And sampans have long ceased to be necessary; she can transport goods not only using waterways but also highways and railways.

According to the provincial government, the length of its expressways now exceeds 10,000 kilometers, 3.4 times that of 2012. Domestic sections of the China-Vietnam, China-Laos and China-Myanmar international corridor highways have been opened to commercial traffic, cutting transportation times and costs.

The total import and export volume of foreign trade increased from $21 billion in 2012 to $48.7 billion last year, the government said.

Also last year, border trade accounted for about 13 percent of Yunnan's total trade volume. Mechanical and electrical products made up the lion's share of the province's exports, accounting for 36 percent of the trade volume. Agricultural products ranked No 2, at 16 percent.