Classroom walls display bilingual mottos — "Study hard, improve daily" in Chinese and Burmese — where white-bloused girls from Myanmar mingle seamlessly with their Chinese peers. Of its 463 students, 183 are Myanmar nationals — a figure rising steadily since enrolling two pupils from Myanmar in 2005.

"We assign classes without regard to nationality. All enjoy free textbooks and waived fees," said school principal Yang Enfeng. Many Myanmar students live with parents working in Ruili's jade trade or stay with relatives.