Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


Xu Xiake 徐霞客 in Dali

Xu Xiake (1586 - 1641) was China's first travel blogger. During the third lunar month in 1639 he travelled through Dali and recorded his experiences in his diary, posthumously published as 徐霞客游记. Is it still possible to retrace Xu's steps on the Dali plain?



C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier

Cover Image
Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.

Yunnan Tours

We can put you in contact with personally vetted, experienced tour guides, speaking Chinese, English, Dutch and German, for southwestern China. They can help you plan a trip matching your personal interests and requirements and accompany you on your trip. We just provide the introduction, we do not charge any commission or fees.
For enquiries email tours@yunnanexplorer.com.

Brenda McLean: George Forrest, Plant Hunter

Cover Image
George Forrest, perhaps the most successful plant collector of his time, left little written about his numerous journeys to Yunnan, so this well-illustrated book fills in much needed detail about his life.


A Bai town famous for its typical Bai architecture.



Hometown of many Bai merchants, Xizhou boast some impressive architecture.

Markets this Thursday

Kunming 昆明
Jijie 鸡街乡

Dali 大理
Yangcen 羊岑
Biaocun 表村
Niujie 牛街
Maidi 脉地
Zhongjiang 中江
Daying 大营
Qiaohou 乔后
Huangping 黄平镇

Lijiang 丽江
Banqiao 板桥
Yongsheng 永胜县

Xishuangbanna 西双版纳
Xiding 西定哈尼族乡

Honghe 红河
Zhemi 者米拉祜族乡
Dianwei 甸尾乡
Heping 和平乡
Shalatuo 沙拉托
Shaochong 哨冲镇
Tongchang 铜厂
Baixian 白显
Niujie 牛街镇
Panzihua 攀枝花

Wenshan 文山
Tiechang 铁厂镇
Babu 八布乡
Jiumo 旧莫乡
Zhuanjiao 篆角乡
Mulun 睦伦乡
Funing 富宁县

Chuxiong 楚雄
Jiyi 己衣乡
Tanhua 昙花乡
Sanchahe 三岔河乡
Guanglu 光路镇
Dongpo 东坡傣族乡

Baoshan 保山市
Hehua 荷花傣族佤族乡
Xinzhai 新寨

Lincang 临沧
Fengqing 凤庆县
Mengding 孟定
Nanmei 南美拉祜族乡
Wumulong 乌木龙乡
Banhong 班洪乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Linfeng 麟风
Shuitian 水田

Yuxi 玉溪
Yangjie 羊街乡
Xingmeng 兴蒙
Dianzhong 甸中
Hexi 河西

Nujiang 怒江
Jiakedi 架科底乡
Pihe 匹河怒族乡
Dimaluo

Puer 普洱
Nuofu 糯福
Mengma 孟马镇
Qushui 曲水乡

Diqing 迪庆
Kangpu 康普