Yunnan Province (云南), located in southwestern China, is the most ethnically diverse province. The diverse culture blends with its stunning nature making it the most beautiful. Yunnan is so large that it’s impossible to cover every single point of interest, but only those best-recommended places in one trip.
YUNNAN: KUNMING
Kunming is the provincial capital of Yunnan. This city is also known as the City of Eternal Spring (春城). Usually, the weather is cool all year round here. There are some decent places to visit, namely Jinbi Park (金碧广场) and Yunnan Cultural Folk Village (云南民俗村).
YUNNAN: DALI
The city of Dali, located by Erhai Lake, is home to seventeen different villages. Indeed a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of local life outside the city. Currently, Dali is a Bai Autonomous County.
The most famous attractions are the ChongSheng Three Pagodas (崇圣三塔). The pagodas have a history of over 1800 years but have been rebuilt several times over the centuries. The Old Town of Dali is certainly worth strolling around.
MAGNIFICENT YUNNAN: LIJIANG
Lijiang has a majority of the Naxi ethnic group. The Ancient City of Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, draws in hordes of tourists annually. The Old Town dated back to 800 years when it was a pit stop for trade along tea horse road. The town is charming but crowded. Still, it is the best preserved ancient city in China.
A ten-minute walk from the Ancient City gets you to Black Dragon Pool Park (黑龙潭). The pool was built in 1737 during the Qing Dynasty and offers a spectacular view of the region’s tallest mountain, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (hidden behind the clouds) over its white marble bridge.
To capture the shot of the view of the bridge with the snow-covered Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the background takes a few trips to Lijiang. The view nonetheless is one of the most iconic views in China.
A trip to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山) is worthwhile. The mountain range with thirteen peaks resembles a jade dragon. However, you need some luck to get a full view on a clear day. The place is certainly beautiful, but be prepared to deal with busloads of tourists. They would stand in front of every IG photo site.
MAGNIFICENT YUNNAN: TIGER LEAPING GORGE
Tiger Leaping Gorge (虎跳峡) is located between Shangri-La and Lijiang.
It is definitely a spectacular sight. When the Jinsha River, a tributary to the Yangtze River, is running through the gorge. The massive volume of water squeezing through a 100ft. wide area thus amplifies its power to produce an ominous loud roar. Seeing the powerful river up close is pretty impressive.
I could still hear the roaring sound of the gorge in my ears.
MAGNIFICENT YUNNAN: SHANGRI-LA
Two hours drive from the Tiger Leaping Gorge, we reached Shangri-La for the night. The Meili Snow Mountains were hidden behind the clouds during our stay there. We had our dinner at a primitive restaurant. The yak butter tea tastes good.
Shangri-La, formerly known as Zhongdian (中甸), was renamed in 2001 to gain tourism popularity. It is a primarily Tibetan county in Yunnan. Located 4,600 meters above sea level, the main highlight is Songzanlin Monastery (松赞林寺). It’s a huge Buddhist complex that resembles the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Every section of this complex has been constructed with incredible attention to detail. Fascinating!
YUNNAN: PUDACUO NATIONAL PARK
Pudacuo National Park (普达措国家公园) is a natural wonderland with rare plant and animal species. The park is an integral part of the Three Parallel Rivers National Park. Believe it or not, the Yangtze River, the Mekong River and the Salween River run side by side in deep canyons here.
The largest lake in Pudacuo is Bida Hai (高原明珠 – 碧达海), popularly known as the Pearl of the Mountain. There is a 4KM circuit trail for you to enjoy the lake.
Luguhu (Lugu Lake, 泸沽湖), three hours drive from Lijiang, is a high mountain plateau lake at the height of 2,700 meters above sea level. We dropped by on our return trip to Lijiang. The ethnic Mosuo people live around the lake for centuries. They are part of a matriarchal society and they seek to maintain their heritage.
Most of the children here lack education back in 2008. I wonder if things have changed now. I am grateful for what I enjoy every day thinking of their unfortunate.
MAGNIFICENT YUNNAN: SHILIN
Shilin National Park (石林) is a karst landscape located about 90KM from Kunming. It is famously known as the Stone Forest where a range of limestone pillars resemble a forest. Unique stone peaks, pillars and stalagmites are rising abruptly from the ground extending beyond what eyes can see. The national holds the UNESCO World Heritage status since 2007.