Anyone know if you can get an exit and entry stamp for China at Ruili without crossing into Burma? This would be similar to what you can do at Mohan/Laos where you exit China and walk back into the same station without ever visiting the Laos checkpoint.

Or is it like Hekou/Vietnam where they won't even let you out if you don't have the correct permits/visa for Vietnam.

Can't offer anything definitive but, no I don't think so. Currently the Chinese-Burmese border is effectively closed for foreigners and visas to Burma is only issued in Kunming at the consulate. There's still sporadic fighting going on on the other side and rebels have blown the bridge at another border crossing further to the north. Ruili does have a special area on the other side of the river where you're technically in no man's land -for instance, you can buy tax free there without showing papers- but when I was there last time 2 months ago the actual border check point was out of limits and the guards told me firmly to turn my car around and even with a visa I couldn't leave China there.

Can't really help you any further. Hopefully one of the 5-10 'white' foreigners in Ruili can chime in on this.

A few years back I took a "black tour" into Burma from Ruili, for like 200 RMB. They walk you across actually and then drive you around. Looking back was not a good idea but I made it. Guards/cops with machine guns saw me walking around with the small group and did not stop me. Figure they knew the tour guy and maybe he paid them some money. I don't know. But I was in Burma with no entry visa and could have gone to jail in a country with no embassy or consulate or decent relationship with the US (though that has improved). I would not even suggest that these days. For your own safety. There are like 60,000 displayed Burmese right now due to the fighting between Buddhists (!) and the Muslim minority. Seems the Laos check point is still the favored stamp area, though the area there at the check point town is pretty drab.

I thought you could get a tour to Mandalay via the Ruili checkpoint, but the cost of the permits is really high. I suppose as the country opens up more and more, the restrictions will start to disappear. I'm wondering just how dangerous the areas near the border are though. I believe the Burmese government previously didn't really want anyone crossing the border beyond a few hundred meters into the country and even then only for day trips (this includes Chinese visitors). My dad has however been able to cross this border with some Chinese business partners to view some growing sites located just beyond the border but in recent times no one (including his business associates) has returned there and I think they are contemplating moving the whole site either into Ruili or to Laos or Vietnam until the whole security and political/immigration situation gets sorted out.

A Chinese friend of mine went to Mandalay on a business sightseeing trip to explore opportunities there back in February or March but after he heard about the difficulties and expense in going overland via Ruili (effectively it was a no) he decided to fly from Kunming to Mandalay, where he encountered no difficulties at all.

The answer is a clear and definitive NO. Expect more and more restrictions in the coming months. Whatever was done in the past no longer holds true. The Burma border has been closed to foreigners for almost 2 years now. Yes, some fools can cross there illegally for a day or for a few hours but it does nothing for renewing a visa.

@HFCAMPO, there are enough restrictions as you can possibly get so I would think if anything, it will get easier, not more difficult in the coming months. Given that Myanmar is finally opening up, this is a real possibility. I wouldn't hold my breath for any definitive timetable though. Just keep abreast with the news.

As mentioned, even Chinese people can only really travel to the town beyond Ruili (known as Mu-Se) and not beyond and even then mostly only on day trips. The experience of my friend proves that everyone (for the time being) should consider flying to Mandalay or Yangon as the overland trip is unfortunately not really the way to go at the moment.

Just FYI, I called the Myanmar Consulate this morning and asked about if US/American citizens can go across to Myanmar visa Muse/Ruili port, the answer is NO. When I asked the Chinese guard before, they said that China could careless, it is the Burmese side that won't let you in. So there you have it, it seems you can't do it.

Every once in awhile someone will say they were able to get the guards to stamp them out/in without going to Burma. I certainly wasn't able to do it. If you did it, can you offer any advice? Who to talk to? How? etc.

The # to the Myanmar Consulate is 0871-816-2818

Tonghai is all right, the temple hill is pretty awesome. But I wouldn't go there just for that as its quite far, combine with a trip to Jianshui which is also nice!