Mangshi (Luxi) is the main city in southwest Yunnan. It is just up the road from the Dehong county-level cities of Ruili and Wanding, which have border crossings with Burma.
If you plan on staying in the region, Mangshi has far more appeal than the border towns. It comes with a small airport, with daily flights from Kunming, and lies on the main Kunming highway to the border. The town is populated by all sorts of ethnic minorities, as with elsewhere in the region, with flavors from Burma, Laos and Thailand.
There are a few half-decent sights to check out in Mangshi (Luxi). The town is loaded with temples and pagodas such as the Wuyun Temple, Sati Temple, and the Bodhi Monastery. Outside town is Sanxian Cave, while the border crossing points are a couple of hours’ drive south.
Getting There & Away
Mangshi (Luxi) is best accessed by flying to Mangshi Airport, just out of town. It is a 50-minute flight from Kunming, the Yunnan capital. Bus travel along the G320 highway from Kunming is 10 hours and the borders are about 2 hours southwest by bus.
In brief
Worth it? Only really if you intend heading for the Burma border.
What to do: cross borders, visit temples.
Best time to go: November through March.
How long? One day or less in Mangshi (Luxi).
Trivia: Mangshi (Luxi) is the capital of the Dehong Autonomous Prefecture and means ‘the Town of Daybreak’.
Mangshi (Luxi) attractions
Bodhi Monastery: a huge monastery on Xinan Road sporting a Buddha statue atop; it was built way back during the Qing Dynasty.
Side trips from Mangshi (Luxi)
Burma border: the closest border town is Wanding, while Ruili is the main one farther down the G320. There are some decent markets here and excursions into Burma.