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The view from above -- that's Tengchong -- 50,000 people, neatly packed into a square mile -- with a buzzing nightlife, and the Himalayan range in the background.

Tengchong's high school, where Hai Feng went. The pillar says something about the "Pursuit of Truth". Hai Feng tells me he went up and down those steps at least 10 times a day!

The main shopping street. You can get pretty well anything you want in Tengchong, it is the commercial center for about 600,000 people.

Typical side street scene. Gives you a glimpse of the old Tengchong.

Part of the main shopping district. It's the day after Lunar New Year -- usually the street is swarming with shoppers.

Another shopping street. There was a massive rebuilding campaign over the past ten years. Tengchong now has wide streets and modern buildings.

People live here too... this is a typical Tengchong residential street.

Roadside snacks -- anywhere you go in Tengchong, you will see people's small snack business on the side of the road. Here are the very popular Tengchong style spring roll, with mung sprouts, peanuts, oyster sauce and other goodies -- or you can get the rice noodle cut up, and have the spring roll served in a cold vinegar soup. The other stand makes cucumber salad out of various ingredients, all mostly pickled. Everything is cleaned in cold water without soap. Yikes!

Army checkpoint. This is the road in from Myanmar -- 50 miles away. A likely route for heroin smugglers -- yet -- I've only been in Tengchong 3 weeks, and even I know where the dirt track that leads around this checkpoint is.

The valley behind the temple -- note the dirt track through the middle of it -- that's the checkpoint bypass -- the road goes right by Wang and Rachel's place.

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