JIEGAO, Yunnan province - This tiny enclave south of the Shweli river belongs to China but is completely surrounded on land by Myanmar. Its unique position has given rise to a boomtown like no other in western Yunnan province, a bustling exit point for Chinese goods destined for Myanmar and beyond.
Shops in Jiegao sell everything from electronic goods, household appliances, motorcycles, garments, medicines, fake DVDs and bizarre sex toys. One shop displays two huge, 12-wheel trucks in a glassed showroom facing one of the town's broad new boulevards. Jade and precious stones from Myanmar are on sale here as well.
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