Yinxing Village (Ginkgo Village)

Heshun Ancient Town

Almost every household here displays a Roman clock, an English door, a Czech lampshade or a German basin. Heshun people even slip off to the library to read while doing farm work. As early as 1936, the town had already launched its own magazine. All of this seems quite different from an ordinary rural ancient town, yet it is precisely Heshun's mysterious charm. Heshun lies on the southwestern frontier and opened to the outside world more than 400 years ago. Its people travelled far, not only to Burma and South Asia but also across the oceans to Europe, the Americas and Oceania. They brought back all sorts of novelties along with Western ideas and culture, and in Heshun, Chinese and Western cultures have blended harmoniously. Untouched by excessive commercialisation, the town retains a simple, unpretentious atmosphere, making it a model of what an ancient town should be.

Entrance ¥55; sightseeing bus ticket ¥10; Impressions on Water boat ticket ¥60 · 1–2 days

Tengchong Volcano and Hot Sea (Rehai)

Soaking in the hot springs here will make your trip worthwhile. Rehai is surrounded by numerous sanatoriums, bathhouses and entertainment facilities, so you can easily indulge your desire for a soak. Bubbling vents and hot springs of every kind are found throughout the area. Ten spring clusters have water temperatures above 90°C, and the geysers gush noisily. Such dense geothermal wonders are rare indeed. Legend has it that a cow once fell into the “Great Boiling Pot” and was cooked down to a skeleton before villagers discovered it. In the past, nearby villagers would fetch water on the spot to slaughter chickens and pigs, which was very convenient; the area was practically a natural kitchen. Here you can also see “eggs sold strung together,” one of the “Eighteen Oddities of Yunnan.”

¥10; Rehai hot spring adult combo ticket ¥288 9:00–18:00 · 2–4 hours

Volcano National Geopark

China's most densely concentrated volcanic area, earning it the nickname “natural geological museum.” Near the craters you can pick up volcanic stones in grey, red and black. These stones are so light that you can easily lift a large piece, and when thrown into water they don't “sink without a trace.”

¥35; hot-air balloon rides for viewing the volcanoes are offered before 12:00 daily, ¥280 per 10 minutes · 1–2 days

Beihai Wetland

Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the water is covered with floating flowers and plants, like a vivid, giant floral carpet, dazzling and enchanting. In autumn and winter, huge flocks of migratory birds pass through, and you can witness the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of birds gathering. From mid-April to May each year, orchids are in bloom, making this the most beautiful season at Beihai.

Entrance ¥80; entrance + boat ticket + grass-raft ticket + shuttle bus ticket ¥125 · 0.5–1 day

Dieshuihe Waterfall

Dieshuihe Waterfall is 46 metres high. Along the cliffs on both sides stand striking columnar joint formations. The Dayingjiang River plunges over the high rock face here with thunderous roars and sprays of water, creating a magnificent scene described as “flowers scatter on their own, no bow needed to shoot them.” Across the way, a viewing platform sits on the mountain, and the courtyard holds many stone inscriptions left by famous scholars through the ages. The most celebrated is a 206-character couplet written by Cun Kaitai, a jinshi (top-ranking scholar) of the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty.

¥20 8:00–17:00 · 2–3 hours

Mangshi

Mangshi lies more than 100 km from Tengchong. This frontier town, with over two thousand years of history, is known in the Dai language as Menghuan. Today it attracts many visitors with its distinctive Dai ethnic charm and rare local cuisine.