Nan Shway Yoe: My business has witnessed local development

Over a decade ago, Myanmar girl Nan Shway Yoe came to Longchuan, a county right on the border between China and Myanmar in Yunnan's Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture. She opened up a small shop, selling flip flops.

Nan Shway Yoe from Myanmar. Photo by Li Wenjun (Yunnan Daily)

The local residents in Longchuan didn't quite accept flip flops at first. She, therefore, decided to change the business strategy and begin importing other types of shoes - such as leather sandals, slippers and canvas shoes - from Thailand and Vietnam. As a great choice of shoes started to be available on shelves, more customers were attracted to her shop. 

fter the opening of Ruili-Longchuan and Tengchong-Longchuan Highways, Nan's shop became even more popular, along with a great improvement of local business environment in general. This July, she relocated her shop to a major pedestrian street in Longchuan. More Chinese and Myanmarese customers have shown up ever since. 

  

Nan with a customer. Photo by Li Wenjun (Yunnan Daily)

"As an increasing number of employees from Myanmar come to work at the Longchuan Industrial Area, opportunities brought by China's opening-up have been shared by more people," says Nan.

Reporting by Zhang Yinglin and Li Wenjun; trans-editing by Wang Yunya (Yunnan Daily)