Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子

The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子

The Dengchuan Plain 邓川坝子, north of Dali's Erhai Lake 洱海, has with West Lake 西湖 and the Miju River corridor 弥苴河 some beautiful, if hardly known, scenic areas. It's natural scenery, however, is man-made, the result of more than a thousand years of cultivation and water-management projects that have transformed a swamp and marshland into the current cultural environment.



Jim Goodman: Xishuangbanna: The Tropics of Yunnan

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For most of its history Xishuangbanna existed as an autonomous state on the remote southern periphery of China, run by the same Dai family since the 12th century. Lying in the tropical zone, on the northern rim of Southeast Asia, with flora and fauna not only unlike the rest of China, but even unique in Yunnan province, it has had close ethnic and cultural relations with its neighbors in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. The valleys are home to the Dai nationality, while several ethnic minorities inhabit the hills. Xishuangbanna: the Tropics of Yunnan narrates the history and development of the Dai people, their culture, society and religion, from ancient times through the period of incorporation into the Chinese state. It also covers the characteristics of the lifestyle, culture and celebrations of the peoples of the mountains, as well as the economic and political changes of recent times and their effects on both hill and plain.

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.


Followers of Jianchuan Azhali Buddhism perform a candle dance in Shaxi.


A spectacularly narrow canyon high above the Jinsha River.


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

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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.


Raw pork skin, together with raw pork meat and sometimes even raw pork liver are traditional delicacies in Dali.



The turn of the Yangzi made Chinese civilization possible and was the location of many important battles.

Markets this Sunday

Kunming 昆明
Kedu 柯渡镇
Zhuanlong 转龙镇
Xundian 寻甸回族彝族自治县

Dali 大理
Jiuzhou 旧州
Shuanglang 双廊镇
Huangping 黄平镇
Sanying 三营
Yunlong 云龙县
Eryuan 洱源县
Changxin 长新
Zhongjiang 中江
Binchuan 宾川县
Beitou 北头
Liantie 炼铁
Lawu 拉乌
Pingpo 平坡
Jianchuan 剑川县

Lijiang 丽江
Hongyan 红岩
Shunzhou 顺州

Xishuangbanna 西双版纳
Menghun 勐混
Mengman 勐满拉祜族哈尼族布朗族镇

Dehong 德宏
Husa 户撒乡
Nangsong 曩宋阿昌族乡

Honghe 红河
Pingbian 屏边苗族自治县
Mengla 勐拉
Laomeng 老勐
Niujiaozhai 牛角寨
Diema 垤玛
Mengzi 蒙自县
Sancun 三村
Liangdi 浪堤
Jiayin 甲寅
Maandi 马鞍底
Chake 岔科
Azhahe 阿扎河
Longwu 龙武镇
Baohua 宝华
Yongning 永宁乡
Luoen 洛恩

Wenshan 文山
Guangnan 广南县
Shadou 沙斗
Jiumo 旧莫乡
Nijiao 腻脚彝族乡
Babao 八宝镇
Pingyuan 平远
Jijie 鸡街乡
Zhesang 者桑乡
Tienpeng 田蓬镇
Donggan 董干镇

Chuxiong 楚雄
Dayao 大姚县
Nanhua 南华县
Shizhong 适中乡
Bailu 白路
Yaoan 姚安县
Guanglu 光路镇

Baoshan 保山市
Manglong 芒龙

Lincang 临沧
Cangyuan 沧源佤族自治县
Lushi 鲁史
Zhenkang 镇康县
Quannei 圈内
Junsai 军赛乡
Shuangjiang 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县

Zhaotong 昭通
Linfeng 麟风
Shuitian 水田

Yuxi 玉溪
Nanuo 那诺乡
Yuanjiang 元江哈尼族彝族傣族自治县
Yani 亚尼

Nujiang 怒江
Liuku 六库
Tongdian 通甸

Puer 普洱
Lancang 澜沧拉祜族自治县
Fuyan 富岩