26 Days Grand Yunnan Ethnic Minority Exploration

Arrive in Kunming.

Start in the morning from Kunming, drive to the Stone Forest, which lies around 90 kms in the southeast of Kunming, well-known both at home and abroad, is a spectacular Karst landform that took shape about 270 million years ago in the Carboniferous Period.
After lunch drive in the southeast from the Stone Forest to Jianshui of Honghe Prefecture, a state-level historic and cultural city that has been standing there for over 1300 years.

Arrive in Jianshui County. Stroll around in the old part of Jianshui Town, see ancient wells that have been used by local residents for centuries and admire the grand Chaoyang Gateway Arch built in 1389, which is now serving as the landmark of this city. Have a study on local Tofu workshop, where it can be found out how this popular food is produced traditional way.

Move to Tuanshan, an age-old village enlisted amongst the 100 Protected Cultural Architectures of the World by WMF in 2005, for its well-maintained style and features of 19th Century. Return to town, see the Double-dragon Bridge aged over 200 years, it’s a combination of science and art, in elegant shape and ranking the first in Yunnan Province in terms of size and artistic value.
Stay in Jianshui, at featured hotel – Garden of Zhu Family in style of Qing Dynasty.

Visit Confucius Temple, it is the biggest in Yunnan and the second biggest of country. Take a relaxing walk in the Garden of Zhu Family, a grand complex constructed 100 years ago by a local family surnamed Zhu, with well-arranged yards, well-furnished rooms and halls, labyrinthian lanes and passages, various ornamental plants and flowers, it enjoys the fame ”the Grand View Garden at a Border Town”.
Drive to Yuanyang, a place inhabited by Hani, Yi, Yao, Zhuang and other ethnic groups.
Stay in Yuanyang

See the morning market in Yuanyang, where the most lively side of local ethnic life is displayed. Drive to Duoyishu near Shengchun Village, see the spectacular rice terraces cultivated by Hani people through generations, this is one of the most inspiring scenes in southern Yunnan, reputed as the Sculpture on Mother Earth.

Move to Bada and Laohuzui, another two places famous for different types of terrace view. Drive to Luchun County, a small town situated on mountain and surrounded by rice terraces. Drop in ethnic villages en route, explore their authentic lives.
Stay in Luchun

Full day car ride from Luchun to Puer City via Jiangcheng, random stops on the way for stretches or short visit to villages.
Visit Yi and Hani ethnic villages in Jiangcheng County.

Drive to Jinghong City in XishuangBanna. Xishuangbanna is the southernmost prefecture of Yunnan, bordered with Laos and Myanmar, rich in fauna and floral resources, famous for exotic culture of different ethnic groups. Arrive at Menglun, a small town lying quietly beside Luosuo River, where the biggest tropical botanical garden of China is situated. Stay in the Botanical Garden.

Sightseeing in the garden, learn about various indigenous and introduced plants, take a relaxing walk in the rainforest zone of garden to gain a rough idea about this most biologically-diversified ecosystem in our world. Visit to village of Jinuo people, who’s the last ethnic nationality classified by Chinese government in 1979, now only live in Xishuangbanna region.

See villages and Theravada Buddhism temples of Dai nationalities around Ganlanba area, Dai is the majority in this prefecture, they mainly stay in the basins near river and are good at rice growing, Theravada Buddhism is the prevailing religion in locality, and people are still carrying on the traditions of sending boys to temple.

Arrival in Jinghong City, which is the capital of Xishuangbanna, a quiet and tropical town near Myarmar border.
Stay in Jinghong

Excursion in the west to Menghai area, a place famous for production of tea. See a farmer market where people sell all kinds of native produces and purchase daily commodities, market is always the most lively part of every place, and always candidly mirrors the most authentic sides of local people’s life. Visit the Octagonal Pavilion beside Jingzhen Village, a building in peculiar shape; it’s one of the three most famous Theravada Buddhism buildings in Yunnan, used to serve as a meeting room for local senior monks’ monthly conference.

Move to Menghun, drop in a village where Dai villagers produce paper with tree bark in their very original way, then to village of Bulang, an ethic group who stay on mountains and are good at tea planting, see the nice tea plantations around village and try gaining information about their traditions, customs and way of living through chatting with villagers. Return to Jinghong, stop on the way for visit to Aini, the second biggest ethnic nationality in Xishuangbanna, descendant of ancient Qiang tribe, who used to live nomadic life and kept migrating. Fly back to Kunming in the evening.

In the morning drive to Lancang via Puer City, visit Laiyanghe River Nature Preserve. Cross the Lancang River. Stay in Lancang.

Visit Lancang Lahu minority villages and then drive to Ximeng. Visit villages on the way.
Stay at Ximeng.

Yuesong is a town on the border of Myanmar. Visit Wa villages, stay in the town or camp in the village.

Drive to Cangyuan, which is a border town with Burma, viewing the 3000 years old Cangyuan Cliff Painting. Cangyuan is a Wa minority autonomous county. Stay in the 1 star Cangyuan Hotel.

Drive 2 hours to visit the Nangun River Nature Reserve which is for the protection of wild elephants. (The Nangun river is the border between China and Burma), then continue drive along the border road to Zhengkang county. On the way, visit several ethnic villages.
Stay in the 1 star Zhengkang Hotel

Drive 6 hours from Zhengkang to Mangshi (Luxi), on the way, you will cross the Nu River.
Stay in the 3 star Mangshi Hotel

Drive from Mangshi to Ruili, on the way, visit Wangdin, a border town with Burma, and the One Single Tree Forest. Upon arriving Ruili, check in the 4 star Jing Cheng Hotel. After dinner, visit the well-known night market.
Stay in the Jing Cheng Hotel

Visit minority villages and local markets around Ruili. Arrive in Longchuan County, visit Jingpo Ethnic Village and Jingpo Square.
Then drive to Yinjiang County. Visit in Dayinjiang River and Tongbiguan Pass, a famous local scenic spot.
Drive to Lianghe County and visit the Nandian Xuanwu Chieftain Office,the ancient houses of the Chieftains in the past.
Drive to Tengchong in the late afternoon.

Visit Heshun Ancient Town including the Museum of Yunnan-Burmese Anti-Japanese War,Heshun Library, the Archway, Dragon Pool,the Wanlouzi Museum of Native Residence, Wenchang Daoist Palace, Clothes-washing Pavilions,Yuanlong Daoist Pavilion,the Philosopher Ai Siqi’s Former Residence, Guanyin Ancient Spruce Trees an so on.
Visit the Beihai Lake Park and cruise to the lake.
–“Heshun” means peace and harmony. You could walk leisurely around the historical old town, built in earlier days by overseas Chinese as a location for their retirement. The remaining old town is a very beautiful place with many ornamental structures such as pavilions, memorial halls, archways, and balustrades, and also with lotus ponds and outlands with many birds. The library in this town is worth mentioning-set up in 1924, it possesses over 60,000 volumes of books, many of which are rare editions of ancient works.

Drive to Baoshan City; Drive to Yongping County;Take a look at the upper Mekong River.Visit Boan Ancient Caravan and the Stilwell Road on the way to Yongping. Arrive in Yunlong County in the late afternoon. Stay in the hostel in Nuodeng Old Town.

Visit Nuodeng Old Town and the Ancient Tea Horse Road in the morning. Drive to visit Tianchi Lake, take a panoramic view of the natural Bagua Diagram from the mountain. Transfer to Shigu Old Town, visit the First Bend of Yangtze River. Drive along the Yangtze River and arrive in Tacheng Town.

Visit Tacheng Snub-nosed Monkey Park, enjoy the feeding of the snub-nosed monkey in the morning. Transfer to Nixi Village, visit Lisu ethnic village on the way. Visit Nixi Pottery Village and learn the making pottery by Tibetan people. Arrive in Shangrila in the late afternoon.

In the morning, you’ll visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. The Songzanlin Monastery is often called the little Potala Palace because of its traditional Tibetan architectural style. In 1679 the fifth Dalai Lama chose the monastery’s location by divination and it quickly became the most important Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan. And lunch you’ll go and visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake located in Pudacuo National Park 30KM away from the downtown. Pudacuo qualifies as a natural wonderland according to any standard. It contains endemic species of fish found no where else in the world, rare and beautiful orchids, black-necked cranes, and taxus yunnanensis, a yew whose extracts are indispensable to the creation of many cancer-treating drugs. Nestled in the mountains of Southwest China, the park is an integral part of the Three Parallel Rivers Scenic Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Chinas most popular tourist destinations. Walk around Dukezong Ancient Town in the late afternoon; Taste the butter oil and Tibetan snack with Tibetan dance and song in a Tibetan family.

From Shangri-La, you’ll drive about 100KM to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river. Afternoon, you’ll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian. Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys. After lunch continue the driving 50KM more to visit the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, and the Iron Chain Bridge in the Stone Drum town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks. Drive 60KM more to Lijiang. Explore Lijiang Ancient Town at night. After dinner, you will have an option to attend the Naxi Orchestral and Show in Lijiang Ancient Town.

Enjoy the sunrise of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lijiang Ancient Town in the morning, drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeig bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around1 hours in the original forest in Spruce Meadow (3200M). After lunch, you will enjoy the Impression Lijang Ethnic Show directed in Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M). A cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou, Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses.In the afternoon, you’ll stroll through Baisha Village, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village. Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. –Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The highest peak named Fan Peak (Shanzidou in Chinese) which is about 5596 meters above sea level. There are three cablecars in the mountain, the fist to the Glacier Park(4500M),the second to Spruce Meadow(3200M),the third to Yak Meadow(3700M).

In the morning,transfer to visit Xizhou Old Town and the Shibaoshan Mountain as well as the ancient Shizhongsi Grottoes in the mountain. After lunch drive south on the old road to the ancient city of Dali. Dali, a historically and culturally famous city of China, is renowned for her historical interest. If this day happens to fall on a Monday you will call in at Shaping for a visit to the colorful Bai market. Before Dali Ancient Town, you will visit Xizhou Ancient Town to fully appreciate Bai-style architecture, taste their fragrant three-course tea and explore their distinctive culture. Drive 10 KM more to visit Zhoucheng Town, where you will experience how Bai people make the Tie-Dyed Cloth in the work shop. You will be free in Dali Ancient Town and explore the local ethnic life in the late afternoon as well as enjoy the panoramic view of Erhai Lake from the City Wall of Dali Ancient Town. –Dali Ancient Town History of Dali Ancient Town can be dates back to 1382 during the Ming Dynasty and it has been listed among the top historic cities of China.The town’s layout was uniform, with five main streets from south to north and eight main streets from east to west, while marketplaces were neatly arranged within the town, which has remained unchanged to this date. Besides the Bai houses, the houses with gray-green roof tiles, peculiar workshops, temples, schools and churches with antique flavor are scattered.

In the morning, 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. After landing, you will head for Xizhou Town to fully appreciate Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste their fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore their distinctive culture. Visit Zhoucheng Village and the Bai people’s Tie-dying cloth workshop where you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style. ​ In the late afternoon, 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 to Xiangyun County and visit Yunnanyi Old Town and the famous Stilwell Road. Visit the Museum and Exhibition of the Flying Tigers and the history of Stilwell Road. Transfer to Kunming, stop to visit Chuxiong Museum and the Ten Month Lunar Calendar Park of Yi ethnic minority. Arrive in Kunming in the late afternoon.

Departure from Kunming.