Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


The Red Soil of Dongchuan

The Red Soil of Dongchuan
The Wumeng Mountains' bright red soil, the buckwheat's yellow and Yunnan's dramatic skies make the region around Dongchuan a paradise for photographers.


John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution

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Everyone knows about the Mao's Long March, but a few years later another long march took place: that of Chinese students leaving their cushy campuses on the east coast, trekking all the way to Yunnan where their universities reformed as Lianda, the united university. Kunming, then a total backwater, became a hotbed for new ideas, not just scientific. We liked the section of east coast girls scampering around Mengzi in their latest fashion.

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.

Bai vernacular architecture is very ornate, the style of painting is recognised as national level intangible heritage.



This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.


Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan

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Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.


An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.

Markets this Wednesday

Kunming 昆明
Longtou 龙头街
Shilin 石林彝族自治县
Banqiao 板桥乡

Dali 大理
Wanqiao 湾桥
Shunbi 順濞
Zhongying 种英
Fengyi 凤仪
Qinghua 清华
Shaba 沙坝
Weishan 巍山彝族回族自治县
Zhouguanying 周官营
Shanglan 上兰
Wase 挖色
Dacang 大仓镇
Dianzhong 甸中
Niujie 牛街

Honghe 红河
Shengcun 生村
Zhicun 芷村镇
Nafa 那发
Tutai 土台
Hongtian 红田
Baiyun 白云乡
Jiache 架车
Zhongzhai 中寨
Yongning 永宁乡

Wenshan 文山
Puyang 普阳
Shupi 树皮彝族乡
Xichou 西畴县

Chuxiong 楚雄
Maojie 猫街镇
Yaoan 姚安县

Baoshan 保山市
Xiaopingtian 小平田
Wama 瓦马彝族白族乡
Tengchong 腾冲县

Lincang 临沧
Mangka 芒卡镇
Fengwei 风尾镇
Fengqing 凤庆县
Boshang 博商
Mengjiao 勐角乡

Yuxi 玉溪
Fuliangpeng 富良棚

Nujiang 怒江
Lazan 腊咱
Fugong 福贡
Lumadeng 鹿马登乡

Puer 普洱
Jiangcheng 江城哈尼族彝族自治县
Yongping 永平镇
Kangping 康平乡
Meng'a 孟啊