Ruili
Ruili (瑞丽 Ruìlì) is a city in Yunnan, South-West China, on the border with Myanmar. It is a major border crossing between China and Myanmar, with the town of Muse across the border. During World War II, this was the border point on the Burma Road.
Get in
Dehong Mangshi Airport (LUM), with connections to Kunming, is the closest airport.
Get around
See
- One Tree Forest
- Chinese-Burma Friendship Street
- Border Trade Street
- Touring and Gem Washing Field
- Wanding Ecological Park
- Hansa Temple
- Jiele Big Golden Pagoda
- 1 Memorial Park for Overseas Chinese Drivers and Mechanics from Southeast Asia in Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (南侨机工回国抗日纪念公园), Zhengyang Road 正阳路 (bus no. 4), ☏ +86 692 5151001. 09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays. Dedicated to the more 3000 Overseas Chinese drivers and mechanics who chose to leave their homes in Southeast Asia during the Second World War in order to work on the Burma Road. There is a museum in the middle of the park. Free.
Do
Buy
This town is located at the Chinese-Burmese border. There is much trade in imported goods, notably jade and fabrics. Wooden furniture (sourced from Burmese logs) is also widely available. Cheap souvenirs can also be bought from travelling Burmese merchants in the city, or from the sizeable number of other foreigners present in the city such as Pakistanis and Indians.
Be prepared to bargain hard. Be cautious about fake jade; see Shopping in China.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
There are many hotels in Ruili. However, hotels in the city are surprisingly expensive, compared even to provincial capitals. There seem to be no places below ¥300.
- Jing Cheng hotel - reputed to be the best hotel in the city. It is housed in the city's tallest tower. The city's only 4-star hotel but in reality feels more like a 2- or 3-star hotel. Breakfast provided is very limited to local cuisine.
Go next
- Mu-se - in Shan State, Myanmar