Founded in 960 AD before Yunnan province was even part of China, Yuxi has sometimes been called "one of the fastest growing small cities in China." Yuxi is "small", which is a rare adjective used to describe any city in China, the population is mainly composed of ethinic minorities which give the place a unique cultural flavor. Although little known to foreign travellers, Yuxi is nice, scenic surprise with rolling hills, the lake and lush nature. One little fun fact is that the composer of China's National Anthem, Nie Er, came from Yuxi. Smokers will be happy to know that Yuxi is the home of the Hongta cigarette company, named in honor of the Red Pagoda that is perched on a hill overlooking the city. During the Cultural Revolution the color of the pagoda was changed from white to red. The area is ideal for growing quality tobacco due to the 2,300 hours of s... more >>

The name Xishuangbanna (Xīshuāngbǎnnà, 西双版纳) comes from the native Dai name of the region, which means "twelve thousand rice fields"—an appropriate name for an area covering nearly 20,000 sq km (7,722 sq m) of paddy fields, hills, woods and tropical rain forest. Xishuangbanna's natural—and cultivated—beauty is its draw, along with its remote location in southern Yunnan Province, nestled against the borders with Laos and Burma (Myanmar). Home to smoky pu'er tea, a number of minority ethnic groups, numerous festivals and some of China's most striking wildlife, including elephants, peacocks, monkeys, tigers and leopards (though you're exceedingly unlikely to glimpse a rare jungle cat in their natural habitat). In many ways, Xishuangbanna has much more in common with Southeast Asian neighbors Thailand, Laos and Burma than with Han-dominated ... more >>

Wenshanzhou refers to the district encompassing Wenshan city and the surrounding Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. The area is in one of Yunnan province's more remote areas, bordering Vietnam to the south and Guangxi province to the east. China's economic miracle has mostly passed this area by, as a result, 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, but cannot be said to be as awe-inspiring as those near Xishuangbanna. The area's main appeal is its ethnic diversity, it's home to eleven different minority groups, Miao, Yao, Yi and Zhuang, to name a few. With such a diversity of cultures, Wenshan and surrounding townships often brim with good cheer as red-cheeked locals celebrate their unique festivals. more >>

Like the tiger and like another rather famous gorge or three in China, Yunnan's famed Tiger Leaping Gorge's days appear to be numbered—at least if you want to see it in something close to its natural state. Plans are afoot to dam the Jinsha River (as the Yangzi is known through this stretch), whose rushing waters have carved out this 17-kilometer long wonder over millenia. So, if you're set on seeing the world's deepest canyon before it's harmoniously developed into a tourist-friendly hydroelectric reservoir project, make like the legendary tiger and leap at the chance. (We should note that there is a lot of resistance to the dam project, for obvious reasons, and that its completion is not yet absolutely certain). Located at the junction of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the gorge is tucked neatly between the Yulong Snow Mountains and... more >>

Shaxi (Shāxī, 沙溪)—an old Horse and Tea Trade Route outpost that was more or less unknown to tourists years before backpackers fleeing the tourist boomtowns of Dali and Lijiang stumbled across it—is now the beneficiary of big-time development funds and the attentions of a Swiss-led team of historical restoration specialists. The result: Shaxi is gaining in popularity, but the hordes that flock to Dali and Lijiang have yet to descend—no doubt in large measure because of the lack of five-star resorts and all of the trappings of a destination ready to accommodate busloads of tourists looking for tidily packaged "authentic" experiences of local ethnic minority culture. Instead, a handful of lovingly restored old structures house small-scale guesthouses—the most intriguing being the old town opera house, complete with courtyard stage. Shaxi is, then... more >>