It is located 200 km south of China border at the southern end of infamous Burma Road. Nowadays the town is getting more and more occupied by many a Chinese and thus you can easily see Chinese influence in town. Lashio is in a mountain basin at about 855m above sea level and divided into two main districts - Lahio Lay (Little Lashio) and Lashio Gyi (Big Lashio). There are some pagodas and a hot spa for foreigners to visit. The railroad between Lashio, Thibaw and Kyaukme and Mandalay is quite fascinating since the train passes over the GOKHTEIK viaduct which is said to be the world's second largest steel bridge of more than a hundred years old. This was built by the American in the British Raj and is considered to be the greatest railway viaduct in the world at the time.