Hi Phil
Its more like 10km mate I checked it the last time I rode into china and I am sure Lone Rider you could bypass the first check point which is just custom check point but when I went the guys did check and take all my import documents of me for the bike so I not sure how easy it would be to just ride pass these guys with the reason (can I go and have a look at Boten) as as Phil says it's going to be duty free shopping zone !! Which leads me to be leave it could be hard to bypass the first check point
I've been there. You can easily bypass "customs" and drive all the way up to the Lao border post, being careful not to drive past the stop sign without permission. I did on a trip in 2013 and was threatened with a fine for not stopping my car prior to the checkpoint, but after a few mins the border guards suddenly had a change of heart and dismissed the fine. They didn't care when I walked up to the Chinese border post and spoke with Chinese guards though. Back then Lao immigration was a couple of hundred metres before the new Wat Phra Tat Luang replica in a temporary building but now all of that has been moved closer to the Chinese border post. Beyond the temple replica, that now functions as Lao immigration is China immigration and customs, and as another poster mentioned you can generally walk up to here (or maybe even drive) even if you're not leaving for China, however, you should ask for permission first to pass the stop sign, just to be safe. But as far as passing customs (which should really be done at the actual border, why is it 5km away?!), that's fine. You haven't left Laos yet so I don't know what your concern is.
I remember the distance between the customs checkpoint and the actual border being about 5km. Most of it is undeveloped rural land and only the last 1.5km or so have any infrastructure, most of it decrepit and slowly being swallowed by the jungle. The Chinese petrol station was not in service when I was last there, while the car repair shop opposite, run by a very friendly lonely and elderly Lijiang native who speaks not a word of Lao or English (he only speaks Chinese) doesn't really get any business but is retired there. He first moved there a few years back when the original casino zone was in full operation.
The two hotels you find there are the only accommodation left; one accepts only Chinese Yuan for payment while the other accepts either Lao Kip or Chinese Yuan. Both hotels are spartan Chinese affairs, they hardly have any guests, no wifi or breakfast, just an OK standard room for either 60 or 120 Yuan (or equivalent in Kip) per night.
