Hang on. Wasn't the primary route from Assam to Yunnan? Why are they flying to Kunming then Guilin? Aren't they going to fly the most important point, the actual 'hump' across the Himalayas to India? After flying all the way from Australia, not doing the real route would seem a massive cop-out.

I lived in the area for a few years, circa 2004-2007 and have been visiting regularly since early 2002.

One of my friends was a monk whose father was a traditional Dai shaman or expert at medicinal use of forest products. A very positive thing that the national government did was allocate funds to the preservation of ethnic plant knowledge, and to publish this in a trilingual Chinese-Dai-English tome. Anyone who is interested in local forest biology or the traditional Dai medicinal system (which, similar to the Chinese system is based upon elements and a central notion of restoring healthy balance/equilibrium) would do well to track it down. I believe in their system there is one more, or one less element than the Chinese. I bought my copy at the research institution on Minhang Lu, now possibly moved or closed, but the Dai hospital on the same street should be able to offer advice on obtaining a copy.

Now the local government scorecard: destroying the forests, allowing foreign missionary groups to dismember local villages, persistent corruption in the allocation of national resources (final Asian elephant populations, remnant stands of forest, Mekong river navigation rights, mineral veins, etc.) and effective local monopolies (long distance road transportation, local political-religious historical sites) to private groups. Unchecked development on the Mekong riverbanks. Some corrupt mayors have been caught by Beijing, but it hasn't been nearly enough.

Within less than 20 years what was once a beautiful valley of Dai villages, the last gem on the Mekong before it left the country, has become a pathetic icon to utter local government corruption, Han influence and planning failure: a monument to failed policy on one of China's most visible borders. Where less than a generation ago forests stood, out-of-province conglomerates build fake Buddhist features with profit at their heart, and rubber trees have become so dominant that real forest no longer be seen from anywhere in the city, which has become a forest of skyscrapers and neon comparable to Shanghai's Pudong. Where even ten years ago rice fields, tropical plants and nature stood, we find cookie-cutter paved 'parks' in the Han style, extending an dating and ever-ignorant vision of socialist utopia in a voracious zombie-like quest for genericism that is powered by the steady supply of disenfranchised emigres of inner China. I am told that Menghai, once a vast plateau of rice fields and villages, has pretty much developed in the same way, though it was first spared the worst excesses as the Shan State border at Daluo exported most local vice.

Yes, there is still charm left in the area, particularly outside of the cities, and it is certainly worth visiting and seeing for yourself. The smaller villages still offer insight in to traditional language, culture and living practices, there is still great scenery if you are willing to invest the time, and exploring the relationship between the various ethnic groups can be interesting. But for those of us who have watched the changes it is very difficult not to be saddened. On my first trip in 2002, I was amazed to see a musk deer quietly stroll across the forested road. That forest is gone.

Some interesting places still worth visiting are the new prefectural museum in the east of Jinghong, the Jinuoshan Museum on the road to Menghai, Menglun's tropical botanical gardens and - if you have time to head west - the Menglian Tusi Museum showing the life and trappings of a local ruler. Finally, if you head south toward Menglong (through fields of plastic) then you may be able to spot a sneakily established Ashoka pillar harking southwest to India in what I like to interpret as a quiet and peaceful act of cultural defiance. :)

Nice article and good picture thieving Patrick, though I note you didn't repeat the story of Jinma and Biji which might have been enlightening for some.

Dongfeng Square was a retiree park for years before they demolished it to make way for the subway and who knows what else that is still yet to emerge. It used to be quite pleasant to walk through as a refuge from traffic, with dancing, card games, tai qi and captive birds visible all day. Sadly that is gone and the eastern side of the center of the city has become pedestrian-unfriendly. No doubt when it opens we can look forward to inadequate escalators and crowds on stairs in the new subway. I really feel sad for the older residents at the moment, it's becoming very hard to move around and refuges from bustle fewer and fewer.

Another thing we can thank the French for... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle-sharing_system#European_programs

La Rochelle is also the undisputed home of France's modern sailing culture, notable for its early and strong support and development of multihull vessels.

Mike and I have both lived there for extended periods, so we are very aware of the general situation.

The lady is not the problem, it's the ineffective bureaucracy where nobody is willing to take charge or devote time, effort and resources towards migrating the uneducated local agriculturalists, industrialists, property developers and military toward environmentally sustainable farming, building and navigation.

Beijing needs to get involved.