▁example , ▁Col onial ▁French ▁and ▁English ▁had ▁been ▁active ▁at ▁sites ▁in ▁neighbour ing ▁northern ▁La os , ▁Vietnam ▁and ▁Bur ma , ▁and ▁even ▁inside ▁of ▁modern ▁Y unn an ▁at ▁sites ▁like ▁T eng ch ong ▁and ▁Ge ji u . ▁ ▁In ▁fact , ▁between ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁the ▁French ▁had ▁built ▁the ▁long ▁S ino - V ietnam ese ▁Railway ▁which ▁ran ▁from ▁H ano i ▁to ▁Kun ming ▁via ▁He kou , ▁with ▁an ▁off sh oot ▁to ▁Ge ji u . ▁ ▁The ▁English ▁tried ▁to ▁match ▁the ▁French ▁effort ▁with ▁the ▁Y unn an – B ur ma ▁Railway , ▁but ▁failed ▁to ▁complete ▁it ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war , ▁with ▁the ▁project ▁ultimately ▁abandoned . ▁ ▁The ▁P RC ▁also ▁saw ▁a ▁bitter ▁S ino - V ietnam ese ▁War ▁fought ▁along ▁Y unn an ' s ▁south ▁eastern ▁border , ▁which ▁was ▁properly ▁dem arc ated ▁only ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁with ▁renew ed ▁agre ements ▁taking ▁effect ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 4 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁southern ▁region ▁of ▁X ish u ang b anna , ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁Han ▁domin ance ▁was ▁felt ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁illustrated ▁by ▁Otto ▁E . ▁E hl ers ' ▁( 1 8 5 5 – 1 8