Yunnan Province travel guide

Locals in Bai costume move among the crowds of visitors who have come from far and wide, and it can feel as though you have walked into a newly developed folk tourism village.

Wherever elderly people go about their daily lives, a town carries a palpable sense of history, the passage of time and the weathering of years. Lijiang is such a town. Yet the elders who once sat in small groups in front of their doors, wearing Naxi dress and chatting in the sun, are becoming fewer and fewer on Sifang Square, as many of them have now embraced modern life.

In Xishuangbanna, “lush forest” is almost the only phrase that can describe the scenery. Even though Jinghong is now a modern city, what sets it apart is the shady avenue trees lining its streets, which stay green all year, as there are no seasons here. Interestingly, many of these trees are fruit trees, such as longan and coconut, yet no one picks them when they ripen, because tropical fruit is commonplace here.

The name “Shangri-La” comes from *Lost Horizon*, a novel by a foreign author that describes a tranquil, harmonious, serene utopia, a paradise on earth. In 2001, Zhongdian, a place in northwestern Yunnan, was renamed Shangri-La, because it truly is a heaven on earth.

Lugu Lake is home to the Mosuo people, whose distinctive marriage customs centre on women: they hold the highest status, and every household is headed by a woman. Family members all trace descent through the maternal line, and children are raised by their mothers, maternal uncles and aunts, preserving the marriage system of a matrilineal clan society.

Several ethnic groups, including the Lisu and Nu, live along the Nujiang (Salween) River, but the Derung people are the most distinctive. The Dulong River is their only home, and their way of life differs completely from the outside world. Because the area is so hard to reach, these traditions have been preserved intact. The tattoo patterns on Derung women's faces are striking and full of ethnic character.

Many places in the world have hot springs, but few are as vast, as rich in springs and as beneficial as Tengchong. As far back as ancient times, the traveller Xu Xiake had already set foot here and carefully surveyed its abundant geothermal resources. Tengchong has China's densest concentration of volcanoes and geothermal springs: more than 90 volcanoes, over 80 hot springs and tens of thousands of spring vents. The spectacular Rehai Great Boiling Cauldron, the Wannian Toad Mouth blasting heat in every direction and the Drunken Bird Divine Spring, which sparks endless imagination… Hot springs seem to be everywhere here, and thin wisps of steam are always rising.