Wenshanzhou refers to the district encompassing Wenshan city and the surround Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. The area is in a remote part of Yunnan province, bordering Vietnam to the south and Guangxi province to the east. Being one of the poorer areas of the province, the tourism industry is undeveloped and getting here can be tricky as roads are not well maintained.

The karst scenery and lakes around Wenshan are quite nice and relatively unspoiled, however it pails in comparison to the likes of Xishuangbanna. The area's main appeal is its ethnic diversity, being home to eleven different minority groups, Miao, Yao, Yi and Zhuang, to name a few. With such diversity of cultures, Wenshan and surrounding townships often brim with good cheer as red-cheeked locals celebrate their unique festivals.

Due to a lack of arable land and remoteness, the area has never been densely populated. It is generally though that it was originally inhabited by the Miao peoples, who migrated there from the now Guizhou province. During to the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD), kingdoms established by local ethnic groups were disbanded by invading forces and the area was assimilated.

Wenshan Prefecture and most of the surrounding plateau region is sub-tropical monsoon climate, the southern and eastern edge of the valley are more tropical. The average annual temperature generally falls between 15.5º C (60º F) and 19.3º C (67º F). Optimal travel time is between May and September, but you'd be well advised to bring raingear or at least an umbrella as the region is prone to heavy summer rains.