Less than 6 miles south of Yunnan, China and 50 miles northeast of the Myanmar border lies the humble town of Muang Sing, a small, peaceful place in Luang Nam Tha province where travellers can relax and experience Laos’ rural culture. Despite the town’s unassuming atmosphere, Muang Sing has a long history as a trade town as well as a major opium producer. In 1904, Great Britain conceded Muang Sing to the French, who used the town to control the flow of opium between Laos, Myanmar, and China, constituting an industry that supplied France with 15% of its colonial revenue. Today, though opium is still produced in Muang Sing, in the decades following Laos’ independence, the town has become equally prominent as a destination for Buddhist pilgrimages and an attractive stop for international travellers, making their way to the border. During December and January, Laos’ coldest months, temperatures can reach lows of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, with monsoons arriving between May and October.