Hani women (especially the Aini, a subgroup of the Hani) wear headdresses of beads, feathers, coins and silver rings, some of which are decorated with French (Vietnamese), Burmese and Indian coins from the turn of the 20th century.
Climate
The region has two seasons: wet and dry. The wet season is between June and August, when it rains ferociously, although not every day and only in short bursts. From September to February there is less rainfall, but thick fog descends during the late evening and doesn’t lift until 10am or even later.
November to March sees temperatures average about 19°C. The hottest months of the year are from April to September, when you can expect an average of 25°C.
zFestivals & Events
During festivals, booking same-day airline tickets to Jǐnghóng can be extremely difficult. Hotels
in Jǐnghóng town are booked solid and prices usually triple. Most people end up commuting from a nearby Dai village. Festivities take place all over Xīshuāngbǎnnà, so you might be lucky further away from Jǐnghóng.
Water-Splashing FestivalCULTURAL
(hmid-Apr)
Held at the same time as it is celebrated in Thailand and Laos, the three-day water-splashing festival washes away the dirt, sorrow and demons of the old year and brings in the happiness of the new. Jǐnghóng celebrates it from 13 to 15 April but dates in the surrounding villages vary. The actual splashing only occurs on the last day. Foreigners earn special attention, so prepare to be drenched all day.
Dǎntǎ FestivalCULTURAL
(赕塔节; Dǎntǎ Jié hOct/Nov)
This festival is held during a 10-day period in October or November, with temple ceremonies, rocket launches from special towers and hot-air balloons. The rockets, which often contain lucky amulets, blast into the sky; those who find the amulets are assured of good luck.
ETIQUETTE IN DAI TEMPLES
Around Dai temples the same rules apply as elsewhere: dress appropriately (no sleeveless tops or shorts); take off shoes before entering; don’t take photos of monks or the inside of temples without permission; leave a donation if you do take any shots and consider leaving a token donation even if you don’t – unlike in Thailand, these Buddhists receive no government assistance. It is polite to wai (clasp your hands together in a prayer-like greeting) the monks and remember to never rub anyone’s head, raise yourself higher than a Buddha figure or point your feet at anyone. (This last point applies to secular buildings too. If you stay the night in a Dai household, it is good form to sleep with your feet pointing towards the door.)
Lonely Planet China Page 147