The stories of Myanmar always make people feel a little far away, but not completely strange. You said, if it becomes a part of China, will our map and destiny change? Mongolia is so important, but the "key" of Myanmar may be even more rare. The "strategic value" we talk about is really at our doorstep. Who doesn't think about it more?

Looking back and counting the grudges and hatreds with Myanmar, it is actually very similar to the long-term acquaintance between neighbors. Time has been pushed back for more than two thousand years, probably during the Han Dynasty. Myanmar was not the Myanmar we now recognize at that time. There were tribes of all sizes scattered on the land, like in the mountains of Yunnan, where everyone dragged their homesickness and days. Walking on the mountain road to do business, occasionally getting married, and occasionally having conflicts, it’s a bit like the stall next door in the market in my hometown - closeness depends on the season and mood.

When history turns to the Tang and Song dynasties, the road between Myanmar and China has gradually smoothed out. Merchants were carrying porcelain and silk on the edge of the ground. Monks often spoke things they couldn't understand and got used to each other's figures. The government has also become energetic, and everyone wants to finalize the rules and make plans. Not to mention, in those days, the tributes sent by Myanmar were sometimes more precious than those in their own hands. But people always live in their own small world. The trains on the frontier run slowly, and the fireworks of the border people cannot enter the imperial capital. The tribute is just a settlement that must be settled every year.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the border was a little restless. Myanmar has been having a good time, but logically speaking, it is to try China's bottom line. I didn't please me that time, but now I think about it, it's like the stubbornness of my younger brother who bet on his temperament. Later, I still had to pay tribute, give me treasures every year and greet me every year. Sometimes I wonder if the red jade and ivory sent by Myanmar flows into the palace in Beijing, does it also melt a little nostalgia? The business team is getting bigger and bigger, and silk tea and porcelain are all the way to the feet of the temple. But these wealth always brings the dust at the door of the house - outsiders look at it, and they know that they are all hard work and sweat.

The Qing Dynasty was even more lively. Sending missions to Myanmar is a kind of "official visit to relatives" that is warm but also somewhat diplomatic. The King of Burma sent a gift, and the Qing Dynasty officials had to consider the strength of what to give back. The folk are interesting, and there are many mixed-race children. In a family, they speak Chinese and Burmese. The dishes on the dinner table may be mixed with chili and soy sauce. They sit in a bamboo building and talk about the stories at home. Some yearn for the snow in the north, while others recite the rain in the south. Such families are always more complex and softer than pure locals, but they also have a little more uneasy and wandering sense - whose threshold does belong to belong?

There were unexpected situations in the sky. After the 19th century, Western iron ships and military flags entered the mouth of the river. The British stepped into Myanmar and lit the fire that they didn't know how long it would take to burn. The old habits were interrupted, and the warmth of China and Myanmar became much colder. The colonial era was bitter like smoke, so where could I have the strength to see who was his brother back then. But there are always some immortal things among the people. No matter what the war is, the separated relatives will still miss each other. By the 20th century, when the national rejuvenation was revived, the Burmese people woke up and thought about driving away the colonists while replacing China's support. There is fire in his eyes and old love. We always say "true love is revealed in times of adversity", which is probably what it means.

It is a bit exaggerating to say that Myanmar is "mysterious". You really have to find it on the map, facing Laos and Thailand in the east, Bangladesh and India in the west, and China in the north. The coastline in the south is long, and the waves of the Andaman Sea are slapped in circles. Walk along northern Myanmar, the mountains are undulating and occasionally cold to the bone in the morning. The rice fields in the south are spreading, and rice grains are to support tens of millions of people. The most wonderful thing is the delta of the Irrawaddy River. There are always farmers who bent down and busy in the mist. Don’t forget that series of islands, like treasures that time has forgotten to develop - just take a look when you are free, is there something hidden?

Myanmar's gemstone is famous all over the world. Especially Ruby, every time I see it, I feel a sense of "not willing to use it". Natural gas and various minerals are buried underground, poor on the surface and rich on the ground. The economy still has to be supported by these resources. You want to say, should these treasures belong to China or the world? Old Burmese people will most likely frown: Who can you blame if you fail to keep your own things?

Myanmar's history has been spread for tens of thousands of years. In the rise and fall of every dynasty and generation, we only pick up the most lively words. The Bagan dynasty is the most famous. That wave was both strong and elegant, and the pagodas and temples were like bamboo shoots after the rain, with golden roofs and silver bodies, and the ground was filled with believers burning incense. Under the sunset of the ancient city of Bagan, the pagoda is like a cone, and the shadows are stretched out. Still people still ride donkey carts to see this journey, and no matter whether they believe in, culture or tourism, they cannot avoid this journey.

Myanmar has its own heritage as a culture. Buddhism is deeply rooted in the bone marrow, and small stupas are hung on the roof of every house. There are many festivals, and in addition to Buddhism, it also takes turns to celebrate the small celebrations of each ethnic group. Have you ever seen the long drums of the Kachin tribe? Perhaps in remote villages, children will set off fireworks around the village entrance. Some people say that Myanmar is a multi-ethnic puzzle, and each piece is not particularly complete, but it just fits together. Such a life is not only an endless stream, but also a river with undercurrents.

After all, Myanmar is not always peaceful. There are always disputes within, ethnic conflicts, political struggles, and there are always turbulent history. A ceasefire agreement was signed a few years ago, and everyone was hoping to take a break. But local conflicts rekindled from time to time - just like a quarrel in an old house, there are always people who are dissatisfied. True peace is always far away, like a shadow.

Speaking of Mongolia, everyone knows that it is a buffer zone between China and Russia. How to say about geographical conditions? It depends on the export of dry and sandstorms. The life is hard and the threshold is high. If you want to start some industry, you are always restrained by heaven. Standing aside is both a bit secure and a little helpless - it is not easy to be a wise middleman between a powerful country. This is also the fate of Mongolia.

Myanmar is different. It is like a natural bond between Southeast Asia, South Asia and China. The west end is next to India and Bangladesh, and to the north are the mountains of China. The 2,000-kilometer boundary line has made China-Myanmar exchanges more flesh and blood. Myanmar is connected to ASEAN in the southeast, linking up all countries, like the warmest one in the family, whoever has difficulties is the first to run out. When it comes to geopolitics, it is a bridgehead. If you want to say that if China wants to open the window to the southwest, it must look at the key of Myanmar.

The coast of Myanmar, directly to the Indian Ocean. The whole world knows that the Indian Ocean is a golden waterway. The southwest turn of Myanmar's sea line provides China with a direct road to the Indian Ocean. This is not just a joke in terms of energy security and economic and trade exchanges. You think that the cement road at home leads to the entrance of the village and becomes lively. China has more than 18,000 kilometers of coastline and a bunch of sea neighbors - the geographical relationship is very complex. The road to the Pacific Ocean is still too single. If this passage in Myanmar is used well, a window will be set up in the southwest and the world will be near.

Going further down the south is the Strait of Malacca. One of the busiest waterways in the world. Whoever ship passes by and whose cargo leaves, the whole world watches. It's a bit like the main road in front of the house - it's blocked, and the whole town is not happy. If China can build a bridge in Yangon, Myanmar, it can bypass this easily blocked road. If you want to solve the "heart disease" in Malacca, you rely on the clever eyes in the small road, which is far more practical than the hard work on the road.

In recent years, the "Belt and Road" has been shouted out loud, and it is also based on Myanmar's stage to sing opera. When Chinese companies enter Myanmar, they can also encounter jobs in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Whether it is commerce or interconnection, Myanmar is like a station in the middle. Whether everyone can be rich together depends on their spirit and the path. Myanmar's advantages are not only marks on the map, but also footprints that have been taken for thousands of years.

Speaking of this, some people may still ask: Is Myanmar worth it? Geography, resources, and culture are all like a good game. But at the end of the day, Myanmar always looks like an ordinary child—there are a lot of things at home, but the outside changes too quickly. Its destiny always fluctuates in the turmoil. Should we reach out and pull it? Or, you have to wait for it to figure it out whether it wants to get close to anyone. Things in the world are unpredictable, and whether it is geographical or human hearts, they all need to be picked up slowly. The days are still long and the story is not finished.