Mangshi

City centre / Mangshi Square

Walkable to the Jingpo museum, the cultural palace and the bus station; best for a one-night stop.

Peacock Lake area

Quieter, greener edge of town; bus line 5 and 11 pass nearby (check).

Etiquette

• Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
• Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
• Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
• Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
• Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
• Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
• Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
• Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4

Scams and watch-outs

• Monsoon June–September: heavy rain, landslides possible on mountain roads — check road conditions before any drive.
• Taxi drivers may quote a flat fare instead of the meter; insist on the meter and add the ¥3 fuel surcharge yourself.
• Taxis are zoned and may refuse trips outside their area; shift change around 18:30 makes hailing hard.
• Buy bus tickets only at the official station counter; ignore anyone asking an extra 'luggage fee'.
• Border areas toward Myanmar: carry your passport and check current restrictions before travelling to Jiegao or Ruili.