18 Days Southwest Yunnan Ethnic Minorities and Border Culture Discovery

You’ll begin your journey to the diverse and captivating province of Yunnan from the capital city, Kunming. Upon arrival at the Kunming International Airport, meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel.

If time permits, you will have a Kunming city tour to visit the Flowers and Birds Market in the downtown of Kunming. You will take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings.

–Kunming is the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan province, a primarily agricultural province of 45 million. Kunming has a population of five million and is located in one of the world’s most geographically, ethnically, biologically and linguistically diverse regions. Situated at 1,900 meters (6,233ft) above sea level and 25° north of the Equator it has a rather unique and pleasant climate for a Chinese city.

Your tour guide and driver will come to pick you up from down town of Kunming. In the morning you will visit the Stone Forest (84km, 1.5 hours), also called the First Wonder of Yunnan. According to an old saying it is a pity not visiting the Stone Forest while you are in Kunming. Enjoy the beautiful views of the sight and spend about 2-3 hours in the park. We will enjoy a local Yunnan lunch afterwards.

We’ll arrive in Mi’le (64km, 1.5 hours) in the late afternoon and check into a beautiful Hot Springs Resort. In the evening you could choose to enjoy a memorable dinner in a high-class restaurant promoting the locally brewed red wine in the hotel. After dinner, travelers will be free to relax and socialize in and around the natural baths situated in a park just beside the hotel.

After breakfast, we will drive you to Jianshui (166km, 3.5 hours). Visit the Confucius Temple of Jianshui, Chaoyang Archway and Jianshui ancient town. We’ll enjoy a stroll through the cozy streets of the old town in Jianshui and participate in some traditional entertainment.

Tonight, we’ll have an accommodation in Zhu Family Garden Hotel. It’s also called ‘Grand View Garden’ of South Yunnan Province, is a representative of Chinese residential houses of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). We’ll have quite a unique experience to stay in such a big old mansion to feel the life style of old history which also doubles-up as a museum.

In the morning we will drive in approximately 20 minutes to visit Tuanshan, a village founded in the Qing Dynasty. Visiting the village is like traveling to another China. Small, cobbled lanes and old women with bound feet leave you with impressions of timelessness. Besides this, the village has a lot to offer, such as art and architecture.The village might fill you with the impression that is neglected and deserted, as it is quietly moving along at its own pace. We also visit the ancient Double Dragon Bridge on the way.

After lunch in a local family’s home, we’ll head to Yuanyang (122km, 3 hours). In various villages on the way there are several small factories. We visit one where they manufacture the famous Jianshui pots. Other interesting villages are also on our list, since we guide you to one with an ancient water well that is still in use, and one with a tofu-factory.

Get up every early in the morning, you’ll drive 30KM to visit Doyishu Village and enjoy the sunrise of Duoyishu Rice Terrace Fields when the sun appears above the eastern horizon. The terraced fields are ring upon ring and cascade one by one. They go along the hillside up to the sky. You will see the scenery of the terraced fields from the top of the mountains to the bottom. They are all farms under the sunshine and cloud and mist. The landscape is spectacular.

And then, you will visit Qingkou Village and rice terraces where Hani people for generations inhabit. Visit Bada Hani Rice Terrace, Shengcun Market as well. You will enjoy the sunset of Laohuzui Rice Terraces in the late afternoon in Panzhihua Town.
Transfer back to Xinjie Town.

After breakfast, visit the local market in Xinjie Town. Depart from Xinjie Town,drive around 2 hours to Laomeng, if you are lucky enough, you will have chance to enjoy the Laomeng Sunday Market. Laomeng holds the most flamboyant market every Sunday. One can see people from six different ethnic minorities, with women and children dressing up in colourful dresses, different in their own traditional style.
Continue the driving along the banana forest and some rice terraces, you arrive at Lvchun County. Luchun county, on the south western border of Yunnan Provice, China, just like its name, is a land where the green mountains spread out like a ribbon, the azure water always flows, the winter isn’t too cold, and the summer isn’t too hot.
Pay a visit Lvchun Local Market and Lvchun Hani Ethnic Culture Museum. The main cultural legacy of the worldwide Hani people over several thousand years of development is its unique immaterial culture. Therefore, this museum, in accordance with current advanced theory, has discarded the model of a traditional museum which simply displays a collection of implements, and adopted a model of bringing together local characteristics and the worldwide Hani culture.
After lunch, drive along the Lixianjiang River Valley to Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County. Visit Lixianjiang River Valley, Hani ethnic villages, rice terraces on the way.

Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County is an autonomous county under the jurisdiction of Pu’er City, in southern Yunnan, China, bordering Laos and Vietnam to the south, making it the only county in the province to border more than one country. By road, its seat, the town of Menglie (勐烈镇), is 520 km (320 mi) from Kunming and 145 km (90 mi) from Simao District, the municipal seat of Pu’er.
Drive 1hour to Qushui Town and visit Longfu Border between China,Vietnam and Laos including Monument of One Foot in Three Countries, Triple-border Boundary Tablet,Longfu Border Market (3th,13th,23th). Longfu Border, located in Shiceng Dashan Mountain (Ten Layers Mountain), is famous for the Place Straddling the border of China, Vietnam and Laos.
Drive back to Jiangcheng, visit Jiangcheng Tea Plantation.
Drive to Zhengdong Town, 60KM from Jiangcheng County. Visit Mantan Village and Chenzisanzhai Village of Dai Minority.
Mantan Village(漫滩傣族村) is a traditional village with Dai people’s characteristics. Dai people has lived there since the Emperor Yongzheng(雍正) of Qing Dynasty(1636 A.D-1912 A.D.). Up to now, Dai people have occupied 95% percent of the population in the village.
Well-reserved natural environment and ethnic dwellings make the village beautiful and quiet. No garbage can be seen when strolling along the roads in the village.

Chenzisanzhai Village(城子三寨村): a unique village with exotic flavors
About 8 kilometers away from Mantan Village sits the Chengzisanzhai Village. It is a small yet ancient village where Dai people have lived there for generations. Traditional customs of Dai people are intactly reserved in the village. Exquisite traditional houses of Dai people can be seen everywhere.
The village borders to Laos and Vietnam. Its unique geographical location contributes to Dai people’s close communication with Southeast Asian countries. Nowadays, local Dai residents still keep the custom of intermarriage with the Lao and the Vietnamese, which endows an kind of exotic flavor to the village.
Drive to Mengla County for overnight.

Visit Wangtianshu Scenic Area, which is the only oasis at 21 degrees north latitude, and has been recognized internationally as China’s unique tropical rainforest. Then walk in the Air Corridor (only the first entrance tickets of Wangtianshu Scenic Area and Air Corridor are included).
Drive to Menglun and take a tour of the Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden. As the home to many rare flora and endangered fauna, Xishuangbanna is an excellent place to take in the unique beauty of sub-tropical nature and biodiversity in China. Take a visit to the Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden and observe beautiful flowers, shrubbery, and trees in the spacious garden. If you go early enough in the morning, you can see the sunrise cast a dreamy golden glow over the garden.
Drive to Jinghong City for overnight.

Take one day tour to Ganlanba Morning Market,Dai Ethnic Garden,Mekong River,Mengle Temple,Manting Park.
In the morning visit Ganlanba Morning Market, water Dai villages, Burmese temple and rubber garden on the way. Visit Dai Ethnic Garden, located in the Ganlan Basin in Menghan County, proudly holds a national 4A rating as one of China’s top scenic spots.  Within the Dai Ethnic Garden, five Dai villages – Manjiang, Manchunman, Manting, ManZha, and Manga – cover an area of 3.36 square kilometers and consist of 309 families, or 1487 individual villagers.

Transfer back to Jinghong in the afternoon and pay a visit Mengle Temple. Mengle Great Buddha Temple was built to memorize a beautiful Dai Minority queen who was a pious Buddhist during Ming dynasty (1368-1644), which was destroyed during a war in 1848 and what we see today was rebuilt in 2007. Notable for its peculiar shape which resembles a sitting Buddha, Mengle Great Buddha Temple, the largest Theravada Buddhist temple in China, is the most sacred and important religion site of Dai people.
Visit Manting Park which is a modern park that measures about 30 acres in Jinghong in Xishuangbanna. It has a large new Buddhist temple called Zongfo Si. There is a display of ethnic architecture, and people entertain themselves by water fights during the Dai Water Splashing Festival each year. Entertainment is presented in the evening.

We drive to Menghai County and Lahu Minority Autonomous County of Lancang in the morning. Menghai is one of the main areas of tea trees. It was described as the First County of Pu’er Tea. Lancang is the same as Lan Xang, and refers to the Mekong River (known in Chinese as the Lancang) on its eastern borders and adopted by modern Laos, a Tai word meaning Million Elephants. The main minority in Langcan is Lahu.

Afterwards we will drive you to Wa Minority Autonomous County of Ximeng. Lahu and Wa minorities are totally different from Dai minority, so it’s going to be another wonderful journey for us to experience the different ethnic people’s local life and culture. (Driving distance: 270km,6.5 hours)

Transfer to Menglian Dai Wa Lahu Autonomous County in the morning. The landscape and culture of southwestern Yunnan’s Menglian Dai, Lahu and Va Autonomous County very much resemble those of Xishuangbanna. Hills rise around alluvial plains and the major towns lie along rivers. The Dai minority nationality dominates the plains population — wet-rice cultivators who live in stilted houses and practice Theravada Buddhism. Other ethnic minorities, from the Tibeto-Burman and Mon-Khmer linguistic groups, inhabit the hills, growing dry rice, sugarcane or tea.

Visit Nayun Old Town. Nayun Ancient Dai Ethnic Town is the last surviving old Dai ethnic town in China. It’s near the Dracaena (Dragon Blood Trees) Natural Reserve and consists of the Upper Town (Shangcheng) where the Mansion of Menglian Pacification Commissioner is situated, the Middle Town (Zhongcheng), the Lower Town (Xiacheng), Mangfang Mount and Mangfang Mount etc. First built in 651 on the Dai Calendar (1289 A.D), it has enjoyed a history of more than 700 years. In 2001, the ancient town is approved as “Nayun Dai Ethnic Historic and Cultural Town” by Yunnan Provincial Government.

Transfer to Ximeng Va Autonomous County. Visit Mengsuo Dragon Pool,Longmoye Forest and Sigangli Va Ethnic Village.

Over 200 kilometers from Pu’er City on the south, Ximeng County is a home for Va people who have dark complexion, straight nose, big eyes and glossy black hairs. They shows a kind of the beauty of the wild. The newly-built Ximeng County lies in the Washan Valley. “The skull of oxe”, symbol of Va people are decorated on roofs or eaves.

The spiritual land of Va people is in the middle of the downtown. “Longmoye” Forest is a jungle for sacrifice. Thousands of buffalo skulls, thickly dotted, can be seen on the stocky walls on the cliff.

In the morning,visit Muyiji Holy Valley of Va ethnic people. Years ago, the Va people believed in the power of natural things and thought all things have their spirits, including for example water, mountain, and wood. The mightiest god was called ‘Muyiji’, and his five sons were the ancestors of the Va. In recent years, some of the Va have become followers of Buddhism and Christianity.

Visit Likan Waterfall and walk in the Rattan Bridge over the river. In the opposite direction, about five kilometers north of the county seat, the main road spills down a canyon towards the Nankang River (南康河). A side road leads to another Dai settlement, Likan Village (里坎村). Past the town’s temple a trail winds through terraced rice paddies and into the jungle, eventually leading to Likan Waterfall (里坎瀑布).

Drive to Cangyuan Va Autonomous County. Visit the tea plantation, Xiaoheijiang River Valley on the way.

Drive 20KM to Yonghe Border between Myanmar and China which is welknown as the Great Golden Triangle of China,Myanmar and Thailand. Enjoy the border scenery and visit the holy Gongming Mountain of Va ethnic people from a far.

Drive back to Cangyuan Rock Cliff Paiting. The cliff paintings of Cangyuan is said to take on different colors as the time, weather and humidity change. According to the proverb of the local Wa and Thai (dǎi 傣) people that the cliff painting changes three times a day: in the morning the color is red, at noon lighter and in the evening purple. Nowadays the paintings have already been designated as the key historical relic protection unit at the provincial level.

Visit Wengding Va Ethnic Village and rice terraces of Va ethnic people. You will enjoy the Wooden Drum Dance of Wa ethnic group in the village and experience the ethnic life with local people. Wengding Wa original herd small villages in Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County Weng small village, surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, rich ethnic customs, Weng dingzhai retain the original architectural style and residential Wa Wa traditions of the original, is by far the most well-preserved primitive village herd, Lincang customs humanities is the must-tourism attractions.

Drive back to Cangyuan and pay a visit Mangnong Temple.

Drive around 7 hours to Fengqing County via Gengma Dai and Va Autonomous County and Yunxian County. Visit Zongfosi Temple in Gengma County. Continue the driving along the basin of Gengma and arrive in Yunxian County. Yunxian is an important traffic hub of Lincang City, it is the entrance to all of the destinations of Lincang.

Drive along the flowering road to Fengqing County for one night stay. Fengqing is famous for the refine black tea,also names Dianhong Black Tea.

Visit Dianhong Black Tea factory in the morning. Transfer to Xiaowan Power Plant. Xiaowan Hydropower Station located in the middle and lower reaches of the Lancangjiang River in Fengqing County and Nanrun County of Yunnan Province. With a thin double curved arch concrete dam, with a maximum height of 292m. CGGC has completed Chama highway, dam crest highway, external highway, excavation of dam abutment, and cable Crane platform of the Xiaowan Hydropower Station.
Transfer to Weishan County and visit Weishan Old Town.  Weishan old town, with an history of more than 600 years, possesses numerous cultural relics and scenic beauties. According to historical records, Weishan had become the political, economic and cultural center of west Yunnan Province as early as the Tang Dynasty. It is not just the birthplace of Nan-chao Kingdom, but an important hub of the ancient Tea Horse Road.
Transfer to Dali for stay.

Dali, a historically and culturally famous city of China, is renowned for her historical interest and Bai ethnic culture. After landing, you visit the Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery which has a history of over 1,800 years located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain facing to the Erhai Lake. Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle.

After lunch, you’ll cruise in Erhai Lake by the small boat to the Jinsuo Islet in the east Erhai Lake. There are 200 Bai ethnic families around 1000 people in Jinsuo Island.In Erhai Lake cruise, you will enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain and the Three Pagodas from a far as well as lots of birds and seagulls flying over the lake.

At last, you will visit the Ancient Dali Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people. After climbing up to the City Wall of Dali, you will have panoramic view of the Erhai Lake.

Drive back to Kunming. Stop to visit Yunnanyi Old Town.Yunnanyi (云南驿), a now nearly forgotten village along the Burma Road ones was an important location in Yunnan. Yunnanyi is now undergoing renovation and preservation work and is the location of two little museums.Yunnanyi was an important airbase during WW-II. From Yunnanyi the AVG (American Volunteer Group better known as the Flying Tigers) operated attacks against the Japanese Army coming up the Burma Road and played an important role in struggle over the control of the air in western Yunnan and northern Burma. Arrive in Kunming,visit the Green Lake, the Flowers and Birds Market in Kunming City.

Departure from Kunming