Fighting between the Myanmar government and militant groups continues, and gunfire and explosions can still be heard across the border in the town of Nansan, southwest China's Yunnan province. As CGTN found out, many in Myanmar's northern Kokang region have been struggling since the fighting began in February 2015.

Tens of thousands of Myanmar civilians fled into China when the conflict began two years ago. Many of them chose to stay, making China their temporary home. But while escape was a means of survival, for some it is a wound that has yet to heal.‍

Wang Zhengqiang’s family walked for two days to escape the fighting back home. Now settled in the mountains of China's Zhenkang border county, Wang says it’s much safer in China, and more importantly, he can make a living to support his family, including his wife and three children.

Like most Myanmar civilians living nearby, Wang works in sugar cane fields, and he can earn up to 60 yuan (about nine US dollars) a day. But the seasonal job lasts only three months per year. Wang says he wants to provide a better life for his wife and children, and pay off all the debts he made to survive.

The community lives separately from local Chinese. They get donations from time to time from local volunteers. It's not difficult to imagine the extent of suffering the war has inflicted on these people. 

Despite making good on their escape, life has been far from easy. Dong Laofa's seven-month-old child died from pneumonia three days ago at a local hospital. He says he was concerned about the health of his child and even borrowed money to pay for the treatment, but to no avail. 

Locals have allowed Dong's family to live in this farmhouse for free. With no land to cultivate, Dong carefully tends to some chicken. He says he wishes he could go back home, but he doesn't think he could make a living there with the ongoing fighting. He is now patiently waiting for change to sweep the other side of the mountain.