@Liumingke: US$6000? Were these one on one classes?

Ruili mentioned in thread. Visited it first time around 2001 and that place was one h-ll of a place then. Only place seen child trafficking in this world, ever. Sold on the streets, and one step worse in Jiegao, across the river, where the burmese where. Those kids looked like age 11-13 there.

Met by coincidence a BBC guy in Bangkok once, and told him they need to go there and make a report about the kids there. Dont know if this was ever realized by them.

They started to clean up Ruili around 2003. Operation launched from Beijing with lots of undercovers sniffing around first. Around 2006 it was a very different place already.

Hekou was quite of a place then too, but not as mad as Ruili.

@Alien

Yes. I forgot to mention that.

Beijing and Xinning in 2003, loads of bicycles, pig carcasses carted around in 3 wheeled bicycles.
Beijing airport was a scammers paradise...my friend paid 2000rmb to collect his luggage.
I paid 200 rmb for a taxi ride..

Kunming 2006.

Hanging onto cars and taxis while on bicycle(courier style) i could travel most of Renmin Lu faster than traffic..

Few Cars but gridlock would ensue with a minor fender bender.
Parking everywhere.

Santana was a luxury car.

Performance bicycles were rare imports...most bicycle were single speed with squeaky hub brakes.

Dali old town.2007.

Few vehicles....
I could land my paraglider, tandem, on the main road in front of 3 pagodas..
paraglideyunnan.smugmug.com/[...]

@mike4g_air Great pics :o)