At the Edge of Dawn – Mangshi, China

Mangshi (芒市), known locally as Menghuan — the City of Dawn — lies in China’s far southwestern borderlands, where Yunnan meets Myanmar. In this subtropical landscape, daily life unfolds quietly among Theravada pagodas, village roads, markets, and fields, shaped by the traditions of the Dai, Jingpo, and other ethnic communities. Golden temples rise from palm-lined hills, monks pass through morning mist, and borderland rhythms blur the lines between nations. Mangshi is not a destination of monuments, but of moments — a place where history, faith, and ordinary life coexist